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The definitive story of The Slackers, Leftover Crack, and the New York City Ska Scene from one of the best punk drummers of his generation, Ara Babajian.
Set in four parts, Mister Tragedy spans the suburban Southern California punk scene of the mid-80s with Babajian’s first band The McMartin Choir Boys. The book then travels cross-country to the early 90s ska scene of NYC with his next band Agent 99, before moving on to the late 90s and early 2000s success of seminal bands Leftover Crack and The Slackers. Capturing the musical exhilaration of the era and sharing personal battles with mental health, Babajian’s memoir celebrates a golden age of music.
Within, Babajian tells the tale of what it was like to be a full-time member of two of the most influential punk/ska bands of their time. This non-fiction book also shares stories of bands such as Operation Ivy, Rancid, Choking Victim, Mephiskapheles, Hepcat, The Toasters, NOFX, The Aggrolites, Subhumans, Citizen Fish, Jeff Rosenstock and Bomb the Music Industry!
"What I love about this memoir is that, although it's packed with plenty of anecdotes and Punk history, it's coming from a totally personal perspective and really gets into the nitty-gritty of things like childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, burnout, explorations of queer identity and how it actually feels to go through the rollercoaster of band dynamics. Although Ara’s story is very unique, I think in some ways anybody who’s into Punk or who has ever felt like an outsider will relate to and enjoy this book. Whatever you want from a 90s/2000s Punk memoir, Mister Tragedy goes there and does it in a readable, relatable way. It’s like a great song in book form. Loved it!" —Jesse Michaels, Operation Ivy
"It's fantastic!!! One of the most candid and realistic portrayals of touring and band dynamics I’ve ever read." —DJ Bonebrake, X
"Ara has a unique ability to show you exactly what it's like to be in a regular, working band (which is much more interesting than a huge arena band.) The highs, the lows, the long days of driving to gigs, the pointless fights, the magic that happens when musicians find that connection on stage. His book, Mister Tragedy, was a pleasure to read. You don’t need to be a fan of The Slackers or Leftover Crack to appreciate these stories. All you have to do is love music. I couldn’t get enough of it." —Aaron Carnes, author of In Defense of Ska
"A thoughtful and insightful, yet quirky and utterly hilarious book from an insanely versatile musician and a brilliant, soft-spoken man." —Tim Hildebrand, Catbite
"The last of our Generation…X, was it no surprise we found punk and new wave? Latchkey kids with poor parents who had no business having children. Freaks and weirdos who were lost. Didn't have friends in school really, family or love… hell most of us came from abusive homes. Then the music gave us everything." —J. Navarro, The Suicide Machines