Photos by Andy Argyrakis

When rock and roll journalism was at the peak of its influence, there was no more powerful of a pen than the one belonging to Cameron Crowe, who went on to write, produce, direct and act in some of the most significant coming of age movies from the 1980s through today.

Though he always let the articles and screenplays do the talking while covering others, chances are followers weren’t too familiar with what life was like behind the scenes, besides the fact he was once married to Heart’s Nancy Wilson and they had twin sons together.

He’s since found love and fatherhood once again, alongside the desire to put his whole history down on paper throughout “The Uncool: A Memoir,” the subject of a rare public appearance series featuring a rotating cast of prominent friends.

Chicago’s Athenaeum Center For Thought & Culture was fortunate to have local “High Fidelity” hero John Cusack on hand to moderate the evening, resulting in a “Say Anything…” reunion where their rapport was evident from the very beginning of the nearly two-hour night.

They certainly dove extensively into the romantic comedy/drama and its authentically realistic approach compared to many other teen flicks of the time, then went back to what it was like during the golden age of “Rolling Stone,” accompanied by an extraordinary excerpt about interviewing The Allman Brothers Band, plus tales of chronicling Led Zeppelin while members used the Windy City as a travel hub and spending a whopping 18 months covering David Bowie transitioning towards his Berlin period.

In fact, there such was an abundance of milestone moments before and after breaking onto the big screen via “Fast Times At Ridgemont High,” it would be impossible to recount them all, but that’s exactly what the book is for and readers can get ready for reflections on the subsequent flicks “Singles,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Vanilla Sky.”

The tour also gave a handful of lucky attendees the chance to ask a question or make a comment, several of which were framed around the semi-autobiographical “Almost Famous” and its multi-generational impact as Crowe explained the delicate balance between walking the tightrope of being a fan and friend to his subjects.

Even those who weren’t close admirers of the Grammy and Academy Award-winner could be inspired by an ongoing commitment to these crafts, and in the process, perhaps be compelled to dive into their dream, which in the case of this newly crowned author, has thus far exceeded his wildest expectations.

For additional information on Cameron Crowe, visit TheUncool.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Athenaeum Theatre include Viva la Vida (Nov. 2); Entangled Beauty (Nov. 2); Eyrie Festival (Nov. 7-8); Malala Yousafzai (Nov. 9); Alison Roman (Nov. 14); Traces Of Time (Nov. 16); Jimmy Farace Trio (Nov. 19); Grand Kyiv Ballet: “Nutcracker” (Nov. 20); Jonas Fiddle Trio (Nov. 20); Latin Rhythms: twenty five (Nov. 22-23); Larry & Joe (Dec. 3); The Petersens (Dec. 4); Alexei Kremnev’s “The Art Deco Nutcracker” (Dec. 6); Latin Dance Revue (Dec. 7); “It’s A Wonderful Life” (Dec. 12-31); Ballet Chicago: “Nutcracker” (Dec. 12-14); Strictly Chicago (Dec. 16) and Lakeview Orchestra: “Nutcracker” (Dec. 21). For additional details, visit AthenaeumCenter.org.

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