8 Mundane Celebrity Encounters I’ve Had in Los Angeles
Eight true tales of mundane Hollywood run-ins!
A year ago, I moved to Los Angeles for reasons that are unclear to me. L.A. is a place where people move when they want to be famous or be near the famous, but I want neither. I do occasionally see celebrities out and about around here, though, pretending like they belong among the rest of us.
I saw the below tweet going around yesterday, asking for mundane celebrity encounters. I’ve had too many this year to choose just one. At least eight, by my count, each one more forgettable than the last. I wrote them down in a notebook when they happened and now I’m sharing them with you in no particular order.
1. McLovin’
I was waiting in line for tacos with a group of friends. Behind us were McLovin’ and his group of friends. We were all wearing jean jackets and he said “hey we’re all wearing jean jackets” and I said “ha ha yeah look at that.” I ordered three tacos with a side of queso and tortilla chips.
2. Father John Misty
I was shopping for Christmas gifts for my nieces in a store that sells $40 Wu-Tang shirts for kids and Father John Misty walked in holding a small child. He looked at a sweatshirt on a tiny mannequin and said, “Oh wow.” And then he left.
3. James Franco
On my way out of a Thai restaurant I noticed James Franco was sitting at a table with a group of people who all looked like they were 22 years old and I thought that was odd.
4. Russell Brand
I saw Russell Brand walking out of The Americana at Brand. Someone next to me also noticed him and I said to her, “Hey, look—Brand at Brand.” She didn’t laugh even though it was really funny.
5. Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers
I ran into Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers in a bookstore on the first day it had rained in Los Angeles in two months. I asked Conor if he remembered me from the time I’d interviewed him at his hotel. He said yes but I’ll bet he didn’t.
6. Kurtwood Smith
As I was leaving a coffee shop, Kurtwood Smith, who played Red Forman in That 70s Show and the bad guy in Robocop, asked if he could have my table and I said sure even though the table he’d been sitting at seemed perfectly fine.
7. Pauly Shore
I was sitting on the patio at a different coffee shop and Pauly Shore cruised by on his bike. I said to the person next to me, “Hey, that was Pauly Shore” and they said, “Who was Pauly Shore?”
8. Shia LeBeouf
I went to a backyard party to celebrate the birthday of a person I didn’t know and saw Shia LaBeouf hanging out in the corner. I took a photo of my friends and when the flash went off he turned and looked at me as though I’d sneaked a photo of him. But I didn’t. Here’s the photo I took of my friends and not Shia LeBeouf as proof.
Bonus story:
I was walking out of some sort of plant store with friends and a guy who was walking a very large dog stopped me and said, “Oh hey, I really like your newsletter,” which prompted my friend to say, “Oh great, we’re gonna have to hear about this all day now.”
It’s the freakin’ weekend baby I’m about to stay me at home
So, another Friday is upon us. I assume you will be staying inside all weekend unless you live in one of those states that puts the rest of us in danger because 30 women named Caryn got together and demanded that local Margaritavilles reopen. To help you stay sane at home, I have a few viewing recommendations for you.
First off, Frances from Hop Along did an NPR Tiny Desk this week if you’d like to watch the Coolest Person Alive play in an office ha ha remember those?
Also, I was late to this but if you haven’t watched Detroiters, I implore you to start. It’s one of the only shows that has made me laugh until my sides hurt at least once per episode. This scene from the second season is one of the funniest things that’s ever been on television.
Also also, this guy Tim Morris has been uploading a bunch of crazy rare footage of punk/hardcore/emo shows from the mid-to-late 90s on YouTube. A treasure trove, especially for us Tri-Staters.
Here’s Orchid from ‘98 in New Brunswick:
Jimmy Eat World in Michigan in ‘97:
AVAIL at the Wetlands in ‘96(!)
Hot Water Music in ‘95:
Lifetime in ‘95 (wow look how ripped Dan was):
There are tons more from Mineral, Converge, Acrid, Deadguy, 400 Years, Los Crudos, Samiam, Ink & Dagger, Assück, The Locust, Jenny Piccolo, Jawbreaker, World Inferno, and Torches to Rome among others. Oh, and also Botch, playing the venue in my hometown where I saw my first shows as a wee lil 14-year-old boy.
And speaking of my hometown, if I may make a recommendation, watch this video of C.R., the greatest hardcore band that ever came out of the area. Come for the thick accents, stay for the greatest frontman of all time. (Whomst I once wrote about here.)
Alright folks. Have a good weekend. Thanks for subscribing. Tell yer friends.
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I'm from Staten Island and know that CR was one of the best live hardcore bands ever - thanks for including that video!
I saw Pauly Shore at a coffee shop in silverlake. he had a handwritten script strewn about and his chair pushed out way too far.