As anyone who has ever reviewed a rock show knows, it's not easy to take copious notes while drinking beer. That was never the case for Robert Hilburn, a teetotaler (this fact is fascinating to me) who covered pop music for the L.A. Times for 35 years. You probably saw him at that Blasters show. Or was it the Sugarcubes? Or X? Yeah, it was X. Maybe because he probably still has many of his brain cells (but seriously, a rock critic who doesn't drink? Can he be trusted?), he has sat down to record some of his fascinating encounters in his new book, Corn Flakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales From a Rock 'n' Roll Life .

Wed., Nov. 11, 7 p.m., 2009

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