Remember former NIN and current A Perfect Circle/Devo drummer Josh Freese’s unique VIP packages in support of his new album? While no one’s shelled out $75k for the opportunity to shroom with him and Danny from Tool in Hollywood, Florida teen Thomas Mrzyglocki DID accept the $20k offer. It bought him pizza with Mark Mothersbaugh and mini-golf with Maynard James Keenan among other things. Wired.com‘s got pics and an interview, and it sounds like the kid is happy with his purchase. Before you scoff, here’s Freese’s take…
Via an e-mail the drummer sent to Bob Lefsetz late last week, reposted on NIN forum:
The guy from Florida that bought the $20,000 package and I have been joined at the hip since Sunday and I won’t even go into all the stuff that we’ve done in the past 4 days but I’ve already gone above and beyond for him and we’re continuing to have a blast. I’ll start posting stuff soon on my website and on youtube but just to give you a quick idea…mini-golf with Maynard James Keenan, pizza at Mark Mothersbaugh’s house, sensory deprivation tank sessions, a signed snare drum I used on a Nine Inch Nails tour, slumber party at the Queen Mary, going to gigs of mine with me, pulling items out of my closet, etc, etc……He’s a great kid and a friend for life. We’re having him check out of his hotel and stay at our house tomorrow night. It’s a LONG, LONG story that I’ll write about later. You can laugh when I say this but it’s true when I tell you that he came into my life for a reason other than just the $$. I actually feel bad about taking the $$ because at this point I’m not hanging out with him or pretending to be his friend for the cash. He got all of his stuff (and a bunch more that wasn’t on the original menu) a while ago. He’s a sweet 19 year old kid who’s had a really rough last couple years (like REALLY fucking rough.) Like….this money he spent to come out here is part of a inheritance he received (you can fill in the blanks there.) I feel like his big brother and I’m trying to make this one of the best weeks of his life.
Sounds like fun. If it were Radiohead making the offer, you’d sell your kidney, no?
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If it were Radiohead selling, I’d sell VITAL organs. I’d sell my damn liver, because after hanging out with Radiohead, everything else would suck in comparison; I wouldn’t have long to suffer.
jesus man…
except that as much as we’d kill to hang with radiohead, we all know that they would fuckin suck to hang out with. most of ‘em would be nice but melancholy, while one or two would silently sulk in the corner. once you had gotten a glimpse into their boring lives, they would head to the studio soon after and record the most beautiful album you’ve ever heard. and then right back to talking about dodo exhibits and shit. maybe if you caught thom on a good day he would spazz out to some spank rock with you.
Alex: It’s called exaggeration.
I’d cap it at 100k.
your kidneys are part of ur Vvital organs….nonce.
mini putt golf, pizza, and a slumber party…. Sounds more like an evening at the Neverland Ranch w/ MJ…
lolz
laaame.
Then shut up about it and don’t take the $$$$$. ‘Til then, it IS about the $$$$$.
Yeah I don’t get this. When I saw the post I figured it was for charity or something. But apparently he is just pocketing it? Does a rock icon really need this kid’s inheritance money?
this does sound a tad MJish… and, if its soooo awesome, dude probably shouldn’t take the money right?
Josh Freese took an orphan’s inheritance money!!!
(note- probably not an orphan…but maybe)
This is the saddest thing
That kid would have been a lot better off spending that money on the entire Criterion Collection. Josh Freese? Yeah, no. Maybe if it was Greg from Deerhoof.
I’m curious why this has so many negative votes? Do people hate foreign films and Deerhoof that much?
I’d give every dime to my name for a weekend with Angel from Dirty Projectors.
Josh Freese? No thanks.
i would also do this. hi need her.
I would sell my penis to hang with radiohead.
20 fucking grand? To play mini golf and eat pizza with some old musicians? Hey kid, here’s an idea: give me 10 grand, and I’ll hog tie you with one hand free, put a ball gag in your mouth, punch you in the nose, and let you jack off while I get laid.
Paypal sent
-17 and counting??? How do you people NOT find this guy’s comment funny? It’s a joke and I’m LOLing!
maybe you’re mad cuz u guyz used to date but now you broke up and he’s offering this sex package up to get back at you + make money of it.
is that true?
i would sell thom yorke to hang out with animal collective.
An attempt at legitimate discussion: Which artist would you hang out with for a day, if you could?
I think the point above about Radiohead being less than fun is fair. I wouldn’t want ‘pouting’ or ‘being lonely’ to have any place on my potential itinerary.
Anyway, I’ll 100% go with David Byrne. Second would be Leonard Cohen. Third would be Bono, but only so I could sneak away at the end of the visit to discreetly take a dump in his closet.
I actually wouldn’t mind hanging out with Bono (even though I can’t stand U2). I remember reading in one of Chuck Klosterman’s books about how he was interviewing Bono and that they were riding around in some ridiculously expensive car and how Bono picked up two kids and gave them a ride to wherever they were going. Sounds like a good guy to me.
Anyone alive or dead? I’d probably say George Harrison.
Alive only? Neil Fallon. He seems like a guy with a lot of interesting thoughts in his head. Plus, then perhaps I could learn the secrets behind growing an awesome beard.
Jeff Lynne from ELO, definitely. I’d love to pick his brain. The thing is someone once said there are two things that happen when you meet your heroes…
wayne coyne
Thurston Moore or Lee Ranaldo. Doug Martsch would be my first choice, but he seems kind of uncomfortable around his fans.
Someone paid 20 thousand dollars to hang out with the drummer from the Vandals? Was oral sex part of the deal?
While it’s certainly his prerogative to keep the money, given that Josh feels “bad” about taking the kid’s inheritance, and now that the two are “friends for life,” I don’t see how he will accept the $20,000? Josh got a ton of publicity for his marketing concept — he could refuse the money, look like a hero, and still come out ahead career-wise. To be continued, I guess.
This is pretty sad isn’t it? Telliing you how nice a kid he is and you’re not in it for the money. But he still is taking the 20k so how genuine are you? If you really feel for the kid, don’t take his money. Then you’re a real champ. Otherwise you’re only in it for the money which is pretty sad.
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Listen to this person.
Josh Freeze is awesome. He ruled on the Lights In The Sky tour. But….he’s a drummer. I wouldn’t pay $2,000 to go to Mr. Hero with Phil Selway. Money’s tight these days.
how ’bout phil collins?
do you think he made a cowbell joke in the pic or is josh laughing about the notion of returning the 20k?
In fairness, Josh Freese could be this kid’s hero. It was also the kid’s choice to spend his inheritance money as he wanted. Seems like he’s probably happier hanging out with a bunch of musicians he cares about then buying a new car or something. If anyone commenting was in a down-trodden situation, with who knows how much money in their pocket, and their favorite band in the world was offering an opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, who knows what you’d choose. He looks pretty fucking happy to me in the pic.
I only ever met Josh Freese once, outside a Vandals concert in 2000, but he was all over a bunch of girls my age (15 at the time) so I don’t have a great opinion of him. Taking $20,000 of a kid’s inheritance is pretty low too.
Maybe 20K of this kid’s inheritance is the equivalent to like 50 bucks to you or I, and Josh Freese knows he should feel bad, but I doesn’t really feel that bad. However I really doubt his management, label, publicist, and bills care at all about this kid’s sad story. If I were Josh’s manager, I’d still want 15% of 20K dollars some 19 year-old doesn’t give a shit about.
If I could choose, I would hang out with either David Bowie, (the sadly dead) Gram Parsons, or Brian Wilson. I am sure that the experience would change the course of my life.
joined at the hip, won’t go into the stuff about the last four days, slumber party, pulling items out of his closet, inviting him back to the hotel, he feels bad about taking the money but he likes him (I had a hooker like that once), a “sweet” 19 year old kid, having a rough time, I dunno about you guys. But I don’t need to write comedy to find the unintentional humor in that entire email. Maybe I have a demented mind, but for $20,000 it seems like he got something else out of it.
I like how he calls him “that guy from florida.” Aww, they’re totally so close.
Also, am I the only one who thinks this sounds similar to a 90s teen romance like 10 Things or something? “Yea, I did take the money…but that was before I got to know you!”
LOL
Your kidneys are part of your vital organs….nonce.
Um, I’d buy a house….wut a waste!
what house?? by a house do you mean a kia car??
bc there is no fucking house on earth you could by for 20 grand. . . unless its a motor home.
I dunno, you might find a pretty sweet crib in Detroit for about 20K right now.
I’d spend the day with Sufjan going to history museums and discussing theology.
Freese is a prostitute
I’d spend my life savings.. and kill off my whole family.. to hang out with adam from Scissor Shock.