Before ‘Almost Famous’

It’s be hard to imagine that you’re just hearing about the atmospheric river dumping rain on San Diego, leading to a flood watch through tonight.

The rain won’t end with the flood watch, though. Two other storm systems are on the way, which could bring us a total of 3 inches of rain by the end of Tuesday.

• That’s the big news of the week, which is impressive, considering the owners of the San Diego Padres this week acknowledged that they’re trying to sell the team.

But it wasn’t all natural disaster warnings and concerning disruptions of beloved institutions this week.

Cameron Crowe, San Diego’s famed teenage rock writer turned Oscar-winning filmmaker, also came through his hometown Thursday as part of a national tour for his new memoir, “The Uncool.”

Our freelancer Peter Blackstock was there at the Magnolia in El Cajon to see Crowe share stories about his career, his love of music and what it was like to grow up here.

Next time I’m dealing with writer’s block, maybe I’ll borrow Crowe’s old method of driving in circles around Fiesta Island, pulling over to write whenever he had an idea.

• I’ll withhold his story about directing the great Philip Seymour Hoffman, and instead spoil one other bit of the piece.

An audience member asked Crowe what the best San Diego radio station was, and he chickened out. He said he preferred KGB during the day, and KPRI at night.

Cameron, in those tough moments you’ve gotta listen to the wisdom of Hoffman’s Lester Bangs.

• “I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful.”