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Strange Cures
Strange Cures is a turbulent, against-all odds memoir of self-discovery, success, failure, and reinvention, told by one of LA's most interesting natives. With an unflinching gaze, musician/magician/actor Zabrecky recounts his bizarre coming-of-age tale and his quest to find a place in the arts--and the world.
The author reveals a young life filled with both physical miracles and subversive role models, including an uncle who impersonated an FBI agent and, in a drunken delusion, shot and nearly killed him. He takes readers on a roller coaster ride through the nascent days of Silver Lake's music and art community, as seen through the lens of his critically acclaimed band, Possum Dixon.
We explore the left-of-center landscape of Jabberjaw, LA's independent coffee-house which featured the early talents of Nirvana and Beck; Zabrecky's own struggles with drug addiction, love, and recovery; and finally his re-emergence as a magician venturing into the sacred world of Hollywood's Magic Castle.
Strange Cures is a trip through the thrilling and hazardous landscape of Southern California at the close of last century. His story is a revelatory look inside the Los Angeles underground music world of the late 80s and early 90s--as seen through the alleys and doorways from a key insider.
The author reveals a young life filled with both physical miracles and subversive role models, including an uncle who impersonated an FBI agent and, in a drunken delusion, shot and nearly killed him. He takes readers on a roller coaster ride through the nascent days of Silver Lake's music and art community, as seen through the lens of his critically acclaimed band, Possum Dixon.
We explore the left-of-center landscape of Jabberjaw, LA's independent coffee-house which featured the early talents of Nirvana and Beck; Zabrecky's own struggles with drug addiction, love, and recovery; and finally his re-emergence as a magician venturing into the sacred world of Hollywood's Magic Castle.
Strange Cures is a trip through the thrilling and hazardous landscape of Southern California at the close of last century. His story is a revelatory look inside the Los Angeles underground music world of the late 80s and early 90s--as seen through the alleys and doorways from a key insider.
- GenresNonfictionMagic
350 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2021
I know Rob Zabrecky as a magician who performs strange eerie types of effects, including seance effects. Prior to that, he grew up in Burbank and was fully immersed in the music scene at the time (late 80’s-mid 90’s), going from punk to ska to new wave and putting together a band of his own (Possum Dixon).
Zabrecky has published a memoir of his life from childhood thru the breakup of his band. It covers his childhood in Burbank where he lived thru some very strange events. However the bulk of the memoir is of his days in music, from just starting out to getting the record deal to touring and finally letting it all go. The drug use and the meddling record execs are all here, as well as his friendships and a tragic love story.
Clearly Zabrecky kept journals and notes about his experiences because the descriptions are current and paint a vivid picture of a Los Angeles now long gone.
For someone who was a big music fan here in LA at the time, this brings back a lot of fond memories.
Zabrecky has published a memoir of his life from childhood thru the breakup of his band. It covers his childhood in Burbank where he lived thru some very strange events. However the bulk of the memoir is of his days in music, from just starting out to getting the record deal to touring and finally letting it all go. The drug use and the meddling record execs are all here, as well as his friendships and a tragic love story.
Clearly Zabrecky kept journals and notes about his experiences because the descriptions are current and paint a vivid picture of a Los Angeles now long gone.
For someone who was a big music fan here in LA at the time, this brings back a lot of fond memories.
July 24, 2019
I've seen Rob perform as a magician throughout the years, whether as part of the Unholy Three or in a solo act, and it's always a delightful, hilarious, and mesmerizing experience, so it was with great excitement and curiosity that I dove into his memoir about his childhood and the years he spent in the band Possum Dixon. Having grown up in suburban Illinois, I didn't know anything about the punk/mod/new wave music scene of Burbank and Hollywood in the 1980s, and Rob's book fully immerses readers into FEEL of that time and place. It provides a terrific counterpoint to the Malibu surf & TV/film vibe of the 1970s that you might find in Rob Lowe's memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends.
STRANGE CURES is full of rich details, but also deeply honest and vulnerable, an unflinching look at addiction, ambition, creativity, friendship, and finding one's place in the world. I flew through it.
STRANGE CURES is full of rich details, but also deeply honest and vulnerable, an unflinching look at addiction, ambition, creativity, friendship, and finding one's place in the world. I flew through it.
January 1, 2020
The book took me through the life of my favorite magician- a curious tale and full of wonderful raw shares. Living now in Los Angeles and having been here for less than half my life - it was fun to join the timeline of Zabrecky and ride the streets with him via this memoir. Though not always easy, always true and full of a twist of self exploration and split decisions.
July 2, 2019
Great nostalgia for me in the history of LA over the last 25 years. Rob is creative, cool and funny as is the story!
July 30, 2019
The A to Zee of Musician to Magician -
Zeal Adventure Bravery Redemption Enthralling Conjuring Killer Years of a memoir!
Zeal Adventure Bravery Redemption Enthralling Conjuring Killer Years of a memoir!
February 20, 2022
Great slice of Gen X LA indie rock history, something I didn’t know too much about. It’s well written and full of compelling stories.
February 22, 2022
Awesome LA travelogue, youth-gone-wild adventure and quite a fascinating autobio all together.
Cheers.
Cheers.
July 21, 2024
read @ LAX during global IT outage: https://5cense.com/24/1168.htm
September 18, 2025
Great read, I really loved it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews