How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Jenny Lewis

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I learned that when Jenny Lewis was born, her parents were performing together as Loves Way, a musical act in Las Vegas. It was a pretty unique upbringing! When she was just 3 years old, her parents separated, and she, her mom, and older sister moved to the San Fernando Valley. Get this – they even brought their babysitter with them, and she was a female Elvis impersonator all the way from Memphis, Tenn.! It’s a story she often tells, and it’s definitely one of a kind.

Lewis spent the majority of her life living in the Valley, though she did travel to areas like the Eastside of L.A., Nashville, and New York at times. Currently, she’s settled back in the Valley, except when she’s touring.

Lewis began her career as a child actor – you might recognize her from films like “Troop Beverly Hills” and “The Wizard” – but she’s become a well-known musician as an adult. She has released five solo albums, with her most recent, “Joy’All,” coming out in 2023.

She recently got back together with her fellow musicians in Rilo Kiley, the indie rock band that was very popular with people who grew up in the early 2000s. The band is now touring across the U.S., and they’ll be performing two concerts at the Greek Theatre on Oct. 14 and 18. Speaking from a hotel in Nashville, she shared what she enjoys doing on Sundays when she’s home in L.A. It sounds like a relaxing routine, and she seems happy to be back on stage.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

8:36 a.m.: Coffee first, then let the dog rest
I usually wake up around 8:36 every morning. It’s funny, but when I glance at the clock, it almost always shows 8:36.

I have a cockapoo named Bobby Rhubarb, and she’s four and a half years old, so she’s a big part of my life. Interestingly, I actually wake up before Bobby, who usually stays in bed until 11 a.m. She gets a burst of energy – what we call ‘zoomies’ – around midnight, likely because of her early life. For the first year, she spent three months as part of Harry Styles’ opening act, living on a tour bus. She’s basically still on a tour schedule!

I wake up carefully, trying not to wake her, and then I make coffee. I absolutely love Canyon Coffee. They’re a small, organic coffee roaster in L.A., and it’s run by a really sweet couple.

9:30 a.m.: Love to clean, clean to love
Sunday’s always my day for tackling housework. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a neat freak, and now that I have my own place, I can really embrace that! It’s actually a great workout, too. I usually hit the gym a couple of times a week, but cleaning is good physical activity, and it feels really rewarding when you own your home. I find you don’t truly *know* a house until you’re down on your hands and knees, giving the floors a good scrub.

11 a.m.: Enjoyable Flea Market Finds
Every month, there are flea markets on different Sundays. The Pasadena City College Flea Market happens on the first Sunday, the Rose Bowl Flea Market on the second, Long Beach on the third, and Topanga on the fourth. I especially like the first and fourth Sundays of the month because I prefer the smaller flea markets. I’ve even built relationships with a few vendors who attend both the PCC and Topanga markets – they often set aside special items for me, saying something like, “I saved this thinking of you.”

Flea market sellers offer a glimpse into the local history. They’re knowledgeable about things like antique chimayos, Navajo blankets, and furniture from the Midcentury Modern era. Spend some time chatting with them, and you’ll pick up fascinating details about items you never even realized existed – or that you might want to know about! It’s a surprising education.

To me, the joy of shopping at thrift stores and flea markets comes from being open-hearted and giving. I regularly donate items and clear out my closet, putting things back into the thrifting cycle. I believe that when I give things away instead of trying to sell them, it brings me good luck when I’m at the flea market.

It’s best not to go in with any preconceived notions; things don’t usually work out that way. I’ve been searching for the ideal faux leopard coat for two decades now. I even wrote a song with that search as one of the lines! Perhaps I’ll eventually find what I’m looking for.

Lifestyle

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2:30 p.m.: Chinese food cravings
When I’m in Pasadena, I like to get Chinese food – I usually have a craving for it on Sundays. I often go to Woon. It’s located near where the Eaton fire caused a lot of damage, so it feels good to visit and support the restaurant.

It gets pretty crowded on Sundays, so I often head to the Glendale Galleria– it’s busy there too, but with a different vibe – and Din Tai Fung.

I prefer parking on the upper level. It’s nice because you get some sunlight. Plus, if someone wants to smoke, they can do so there, or not – it’s up to them. And from there, you can walk directly over the bridge and into JCPenney, which I really enjoy browsing through.

If you’re dining alone or with one other person at Din Tai Fung, here’s a tip: you can skip the hour-long wait by sitting at the bar. I follow a gluten-free diet, so while their dumplings look incredible, I can’t have them. Instead, I always get the beef broth soup – it’s amazing – and a side of vegetables. The glass noodles are a bit tricky; sometimes they say they’re gluten-free, and sometimes they don’t, so I don’t recommend them if you have celiac disease. It’s best to avoid them just to be safe.

3:30 p.m.: Mall massage break
I love getting a quick chair massage at the mall – there’s a really great one near the Uniqlo. It’s amazing, and I’m a huge fan of mall massages!

I much prefer this to a fancy massage. I’d rather have a Thai massage – the kind where you stay dressed – or Chinese acupressure. You often find Chinese acupressure at mall kiosks. It’s the most effective massage for what I need: something really intense and therapeutic. I’m looking for something strong and healing.

Lifestyle

A new massage robot using artificial intelligence will be available to the public in Los Angeles on Friday. It uses a scan of your body to provide a customized, though somewhat detached, spa experience.

I don’t really need to visit a spa, particularly when I’m traveling. Usually, when we have a day off, the bus stops at a Radisson hotel, and there’s a mall conveniently located nearby. I always seek out a massage at that mall – it really helps me relax and feel better.

I often find myself writing songs while getting a massage at the mall. The background music is always a little indistinct, and combined with the sounds of people around, it creates a really liberating atmosphere for me to write lyrics.

5 p.m.: Dinner plans
I’m going back to Mint Chip – that’s what I call my house – to visit Bobby. On Sundays, depending on what I ate for lunch, we usually have either burgers or grass-fed filet mignon for dinner.

I plan to stop by Gelson’s because they have two grass-fed fillets at a decent price. I’ll also get either a baked potato or mashed potatoes, and a salad. Then I’ll grab a bottle of natural wine and head home to cook dinner for Bobby and me.

I prefer things cooked thoroughly, and most people don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. If you’re a guest of mine, or even my dog, and you prefer your food a little rarer, I’m happy to cook it to your liking.

I’ve really improved my cooking skills, and I’m also excellent at making martinis. I even created my own: the Mint Chip Martini. I call it a maximalist martini because it’s made extra dirty, with both olives and a twist. It’s designed to make the alcohol less noticeable. I barely use any vermouth – I just look at the bottle, and that’s enough!

Before the pandemic, I felt pretty lost, to be honest. So, I really value that time I spent learning how to prioritize myself and my well-being. It was a turning point for me, and I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me about self-care.

8 p.m.: Cult classics
I’ve got a projector in my living room that displays onto a blank white wall. I’ve been enjoying this app called Night Flight [Plus]. “Night Flight” was a popular, but unique, late-night TV show [it first aired on the USA Network between 1981 and 1988]. It featured a lot of music videos, along with documentaries about punk and heavy metal. Now they’ve created a great streaming app, letting you re-watch those old episodes. Currently, I’m watching a 1986 film called “Kin-Dza-Dza!”. I really like that kind of Soviet cinema. The music from that time period is just so strange and interesting.

10 p.m.: Winding down with a bit of intrigue
I’ll walk Bobby before bed, and then we’ll head to the master bedroom. I usually listen to an audiobook or podcast to help me relax before falling asleep.

As a dedicated true crime fan, I’ve made it a point to listen to pretty much every podcast out there. Recently, I was really captivated by “Crooked City.” And I have to say, “Up and Vanished: In the Midnight Sun” is excellent. I’m a big fan of Payne Lindsey and everything he puts out. Another podcast that really stood out was “Dead and Gone,” which explores crimes connected to the Grateful Dead concert scene. It’s almost a complete history of the band! I’m already a fan of the Dead, but I actually learned a lot *about* them while listening, even though I was initially tuning in solely for the true crime aspect.

I’ve been thinking about a possible career change to forensics. Though I’m not seriously pursuing it right now, I went to CrimeCon and I’m planning to attend CrimeCamp. I’m really into true crime! This interest really grew during the pandemic, as I finally had the time to explore my hobbies. I’m currently learning everything I can about the subject.

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2025-10-03 13:38