Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf 2024

The Story of Steppenwolf On a magic carpet ride from Germany to Toronto to California, we follow the evolution of the band Steppenwolf, in a time when music was taking a cue from the darkening world around it. Steppenwolf is one of the most iconic and enigmatic bands in the history of rock music. On the edge of mainstream and the psychedelic underground, their song "Born to Be Wild" opened the cult movie "Easy Rider" and became an anthem for an entire generation. Steppenwolf's sound descended upon the 60's music scene like a dagger in the heart of the summer of love: it is no coincidence that they were the very first band to use "Heavy Metal" in their lyrics. The origins of Steppenwolf's hard rock sound are told through the stories of charismatic lead singer John Kay, bass player Nick St. Nicholas, guitar player Michael Monarch, and songwriter Mars Bonfire. Using exclusive, never-before-seen super 8 mm footage, deep-dive archives, and present-day scenes. Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf takes us from war-torn Germany to the working-class streets of Toronto, and then to Los Angeles where the band rises and falls from fame.—Lisa M. Roth