Hannibal Buress' Sunday Funday is full of bowling, arcades, music

By Kailyn BrownStaff Writer

June 23, 2023 5 AM PT

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

For the last two decades, Hannibal Buress, who raps under the stage name Eshu Tune, has been a ubiquitous presence in the comedy world.

At this point, he’s done all the things: Perform stand-up at venues around the world, write on “Saturday Night Live,” release five comedy specials, create his own TV series (“Why? With Hannibal Buress”), land recurring roles on Comedy Central’s “Broad City” and Adult Swim’s “The Eric Andre Show,” voice act for a film (“The Secret Life of Pets”) and perform at music festivals including the Adult Swim Festival and his own event, Isola Fest.

But if you ask Buress what’s exciting him these days, he’ll rave about making music.

Planning your weekend?

Stay up to date on the best things to do, see and eat in L.A.

“I don’t casually do stand-up anymore,” said Buress, who recently released a song called “I Lift Weights.” “That’s the difference right now. I’m not really going to the pop-up and stuff for fun like I used to do. I’m not looking to do comedy multiple times on a Tuesday. I’ll do an open mic and do music. If I’m doing comedy, it’s like I’m trying to sell some tickets to pay for this motherf— music.”

Buress’ ideal Sunday in Los Angeles largely involves making music, but he also makes time for hitting the 1-3 pocket at his favorite bowling alleys and catching live music performances. Here’s how he’d spend the perfect day. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: Eat breakfast and write rhymes

When I’m in a good mode, I’m waking up around 7 a.m. or so. I don’t like to order too much breakfast. Occasionally, I’ll pick up a breakfast wrap or breakfast burrito at this spot called Angry Egret.

I don’t do it every day, but if I get some writing done before I take on any incoming communication or let any outside thoughts into my brain, it’s usually nice. Even if it’s just 30 minutes. I’ve written some of my better songs and stuff that’s not out, but I can tell the writing is different when it happens right away in the morning, like I can feel it. There’s three studio rooms in my home, so I’ll do it in the third room that has nothing in it. It’s just kind of soundproof and you have to focus on the writing. That’s one of the things I like about having it, you can really get into another world. Ain’t no street noise, no birds or nothing. It’s just the room and the music itself.

Sometimes I’ll practice on the drums. I don’t drum as much as I’d like. But I want to get into it every day because drumming is all four limbs, it is really something that you have to be fully locked in, so that’s a nice activity for the brain. I noticed that my mood throughout the day if I drum early is pretty dope.

8 a.m.: Read random passages from a handful of books

I took the pressure off myself to worry about finishing books, and I like to sometimes just get five books and then read a few pages, like 10 pages of each, and just take what I want from them. I mostly read nonfiction. I got this book called “The Number Ones” [by Tom Breihan], which talks about different chart-topping hits and the stories around them. Also, the Questlove books [“Music Is History” and “Creative Quest”]; there’s a Jimi Hendrix book that I’m reading right now; and a book by Andre Iguodala, who plays for the Warriors, called “The Sixth Man.”

11 a.m.: Hit up the Leimert Park Plaza

I would go to Leimert Park. I’d go get a jacket at one of those [stores] and buy a shirt or something. Maybe buy an old book from somebody.

I would just walk around. I’ll usually grab something from somewhere with the shortest line. I ain’t about to stand in a long line for food ’cause there’s so many other places. The other places can’t be that bad. They can’t be that bad.

2 p.m.: Hit the “1-3 pocket” at a bowling alley

I like Bowlero in Pasadena. They have a private section with a few lanes off to the side that’s nice. They let me play my music there, so that was nice to hear. I go to Shatto 39 Lanes sometimes. There used to be this 24-hour spot called Gage Bowl. It’s still open, it’s just not 24 hours, but before the pandemic, I would go there late at 3 a.m. That’s actually where I bowled my high score of 197, but it was solo play, which doesn’t really count.

I’d go with friends and other musicians. We’d order a bunch of food: pizza, some wings, cauliflower, some tacos, some quesadillas.

I have a pro bowler friend, GG Mason, who came through. She happened to be in town and she kind of brought the level up because she’s not f— around. [Laughs] I’m good at bowling, but I’m wildly inconsistent — just like my life. So I have great peaks and great valleys. So I’ll bowl a couple strikes, then gutter. That’s the thing ’cause I rap about it, people are like, “Am I going to get destroyed?” I’m like, “Maybe. But also, you might win. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I might bowl 170. I also might bowl 93. Who knows what’s going to happen right now?”

5 p.m.: Go to Wisdome L.A.

I would like to go to Wisdome L.A.. I haven’t been there in a minute, but they got what they do in there with the art and visuals and it’s a good spot to just get inspired. They might just have visuals going and different art, or I know they have themed stuff, or they might have some sound-bath-type stuff. I went to a Hendrix thing there, like reimagining the music of Jimi Hendrix.

7 p.m.: Play games at Two Bit Circus

Since I’m in the area, I’d go to Two Bit Circus. I just like the different fun games. They have VR stuff there. They got some basketball stuff. They got a bunch of games I haven’t seen anywhere else on the arcade side. It’s like another world there.

9 p.m.: Catch a live show at the Moroccan Lounge

I went to the Moroccan Lounge for the first time [recently]. Carrtoons was performing and Rob Araujo, who’s an extremely dope musician and he plays some of my shows. He plays keys. So I was going to watch. He invited me to do a song. It felt good in there and sounded great, and it made me just want to see s— there. It’s super intimate, but it sounds good and had a good screen.

11:30 p.m.: Workout in between playing “Rocket League”

I’d play “Rocket League” at home. It’s like race car [driving] and soccer mixed together. It’s a super exciting game. I haven’t really played other stuff that much since I started playing it. I used to play NBA2K some, but it’s been replaced. “Rocket League” is a better game. It’s more action-packed. So now I try to incorporate my workouts into “Rocket League” because when somebody scores a goal on either team, there’s about 15 seconds where there’s a replay. And so you can skip that, but I started just using that time to do a quick five push-ups or 10 jumping jacks or something real quick in that time. And the game is five minutes, so it’s fast. I’ll usually put on a mix or something while I’m playing. I’ll put on an Amapiano mix or the new JPEG and Danny Brown goes really good with playing “Rocket League.”

12:30 a.m.: Listen to a podcast until I fall asleep

What would I do? Call all my exes.

I’d chill out and watch a show, listen to a podcast. Right now, I listen to the “No Labels Necessary” podcast a lot with Sean “Brandman” Taylor and Jacorey “Kohrey” Barkley. On this type of day, I’d go to sleep around 1 or 2 a.m.

I don’t try to get into nothing before 10 or 11 a.m. because I want to be able to write right away and read or play or make music. I want that to be, if possible, the first things I do because then it just starts a good momentum for the day.