Rob Michaels Band

I’m in Corona, Ca today at Dinky Music Recording Studios to sit in with Rob Michaels the guitarist, and singer song writer. Rob met me out front and before we went in we had a quick conversation on which is a better source for nicotine… the patch, cigarettes, or chewing tobacco. I don’t think either one of us is into chewing tobacco but we both agreed that the patch sucks. So after the smoke break we headed inside pulled up two chairs where all the magic happens, the studio, and I got to ask a few questions.
 
OBSCENE: Where are you from? 
ROB: I moved around a lot Vegas, New York City now Los Angeles.
 
OBSCENE: How long have you been playing? 
ROB: 15 years.
 
OBSCENE: Who has been the strongest influence in your music? 
ROB: As a guitar player, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, as a writer John Lennon and Paul McCartney to Noel Gallagher, you name it.
 
OBSCENE: Name some of your favorite artists. 
ROB: I love a lot of modern day artist, actually started really getting back into The Fray. Production wise its phenomenal but I listen to Disturbed and System of the Down, got a huge collection of music.
 
OBSCENE: What style of music do you play? 
ROB: Celtic Rock we have a midget in the band…. I’m only kidding.
 
I guess when you ask an obvious question you get a small person joke. Rob definitely caught me off guard with that response. So after a short conversation, with our best Scottish accents, on our shared appreciation for the little people I moved right into the next question with out the answer. I think it’s safe to say that Rock and Roll is Rob’s passion. 
 
OBSCENE: Who are some of the artist that you’ve played with? 
ROB: Growing up I got to play with Toto, Earth Wind and Fire, Dizzy from Guns and Roses, sat in with Axle and Slash. I had really good growing up in the music industry. My old mentor really, really showed me a way how to be a musician. It wasn’t just about the attitude but it really was about how to be a musician and how to play guitar, verses most kids just sit and play guitar. I got to jam with guys like Keb Mo, blues guitar player, and then growing up and getting older I got to play with guys from the Dolls sat in with Daughtry got to sit down and play with, ah $h!t…. Really I’ve just had a great education in music.
 
The list seem to go on and on with a wide variety of musicians from blues to soul and rock, a great education to say the least. Rob was telling me when he played with Earth Wind and Fire he was only 14. At 17 Rob was apart of a nonprofit organization, called Angels on Earth with another long list of musicians, that would make CD’s for hospitals who used music as a healing power. Rob has a long line of accomplishments for a guy that’s only 26. When asked about songs that he’s written for other artist there were only a few that he could mention, like Wade Williams, a country musician who also was a finalist on Rock Star Super Nova, and a ton of local bands. My personal opinion would leave me to believe that without privacy disclaimers that allow hit vocalist to lead their fans to think that they’re a true musical artist, and not just a good looking hired voice, that list too would be a long one. How bad did I want to hear a couple of those names. I understand that there are song writers and there are singers and there are both, but allow credit where credit is due. It’s not like the public can take away from the fact that they have a great voice, just be recognized as such, a vocalist not an artist. Any vocalist can sing but a song with that person’s passion behind their own words makes timeless music and defines a true artist, or I’m wrong and it’s about your favorite season winner of American Idol. Sorry… back to Rob.

OBSCENE: What are some of your favorite places you have played? 
ROB: LA, The Key Club, House of Blues. Outside of LA start going towards Ventura and Santa Barbara like the Ventura Theatre, love the Ventura Theatre, the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbar 
a. I’ve played Texas, I’ve played Austin, I’ve played Dallas, I’ve been to Arlington and all over this world, but I got to tell you man the Arlington Theatre, you walk in they have it designed like the old Alamo. When you walk inside it’s like the old Spanish adobe house built as a facade inside this theatre it’s f#@king cool!
 
OBSCENE: Do you have any major projects in the works right now? 
ROB: The completion of this album, a couple soundtrack stuff I got to do, a couple writing projects for other bands. I still get hired out for other projects, but primarily my main focus it is to finish this album.
 
OBSCENE: What has been the biggest challenge so far in your career? 
ROB: Physical challenges and keeping up today, sound-wise.
 
OBSCENE: What has been the best part of the journey? 
ROB: Dragging my Mother to her first show of mine after ten years of playing live. She would not go. I would send her backstage passes; I would send her tickets and she would not go, and finally she came to a show.
 
OBSCENE: Where do you see yourself in five years? 
ROB: With my second or third album out, being on a label that wants to grow with me, verses a label that just wants to put out an album and shelve you at the end of it. Producing other acts, still going on the road, still touring and having a huge f@#king album; Being financially independent, where I’m at, bigger and better, 15 houses, you know, a couple dogs, the rock star life without the drugs.
 
OBSCENE: How can your fans keep up with everything you’re doing, and where your next shows are at? 
ROB: I have fans? I thought my Mom was my only fan! No, just the Myspace, and the website. That’s RobMichaels.com and the Myspace, and my phone number is ah….
 
That’s Rob Michaels from joking around and catching me off guard, to amazing guitar player and song writer from blues, rock and roll, country all the way to pop, he has been around the industry and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. His album’s soft release is on April 17 at the Key Club in Hollywood. Don’t miss that, it will be huge! And OBSCENE will be there. - Obscene Magazine - April 2009

Rob just might be one of the hardest-working young musicians in the business today. He picked up a Spanish guitar at a very young age and was determined to teach himself to play, though he could barely even tune it. At 12, he hooked up with Marino de Silva, who would prove to be a great influence and mentor; after just six months of proper lessons, Rob had written the title track for a film called Angel’s Freeway. By 13, he had played every major venue in L.A., sharing the stage with Toto, John Waite, Steve Lukather and Carlos Santana. His determination has only grown since that fast start, and with a full band in tow, Rob is now tearing it up like the stars rock was built on. His experience as a session musician, combined with years spent on the road in various bands, has made for a mature and focused body of work that shines through in songs like “I’m Back” and “Close Your Eyes.” His most recent album, Fiction in my Arms, will be available on iTunes May 26. We suggest you grab a copy and head to the next show. - Hits Daily Double - April 2009