You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
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| Author | Stephen King |
|---|---|
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror, fantasy short story |
| Released in | Shock Rock (1st release), Nightmares and Dreamscapes |
| Publication type | Anthology |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Media Type | Print (Paperback) |
| Released | 1992 |
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band is a short story by Stephen King. It was first published in the horror anthology Shock Rock and later included in King's collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
The title comes from the chorus of a Righteous Brothers song, Rock and Roll Heaven.
[edit] Plot summary
A couple on a roadtrip in Oregon get lost and come into a small, cozy-looking town with the improbable name of Rock and Roll Heaven. A few people they see around town look disturbingly familiar. They stop in a restaurant for lunch, and the wife finally realizes who the townsfolk are: the waitress is Janis Joplin and the cook is Ricky Nelson; they realize that these people are the real article, and not just look-alikes, when maggots start emerging from Janis's eyes. The two escape the restaurant and see other late music legends such as Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Ronnie Van Zandt, Duane Allman and Jim Morrison, who all begin tormenting them. When they try to leave the town, they crash into a bus -accompanied by the tune "Magic Bus" -escorting Jimi Hendrix, who summons a police car by playing an unnaturally loud guitar version of the Star Spangled Banner and the police car's passengers exit the car, with the police escort being Otis Redding and the other being the mayor, Elvis, who informs that they won't be allowed to leave: they are not the only 'normal' people in town, and from now on, they will join the captive audience for the massive concerts that happen every night on the town square, and last for months, performed by late music idols like Freddie Mercury, Marvin Gaye, Patsy Cline, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Moon and Cass Elliott. As emcee Alan Freed finishes his introduction with "rock n roll will never die." The wife simply says to herself "That's exactly what I'm afraid of." as they settle into a town where they will be staying forever -the story ends with the couple asking another captive how long she's been here, and the woman replies that she's been here for several years now, but is still the exact same age.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The story was adapted as one of the episodes of the 2006 Turner Network Television series Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
