According to Troy’s complaint, Reed and the band had many “detailed” conversations during the band’s stay with Reed, about music, in general, and the band’s bright future, specifically. According to Troy, Reed always said the “sky was the limit” for the band—and for Troy, in particular. Troy claimed Reed made multiple promises to him during this time period. Promises Reed didn’t wind up keeping.
According to my research, Reed wasn’t shy about expressing his admiration for The Distillery during those early months. Reed was variously quoted as saying The Distillery was “lightning in a bottle” and “like nobody else.” Regarding Troy, in particular, Reed called him a “future star.”
For their part, Troy and his bandmates returned Reed’s enthusiasm, calling their deal with River Records a “dream come true” and Reed, specifically, “a genius.”
After several months of hard work, The Distillery’s album was completed, and Reed teed up everything for the upcoming release, including having the guys shoot a music video for their debut single. By all accounts, the stars were aligned for The Distillery to take the world by storm in the same way Red Card Riot and Danger Doctor Jones had already done.
But, then, out of nowhere, mere weeks before the band’s debut album was scheduled to drop, something happened that made Reed abruptly scrap the album, unceremoniously dump the band from his label, and physically beat the shit out of Troy. What was it that made Reed turn so viciously on a band he’d so vocally supported and admired? Well, a woman, of course. What else? Specifically, an “unnamed woman” with whom Reed had previously “been involved”... and with whom Troy had apparently had sex within two weeks of the scheduled debut album release.
In other words, according to Troy, Reed dumped Troy and his band, and physically assaulted Troy, thereby forfeiting all the time and money Reed had invested, merely to exact revenge upon Troy for screwing the wrong woman. Now, really. Does all that sound like something Reed would do?
Hell yes, it does! Duh. I saw the way Reed looked at C-Bomb that night at the RCR concert. Like he wanted to kill C-Bomb for merely flirting with me. I also saw the way Reed handled that PA who’d walked in on us. He was absolutely ruthless with that poor girl. Like a mob boss. Plus, backstage at the RCR concert, Reed himself told me he’d “trained” his artists not to hit on anyone he’d been involved with. Well, now I know what he was talking about. He was referring to the incident with Troy.
But even without all that direct evidence to make me believe Reed did precisely what Troy accused him of doing, I’d still believe it, if only because Reed settled Troy’s lawsuit. Reed himself told me he doesn’t settle a case, unless it has merit, or Reed believes a jury will think it does. In regard to Stephanie Moreland’s lawsuit, Reed settled because Leonard advised him a jury would hate him. Also, because California law is clear about the consequences of a boss screwing an employee. But, in this instance, my gut tells me Reed settled Troy’s lawsuit because it was flat-out true.
What happened to The Distillery after they got unceremoniously dumped by River Records? They broke up. Apparently, Troy’s bandmates were too pissed at him for fucking the “unnamed woman,” whoever she was—cough, cough, Isabel Randolph—to want to continue making music with him. They couldn’t release their existing debut album, since River Records owned it, according to the ironclad terms of their record deal. And everyone in the band was far too pissed at Troy at that point to sit down and try to write new music. For crying out loud, the band was even prohibited from performing any of the songs on that debut album, without the label’s written consent—which, of course, it refused to give. And not only that, according to the complaint, Reed went so far as to “blackball” Troy in the music industry, thereby ensuring Troy’s present and future music career was DOA.
So, that was that. The Distillery was dead, and Troy thereafter became a lone wolf pariah who eked out a meager music career by performing in small bars. I don’t know what Troy received in settlement—there were no details on that in the court file. But whatever payment he got, it obviously wasn’t enough to keep Troy off the schedule of dive bars like Slingers a full six years later.
Speaking of which, I reach the front door of Slingers and show my ID to the bouncer, who stamps my wrist and allows me to enter the darkened bar. And there he is. Troy Eklund. Playing an acoustic guitar and belting out a song on a small stage in the corner.
I stand, stock still inside the door for a moment, blown away. No wonder Reed signed this guy. He’s mesmerizing. Talented and hot as hell. I already knew what he looked like, thanks to YouTube. But, still, in person Troy Eklund is a smoke show. No wonder the “unnamed woman” screwed him. I’d screw him, too. In fact, who knows? Maybe, if Troy plays his cards right, I’ll screw him tonight.