Name: Lonn Friend
Age: 55
Occupation: Author, freelance writer, media consultant.
Place you call home?
Long Beach, California
How are you doing?
F.I.N.E. as in Aerosmith’s FINE. Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional, as defined by Steven Tyler on the 1989 Pump LP. 20 years later, I was helping Tyler edit his FINE book, which inspired the title of my own midlife memoir, Sweet Demotion.
What are you doing?
Gingerly Promoting Sweet Demotion as well as my first book, Life on Planet Rock (Morgan Road/Random House, 2006) doing signings and appearances, press interviews, working on presentation for college lecture tour based on my 28 years in multi-media, picking up random gigs here and there like composing the 64 page book inside the new Alice Cooper box set, Old School (1964 – 1974) and consulting production for the AC/DC Let There Be Rock Limited Edition Box Set DVD/blu-ray. Meditating on a novel. Characters welcome.
Inspiration?
Megan Friend, Larry Flynt, Peter Gabriel, The Beatles, Henry Miller, Kahlil Gibran, Gandhi, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Ray Bradbury, Keith Olbermann, Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, Rumi, John Muir…
Music?
iPod always on shuffle, 10k songs of disparate design and origin from Beethoven to Florence and the Machine.
Watch?
Pulp Fiction, any Hitchcock, Ocean’s 11 (original and Soderberg remake), all Cameron Crowe (going to the premiere of his Pearl Jam documentary tomorrow at the Arc Light in Hollywood, excited), Almost Famous because that was MY life in the 80s and 90s, an immortal cinematic love letter to rock n’ roll. School of Rock (Jack Black should have won an Oscar for his unhinged and wondrous performance of Dewey Finn) and Waking Life from Richard Linklater, the Austin genius. It’s A Wonderful Life, Wil Ferrell pix, especially Anchorman and Elf (“he’s an angry elf.”); Alexander Payne’s back to back masterstrokes, About Schmidt and Sideways; as for the smaller screen, Louis CK’s “Louie” on FX, most authentic and brilliant comedy on cable, Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Big C, Family Guy, Daily Show (wish Jon Stewart was running for prez in ’12), The Green Room with Paul Provenza, True Blood, NCIS (I like seeing my friend Pauley Perrette do her punk rock forensic scientist thing, go Abby!), Twilight Zone marathons on SyFy.
Read?
Air-Conditioned Nightmare, Black Spring, Tropic of Cancer, Stand Still Like a Hummingbird, Sexus by Henry Miller, The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, John Grisham (except when he leaves the courtroom), Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley, The Prophet by Gibran, most Coleman Barks’ translated Rumi, Krishnamurti, occasionally find UK mags like Mojo, Paper, Uncut and Q, better than anything published in the U.S. Since RIP, far as music rags go.
Sports?
Lakers basketball, Giants and Yankees baseball, any football since my pathetic hometown of Los Angeles hasn’t had a team in 15 years. Golf. Horse Racing – Zenyatta’s 19 consecutive win streak was the single most extraordinary sports story in modern history.
Travel to?
New York City two or three times a year, ditto Washington D.C. where my daughter goes to school, Bay Area, Chicago, Las Vegas, Rochester (I recently directed a rock video for a local hero/Bon Jovi dreamer named Kris Hadlock for an autobiographical throw-back balled called, “Superstar (Lost and Found).” It’s on You Tube or at http://hadlockrock.com.
Transport?
Bike and ’88 BMW 528e, last year of the vintage rectangle design, approaching 170k miles and still purring like a Bavarian kitten. When I fly, Virgin America and Jet Blue are my preferred carriers. You can watch Current TV and have a hummus plate on Virgin.
Wear?
Shorts, jeans and tees, only put on a collar if I’m invited to play 18 at a country club. Got some cool white slacks and shoes Alice Cooper gave me when he was cleaning out his closet. We wear the same size.
Eat?
Home preparation, low cholesterol, infrequent meat, lots of fruit and nuts if I’m in NoHo, Heny’s Taco’s on Tujunga and Moorpark (its in the new book). In Vegas, POP’s on Decatur and Alta still has the best hoagie in America. Mexican food in San Francisco’s Mission District, tortas, yum. Village Pizzeria in Hollywood finest thin crust drippy chewy awesome Brooklyn slice in L.A.
Drink?
Water.
Love?
21 year old daughter Megan, senior George Washington University. Ex-wife, Joyce, one of my best pals, don’t believe in burning love bridges. Wrote about two muse-like relationships post marriage in Sweet Demotion. At the moment, very single and detached.
Hate?
Don’t use the word. Have no time for lying politicians of either party, extreme right wing evangelical hypocrites who preach limited government except when it comes to dictating what a woman does with her womb; self-serving corporations, greed-mongers, war-mongers or reality show producers prostituting human weakness and stupidity so they can present unreal, edited, manipulated versions of life. Drug companies and doctors who produce and prescribe Mothers’ and Fathers’ Little Helpers designed to numb and control the population. I was diagnosed manic-depressive in 2007. Went through a study, chapter 21 of the book recounts. Almost threw myself off a balcony from a brief waltz with anti-depressants. Went back to yoga and herbs. “Half the country is in pain and the other half can’t sleep.” – Pharmacist, Albertson’s Marina Del Rey)
All time best live concert experience?
Impossible to answer completely when you’ve been concert going for 40 years but let’s try: Billy Joel Santa Monica Civic Turnstiles Tour 1977, Peter Gabriel L.A. Forum SO Tour 1986, Freddie Mercury Tribute Wembly Stadium London 1992, a dozen Metallica shows on three continents, Bon Jovi Olympic Stadium Munich, Germany, July 2001, Beck Hollywood Bowl with orchestrated Sea Change; Florence and the Machine Greek Theater L.A. July 2011 and on and on and on oh Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here, Sports Arena 1975 and my first concert ever, Crosby Stills Nash & Young 1972 L.A. Forum, became the Four Way Street double LP; ’89 RIP Party GN’R’s last club date, Park Plaza Hotel (Mike Monroe staged dove with Axl), ’90 RIP Party Faith No More does War Pigs with Ozzy and James Hetifled guesting, Motorhead, Megadeth surprise four song set and the closing Metallica/GN’R/Skid Row jam; ’91 RIP Party (the Seattle blowout), Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog jam (only multiple song Temple set every performed live) and Spinal Tap (with Joe Satriani on lead guitar); Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Black Crowes, etc. Castle Donington, England, August 1990, after I rode four hours on the bus from London to the concert site with Tyler, Perry and Jimmy Page, who sat in with ‘Smith that night (scandalous Chuck Berry tale told on the ride is in Life on Planet Rock)…guess that’s enough for now.
Want?
Peace love and understanding, just the way Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and God envisioned. I’ll take peace of mind, visitations of the muse, maybe a few more book births and a fervent hope we all survive December 21, 2012, the Tea Party and other unconscious objectors holding back human and spiritual evolution.
Who would you like to pass this “interrogation” on to?
Anyone. I have several Facebook pages and I don’t restrict access but despite a Twitter account, can’t seem to embrace that social network. Yet. Way of the transparent and peaceful warrior (thank you Dan Millman).
And finally: Sex, Drugs & Rock`n Roll? (Your vices/bad habits, cigarettes, chocolate etc)
Vices are subjective. One man’s poison is another man’s passion. I try to live a healthy life, never smoked a cigarette, torch the herb on occasion for inspiration and cosmic connection, not much for alcohol but respect the lore and liquid sensation of Guinness. Youporn.com (and similar distractions) have their place. Moderation and meditation.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=558680282
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002109536696
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lonn-Friend/137258629629473
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonn_Friend
http://www.soulexistence.com/lonnfriend.com/sweetdemotionmain2.htm
