Midwest Calling: From First Avenue to the American Football House

Edited by Jeff Leven

December 8, 2026
Pre-orders now open!

A collection of original essays by artists, label owners, and booking agents—from DEVO to The Smashing Pumpkins to Michigander—on how Midwestern culture and landscape shaped their music and scenes. 

Midwest Calling takes you on a tour from DIY scenes to festival stages in St Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, and beyond, with over 25 writers and interviewees. The National’s Bryan Devendorf explains how the jug bands and rivers of Ohio helped create his band’s sound, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon tells a story about Prince at First Avenue, and American Football’s Steve Lamos defends boredom as an essential part of the creative process. Offstage players contribute stories as well, from Chris Swanson on the beginnings of the Secretly label group in Bloomington, Indiana, to Peter Jesperson facilitating the debut of national success stories at the legendary First Avenue in Minneapolis. Elsewhere, writers offer an inside look at the communities that shaped them, such as Rachel Cholst’s informational tribute to alt-country and the impact of Bloodshot Records, and poet Marguerite L. Harrold’s personal ode to the power and originality of Chicago house music.

This book is for fans—that friend with a worn-out story about Paul Westerberg or your vinyl-obsessed uncle, those who work or worked in the music industry, readers of Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion—and, above all, anyone interested in how music can be grounded in a place even as it transcends it.

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Jeff Leven is an artist manager and recovering music attorney, enthusiastic rock writer and mediocre guitarist. His writing has appeared in Paste, Pitchfork, Revolver, AP, some discerning blogs and numerous music industry contracts (which are more of a dry read). In other phases of life he has also dabbled in concert promotion and radio. He grew up in Ohio and Texas, lived in Boston, New Jersey and LA and currently resides near Philadelphia. He has two children and a Golden Retriever.  He still loves rock n’ roll.

Table of Contents: 

Introduction by Jeff Leven 

Midwest Meditation by Bryan Devendorf 

The Spirit of Chicago House Music by Marguerite L. Harrold 

A Love Letter to the All Ages Matinee by Marc Solheim 

Fence-Walking in Minneapolis by Mollie Lehman 

It’s Where I’ll Always Be From: A Conversation with Michigander’s Jason Singer 

Movement by Megan McIsaac 

Reminiscing… Then and Now by Andy Gershon 

Civilization’s Dying: Punk Rock in the Midwest b/w In the Donut Hole: Hip-Hop in the Midwest by Jeff Leven 

Peppermint Productions, Youngstown, Ohio by Anthony LaMarca 

The Last Prom on Earth by Justin Vernon

Homecoming by Caiti Green

Detroit Dayenu by Jeff Leven

My First Record Store Job by Ronald House

Must Warn Others by Alexei Moon Casselle

Sacred Events: Jimmy Chamberlin’s Life in Music in Chicago and Beyond 

Really the Blues: Vance Kelly and Me at Lee’s Unleaded by Jeff Leven 

Honky-Tonk Heaven by Michael David Smith 

The Resonance of Bill Fox by Annie Zaleski 

The Christian Humper, Tape 16 (An Excerpt from Recommended If You Like: A Novel ) by Adam Voith  

Rock on the Range: Active Rock, Metal, “Butt Rock,” and the Midwest by Jeff Leven 

The Fly-In Series by Peter Jesperson 

Wilco (The Near Miss) by Jeff Leven 

Night After Night After Night: Phil Costello’s Memories of the Blue Note 

Iggy Omo by Rob Miller

Bloodshot Queer Country and Belonging by Rachel Cholst 

Can We Just Bask in the Magic of Motown for a Moment? by Jeff Leven 

Nuggets from the Midwest by Ted Mankin 

The Lawrence Arms Said Goodbye to Youth on Oh! Calcutta! by Brendan Hilliard 

De-evolution Is Real: A Q&A with Devo’s Gerald Casale 

“Make Sure They Remember Ya”: Obligatory Encomium to Paul Westerberg by Jeff Leven 

Elvis Has Not Left This Building by Cheryl Pawelski 

“And It Was Beautiful”: Chris Swanson on Secretly, Bloomington, and the Independent Midwest

The Wild Calls Again: Suicide Commandos at First Avenue, Minneapolis, March 28, 2026 by Jeff Leven

Back to Boring by Steve Lamos

6 x 9 | Paperback