When Jenny Lewis was born, her dad and mom had been a part of Loves Method, a musical lounge act in Las Vegas. After they cut up up when she was 3 years outdated, she moved along with her mother, her older sister and their babysitter (a feminine Elvis impersonator from Memphis, Tenn.) to the San Fernando Valley.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. individuals give us a play-by-play of their superb Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and find out how to get pleasure from life on the weekends.
Lewis remained within the Valley for many of her life, with some sojurns to the Eastside of L.A., Nashville and New York. Now she’s firmly again within the Valley, besides, in fact, when she’s on tour.
Lewis is a former youngster actor (chances are you’ll keep in mind her from “Troop Beverly Hills” and “The Wizard”), however has spent her maturity as a celebrated musician who has launched 5 solo albums, together with 2023’s “Joy’All.”
She lately reunited along with her bandmates in Rilo Kiley, the indie rock group that captured millennial hearts within the early 2000s. They’re presently touring the USA and can play two native reveals on the Greek Theatre on Oct. 14 and 18. Calling from a lodge in Nashville, she particulars what she likes to do on Sundays when she’s again in L.A.
This interview has been frivolously edited for size and readability.
8:36 a.m.: Caffeinate, let the canine sleep inI are likely to get up virtually every single day at 8:36. After I have a look at the clock, 9 occasions out of 10, it’s 8:36.
I’ve a cockapoo, Bobby Rhubarb, she’s 4 1/2, so my life type of revolves round her. I really get up sooner than Bobby, who tends to loaf about in mattress till 11 a.m. She will get her zoomies round midnight as a result of she was raised on the street. The primary yr of her life, three months of it was spent opening for Harry Types and dwelling on a tour bus. She’s on tour schedule perpetually.
So I stand up — I’m very quiet in order to not disturb her — after which I’ll make espresso. I like Canyon Espresso. It’s a single-origin natural roaster primarily based in L.A., run by this actually cute couple.
9:30 a.m.: Love to wash, clear to loveSunday is my clean-the-house day. I’m a little bit of a neat freak, and now that I dwell by myself, I can indulge my tendencies. It’s additionally actually good train. I’m sometimes figuring out a pair days every week, however cleansing is an energetic factor to do and it’s very loving if you end up fortunate sufficient to personal a house. You don’t actually get to know a home till you get in your arms and knees and clear the ground.
11 a.m.: Open-hearted flea market-ingThe first Sunday of the month is the Pasadena Metropolis School Flea, second Sunday is the Rose Bowl, third is Lengthy Seaside and fourth is Topanga. I want the primary and the fourth Sundays. I just like the smaller fleas, and there are a few distributors that go to each PCC and Topanga which have superb stuff. I’ve relationships with them the place they’ll be like, “Oh, I pulled this with you in mind.”
Flea market distributors inform the historical past of the place you might be. These persons are specialists on outdated chimayos and Navajo blankets and Midcentury Fashionable furnishings. In case you stick round, you be taught loads about stuff that you just by no means thought you wanted to learn about.
For me, the character of thrifting and flea market-ing is predicated on an open coronary heart and a beneficiant spirit. I’m all the time donating and going by my closet and placing it again into the thrifting group. After I offload a bunch of stuff reasonably than promote it, I really feel like I will likely be fortunate on the flea market.
You may’t actually go together with any expectations; that’s not likely the way it works. I’ve been in search of the proper faux leopard-skin coat for 20 years. I even have a brand new track that has that as one of many lyrics. Possibly sooner or later I’ll discover it.
2:30 p.m.: Chinese language meals cravingsIf it is a Pasadena day, it’s a possibility to get Chinese language meals, which I crave on Sundays. I’ll typically go to Woon. It’s actually near the place a number of issues burned down [in the Eaton fire], so it’s fairly cool to go there and help that spot.
It may be a bit jammed on Sundays, so typically I’ll go to the Glendale Galleria — additionally jammed, however otherwise — and Din Tai Fung.
I all the time park on the highest deck. You get a bit sunshine. If you could smoke a bit doob, you are able to do that, or not. And also you simply stroll proper over the bridge into JCPenney, which I like strolling by.
Din Tai Fung, there’s a hack for those who’re by your self, or for those who’re two individuals: You may sit on the bar and never wait an hour. I’m gluten-free. Usually you’d get dumplings, which look superb and I wish to eat them, however I can’t eat them. I’ll get the meat broth soup — it’s unbelievable — and a few vegs. Relying on the day, typically they let you know the glass noodles are gluten-free and typically they let you know they’re not, so I wouldn’t advocate that to anybody who’s celiac.
3:30 p.m.: Mall therapeutic massage breakOut in the course of the mall, close to the Uniqlo, there’s the perfect 30-minute chair therapeutic massage. It’s simply unimaginable. And I’m a giant mall therapeutic massage aficionado.
I want it to a bougie therapeutic massage. I might reasonably do a Thai-style therapeutic massage the place you’ve your garments on or Chinese language acupressure. Sometimes mall kiosks are Chinese language acupressure. It’s the finest therapeutic massage for what I’m in search of, which is one thing very robust and therapeutic.
I don’t must go to the spa, particularly once I’m on the street. Oftentimes, the bus will likely be at a Radisson on a break day and there’s a mall throughout the freeway. I’ll all the time search for the therapeutic massage on the mall, and it units me straight.
I’ve written so many songs whereas getting a therapeutic massage within the mall, as a result of there’s all the time ambient music that you could’t completely make out. There’s one thing about that and the sound of individuals — it’s a really liberating frequency for me to write down lyrics.
5 p.m.: Dinner provisionsI’m heading again to Mint Chip, which is the title of my home, to see Bobby. On Sundays, relying on what I had for lunch, we are going to do both burger night time or grass-fed filet mignon night time.
I’ll cease at Gelson’s, and so they’ve bought two grass-fed fillets which might be comparatively affordable. I’ll get a baked potato or mashed potatoes, a salad, decide up a bottle of pure wine after which go dwelling and make dinner for myself and Bobby.
I like issues well-done, which nobody likes to listen to, nevertheless it’s the fact. In case you’re my visitor or my canine and you want issues a bit bit extra uncommon, I’m glad to make it your method for you.
I’ve turn into a very good cook dinner and I make an ideal martini. I make the Mint Chip Martini. I name it a maximalist martini as a result of it’s additional soiled, olives and a twist. It disguises the alcohol. I simply have a look at the vermouth — I don’t put it within the martini; I look at it, and that’s sufficient vermouth.
I couldn’t do something earlier than the pandemic, so I actually cherish that point of studying find out how to handle myself.
8 p.m.: Cult classicsI have a projector arrange in my lounge that tasks onto a white wall. I’ve been actually into this app known as Night time Flight [Plus]. “Night Flight” was a cult late-night TV collection [it originally ran on the USA Network from 1981 to 1988]. They performed a number of music movies, punk and heavy steel docs. Now they’ve this superior streaming app, so you’ll be able to watch these outdated episodes. Proper now, there’s a film known as “Kin-Dza-Dza!” from 1986. I like that Soviet stuff. Music from that period is so bizarre and funky.
10 p.m.: Bedtime with crimeI’ll take Bobby out earlier than mattress after which we are going to go into the main bedroom. I’ll sometimes hearken to an audiobook or a podcast after which it’s off to sleep.
I’m a real crime fanatic, so I’ve listened to all of them. As of late, I actually loved “Crooked City.” Additionally, “Up and Vanished: In the Midnight Sun” is nice. I actually like Payne Lindsey and all of his reveals. There’s one other nice one known as “Dead and Gone,” which is the crimes that occurred within the surrounding areas of Grateful Lifeless reveals. It’s like the complete Grateful Lifeless historical past. I like the Lifeless, however I discovered loads concerning the Lifeless listening to that, and I used to be actually simply listening for the crime.
I’m contemplating a profession shift into forensics. I imply, not likely, however I’ve been to CrimeCon; I wish to go to CrimeCamp. I’m obsessed. And once more, this occurred throughout the pandemic as a result of there was by no means area for me to really indulge my hobbies. I’m educating myself.
