Kris LaFleur, 38, grew up in Tucson. By day, he works with local solar-power installer Technicians for Sustainability, helping to bring renewable energy and sustainable technologies into the Tucson community.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
I tried in vain to convince my parents to let me go see INXS on the Kick tour in 1988, when I was in the eighth-grade. For some reason, a year later, they had no problem letting me see Mötley Crüe at the Tucson Convention Center for the Dr. Feelgood tour.
What are you listening to these days?
On the iTunes recent playlist: Charlie Hunter, Martina Topley Bird, Heartless Bastards, Aretha Franklin, Morphine, Andrew Bird, Blitzen Trapper, Sea Wolf, Peter Bjorn and John, and Los Amigos Invisibles. But mostly I'm listening to great streaming stations like The Current (Minneapolis) and Radio Paradise (Chico, Calif.).
What was the first album you owned?
Either Men at Work's Cargo or Huey Lewis and the News' Sports. I still have both—but no turntable to play them on.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
I'm pretty unaware of trends. Really. In a world where you can choose to listen to anything—from any era, anywhere—why waste time with music that doesn't move you?
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Talking Heads, circa 1980.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Nothing beats cleaning the house to KMFDM, at very high volume.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Bob Dylan, "Mr. Tambourine Man." "To dance beneath the diamond sky, with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea ..."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
The Rolling Stones. I found "Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud" and "Mother's Little Helper" in my dad's 45s collection when I was 6, and I was hooked for life.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
If you're gonna get violent about it: the Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed.
