I'm not sure I'm L.P.'s friend

Actually, despite my claim of friendship made two posts below this one, I am not actually L.P.'s friend. In fact, I only learned her first name a couple of weeks ago.

I have, however, had dinner with her (and a bunch of friends) once. And drinks. And I think we bonded over beer when (she having just recently returned to New York for the holidays from Los Angeles--where she's been recording what those who know her assume will be her breakout album) I asked her how many people have asked her: "When does the album come out?"

Based on the rueful smile on her face I'm guessing five to ten million.

Me? I didn't ask. Which, I think, cemented our friendship, if you will.

And in addition to all that socializing, I've seen L.P. in concert five times or so. And once, when I couldn't get Matt the Intern through the door at the Mercury Lounge because he wasn't 21, she autographed the back of one of my business cards for him, writing something along the lines of:

"Hey Matt. Sorry the wouldn't let you in. Next time, just show them your package and they'll probably let you through."

I was never sure exactly what that meant. She was pretty drunk, it seemed to me. Matt the Intern seemed unimpressed when I presented him with this treasure and he left it behind when he went back to school--a move he's going to regret someday, particularly if his seemingly promising career in accounting goes down the tube and he becomes, say, a dealer in Rock and Roll Memorabilia.

I must say that his work under my then obsessive tutelage was first-rate, and that the overwhelming odds are that his career will not go down the tubes. But if it does, he's gonna wish he had that card.

The good news? My friend Eric and I did manage to sneak him into the B.B. King lounge to see Gary "U.S." Bonds open up for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, which was about as much good clean fun as you can have on 42nd Street, and were able to purchase bottles of Heineken at the bar, as if for ourselves, and hand them to him, sotto voce (if you catch my drift).

Don't tell his parents, if you see them.

Plus I own a couple of L.P.'s albums. Which I must tell you are available on iTunes and well worth the price of admission (if you catch my drift).

For a listen, go her website.

If I was quibbling, I'd ask: Would it kill them to throw a couple of free downloads on there?

Still...something else.