In the mid 1970s the world of arena rock was ruled by dead-serious British bands, but that all changed by four flamboyant American bands that reveled in revved-up anthems and flaunted a novel theatricality. Here Doug Brod seamlessly interweaves the narratives of KISS, Cheap Trick, and Aerosmith with that of Starz, a criminally neglected band whose fate may have been sealed by a shocking act of violence. Looking back at a crucial moment in music history when rock became fun again, Brod traces the colorful tale of how these bands laid the foundations for two seemingly opposed rock genres, glam rock and grunge.