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In an old interview where he talks about his favorite bands, John Frusciante concludes by detailing the ways in which REM’s music has been like a friend to him. When he was down and out as an active drug user, friendless and out of the band, REM was there for him. This is more or less how I feel about the entire catalog of John Frusciante. There are lots of bands and artists I always feel I can return to, but none so much like a friend as John Frusciante.“If anything unfolds, it’s supposed to” - John Frusciante, “Going Inside”
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New Jersey may have Bruce, but Massachusetts has Jonathan- a guy who has always been unapologetically himself whether it was being totally sober in the 70s, writing pleas for tenderness in a genre known for bravado, dancing in lesbian bars, or driving down to NYC every weekend to be Velvet Underground's biggest fan before anyone else was. a guy who despite being a rock legend, spends his days installing pizza ovens around the san fransisco area.
I've seen him live a few times now, and watching him play his sweet silly songs in an unapologetically sincere + sort of autistic way is somehow just as transgressive as the proto-punk he invented with The Modern Lovers over 50 years ago. I can't help but smile ear to ear for his entire set. effortless humor and charm.
Something that's also stood out to me after seeing him live a few times now, is the way he recontextualizes the classics. When he played "Old World" in 2022 he changed the lyrics to recognize how some things should be left in the past rather than simply romanticizing it. And last night he played with the iconic "Pablo Picasso" to focus less on the swagger of Pablo, and more on how that type of guy is actually kind of an arrogant creep. Angel Prost (of Frost Children) wrote a great essay on Jonathan's reinvention for her email-only newsletter a few years ago, if you'd like to read it I'm sure I can dig it up for you.
From last night-
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an oil painter. I was obsessed with colors.
Then I heard Velvet Underground and saw you can paint with a guitar
Anyways...if more people were a bit more like Jonathan the world would be a better place. A huge inspiration to me!
Mar 8, 2024
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he's always getting me through some difficult period of my life for whatever reason. I hope he knows
Mar 8, 2024
Mar 12, 2024
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For the past year or so I’ve tried to surprise as many people as I can with a birthday cake on their special day. I can safely say it is the easiest, most rewarding thing you can do to show your gratitude that someone else exists. You only have to do it once a year, but they’ll remember it.
Oct 31, 2023
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Ever since I got sober, I’ve had this nagging feeling that I got away with something that many people I’ve known over the years did not. Acknowledging this truth always alleviates any momentary anxiety I might be feeling and mainlines a potent batch of gratitude into my system. Life continues to throw a lot at you even after you’ve cleaned up your act, and in many ways it feels a lot harder to handle because reality isn’t so foggy anymore and problems aren’t as easy to shrug off as they once were. But remembering that I’m lucky to still be here at all and that I just might be in the bonus round of my life always makes me thrilled to be alive.“I want to live again!” - George Bailey, “It’s A Wonderful Life”
Oct 31, 2023
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Can’t believe I forgot to include this earlier. Chris Lilley’s masterpiece. Buried deeper and deeper as the years go by. The hardest I’ve laughed at anything outside of Stella.
Dec 11, 2023