Serj Tankian celebrates DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM

Join Barnes & Noble - Union Square on Tuesday, May 14th at 6PM as we welcome lead singer of the Grammy award winning rock band, System Of A Down, Serj Tankianto celebrate his bookDOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (of sorts). This exhilarating, thoughtful, and beautifully written memoir retraces Serj’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself.

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To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the below guidelines ahead of buying a ticket, so you know what to expect on the day. To avoid disappointment, we must stress that there will be no access to the event for non-ticketholders.

• Barnes & Noble reserves the right to make new rules and orders in its sole discretion with regard to COVID-19 at any time and any person not abiding by the Barnes & Noble directives will be refused entrance or directed to leave the premises.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Book Admission - $32.71 (Admission + one copy ofDOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (of sorts)+ 5-cent bag fee): **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:

• One copy ofDOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (of sorts) (out 5/14/24).

• Admission to the event space and signing line with Serj Tankian.

Serj will sign and personalize copies of DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (of sorts). No memorabilia will be signed.

Serj will NOT pose for photos.

Any gifts for the author will be collected prior to the signing line.

Please arrive by 6PM in order to secure your seat in the event space. Late arrivals may only have access to standing room and may not have the opportunity to meet the author.

GUIDELINES

No large bags will be permitted into the event.

No memorabilia will be signed at this event.

Ticket holders will be admitted into the event beginning at 5:30 PM the day of the event. Please have a copy of your ticket available (either printed out or on your phone) for check in.

Due to health and safety and space limitations, those without a ticket will not be permitted into the event space.

Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event. Each person must have a ticket to enter.

All event guidelines are subject to change.

If you have any additional questions, please call the store directly at: 212-253-0810.

REFUNDS

Attendees can receive refunds up to 24 hours before your event start time.

If you are unable to attend the event, Barnes & Noble - Union Square will hold your book for seven days after the event. Please contact the store to arrange your pickup.

Should this event be canceled, all customers will be refunded their ticket price to the original method of payment per Eventbrite's refund policy.

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ABOUT DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (of sorts):

In DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock 'n' roll fable. It's an immigrant's tale, it’s an activist's awakening, and it's a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country’s civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven.

As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of “Little Armenia,” learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead—a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin.

Braiding together Serj’s thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM retraces Serj’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. It’s an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathless—and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.

ABOUT Serj Tankian:

Serj Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy award winning rock band, System Of A Down, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. Since launching onto the rock scene in 1993, he’s performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He’s also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. He has also been an executive producer on multiple documentaries, including I Am Not Alone, which tells the story of Armenia’s 2018 revolution and which won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, The American Film Institute Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.