The locally-grown power pop cult hero sat down with Mark Jordan to discuss his 30-plus year career, which includes a disastrous audition for Big Star and a session with Andrew Loog Oldham, for a feature story published in today’s CA Playbook.

Writes Jordan: On Tuesday, Water Records will issue for the first time domestically on CD Van Duren’s debut album, Are You Serious?, almost exactly 30 years after its original release. Until now available on CD only as a hard-to-find 1999 Japanese import, the record, like its creator, is something of a cult favorite, a “lost” treasure of ’70s power pop that literally has fans all around the world.

And, tomorrow night, the Van Duren Band will perform the Are You Serious? 30th Anniversary CD release party at Neil’s, 1835 Madison Ave. Admission $7. Call 278-6345 for the details.