Chong still revels in counterculture ways
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| Tommy Chong says he doesn't smoke as much marijuana as he used to, because "pot makes you slow and stupid ... when you get old, that comes naturally." Chong will perform here this weekend.
Tommy Chong and The Family Stoned Band 9 p.m. today and Saturday; doors open 7:30 p.m., with screening of a Cheech & Chong movie Gussie L'Amour's, 3251 N. Nimitz Highway $25 general, $20 advance 926-3000, 836-7883 |
"Cheech and I were playing Hawai'i ... and we both wanted to score some weed," says Chong, via telephone from his Los Angeles home. "So Cheech hooked up with this grower who had a plantation near Hana. They chartered a plane, flew over there, and then hiked up this mountain ... quite a ways, starting early in the morning."
Chong, meanwhile, chose to sleep in.
"Around noon or one o'clock, I woke up and walked over to a health food store," says Chong. "And there was this guy sorting bags of weed. So I say, 'Oh, are those for sale?' And he says, 'Yeah!' and threw one on the counter for me."
Marin returned that evening with a funky-looking sunburn on one side of his face, stories of his battles with nature, a small reservoir of anger, but beaming with pride as he tossed a hard-won $100 bag of product on the table. To his surprise, Chong did the same.
"He was, like, 'Where'd you get that, man?' says Chong, before pausing to crack up with laughter. "When I told him, the look on his face was priceless. I mean, I even actually paid less for the same amount of weed as Cheech."
Think this sounds a bit like a skit from one of the duo's now cult-classic comedy records (like 1973's "Los Cochinos") and multimillion-dollar-grossing cinematic pot adventures (like 1978's "Up In Smoke")? Well, so does Chong.
"It was classic Chong, man!" he says, referring to his only slightly alter ego. "If you wait, the stuff will come to ya."
Fine, man, but whose "stuff" was more, uh, dope?
"Oh, mine, by far!" says Chong, laughing hard. "Cheech couldn't even enjoy his 'cause he got ripped off. I mean, he had to pay for chartering a plane, man!"
About to turn 64, and — to paraphrase the title of one of the duo's films — still proudly smokin', Tommy Chong and his Family Stoned Band (girlfriend/wife of 30 years Shelby and sons Gilbran, 26, and Paris, 21) will offer a two-night engagement of stoner stand-up, skits ("Let's Make A Dope Deal"), original tunes ("Earache My Eye") and (we're not joking) salsa dance lessons today and Saturday at Gussie L'Amour's.
Along with his occasional appearances as "Leo," an aging hippie photo-lab owner on Fox's "That '70s Show" and film cameos, the vaudeville-style show is just one of Chong's under-the-radar projects since the duo's semi-hostile 1986 breakup.
Unlike Marin — who post-C&C has eked out a moderately successful, decidedly straight-laced acting career in television ("Nash Bridges") and film ("Tin Cup," "The Lion King" and both "Spy Kids" films) — Chong has never distanced himself from his stoner past in his reel or real life. The question of exactly how often he still inhales exhales into our conversation once again.
"Ohhhh, a couple of times a week ... maybe," says Chong. "It depends. The older you get, the less you need. Pot makes you slow and stupid. And when you get old, that comes naturally." He lets loose a roaring laugh again.
These days, Chong says, his pot use is akin to getting treats for a job well done.
"I use it as a reward," explains Chong. "If I've done something — worked on a book I'm writing, created some art, wrote a song, or did something creative — then I go, 'You know what? You deserve to get high!' "
Oddly enough, it's a lesson in moderation he's passed on to his two sons, each of whom he believes have stayed away from harder drugs, in part, because of his sage advice.
"I actually turned on ... my youngest son myself," says Chong, proudly. "I mean, I'm quite sure he smoked a little before, but we had a little you're-a-man-now bar mitzvah joint, you know? And it was nice. We've been tight ever since."
At first angry with Marin's abrupt ending of their partnership (he wanted to move on to family-friendlier fare), Chong now is grateful for the years it gave him to be full-time father to his sons. Time at home was something he rarely had for his daughters from an earlier marriage, actresses Rae Dawn and Robbi. (Chong's daughter with Shelby, Precious, also is an actress.)
"When Cheech and I broke up, I was home a lot," says Chong. "I got to drive both of my boys to school every day, and picked 'em up. And that was one of the highlights of my life ... to actually be their chauffeur. I cherish that time."
Chong's post-C&C relationship with Marin has proved far more challenging to maintain. Although both have worked on a few of the other's projects post-breakup, the duo have gone through lengthier periods of barely speaking. In fact, they're in the middle of one right now.
"But I think it's gonna thaw out a bit," says Chong, steering conversation to an offer made to him earlier in the day during a meeting with an unnamed, though "well-known" producer. Are you ready for a Cheech & Chong reunion movie yet? "I'm meeting with the writer, then I'm gonna get a script, a deal, and then present it to Cheech and see if he's interested. And I'll bet the store that he'll go, 'OK, let's do it.' "
OK, I'll bite ... why?
"Well, No. 1, he's not working," says Chong. "And No. 2, he's not working. And No. 3, he needs the money. It depends on him. But I can't see him turning down something like this because it would put him into retirement, which he's really looking forward to.
"It'd be big money ... huge money. It'd be a $20 million paycheck ... 10 (million) each, a decent director and away we go. If Cheech turns down $10 million, or even a million, to do a Cheech & Chong movie, I'll be surprised."
Reunion or no reunion, though, Chong insists he'll remain proudly counterculture until the day he dies.
"Oh, yeah," he says, laughing. "I'll be counterculture until it's no longer counter."
