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 Rob began his music career weighing in at 60 lbs. when he was encour(forced)aged to play the violin
in 3rd Grade. After a kick ass recital opening up for the 5th Graders on a warm April night at
Memorial Park Elementary, he took the summer of '77 off pondering how he could possibly top his
second chair performance. Deciding he'd hit his peak, he made the decision at 63 lbs. to retire
his faithful fiddle "Excalibur".
It wasn't until he hit the big Eight-Oh (80 lbs., that is) that he picked up the saxophone in Grade 6. Ironically, it was another brilliant performance, in front of dozens of parents, that again left Rob plagued with the decision to make music his career, or focus on his Social Studies project (due in just 2 weeks!). Alas, once again, he chose to forgo his passion for the arts and, the following year, at 84 lbs., he traded in his sax for an ATARI 2600. Years passed and, although Rob's weight steadily grew, his desire to pursue music did not. Until, that is, at 134 lbs. in 1985, he attended what would be the most mind blowing experience of his virgin life; his first concert at The Rattskellar featuring the Circle Jerks and Slapshot. It was then that he realized there was more to life than Dig Dug and break dancing. Armed with a $60 Cort bass, he began "playing" in his first band; the hardcore/punk outfit B.F.I. After performing at the rockinest high school graduation party the booming town of Rockland had ever witnessed in 1987, and a brief stint on the Cape Cod church hall circuit (opening for hardcore legends "Wrecking Crew"), B.F.I. called it quits and Rob was off to college at a lean 146 lbs., with a brand new bass in tow. There, he spent torturous time playing bass in the top 40 cover band Inside Out. Within 6 months, he had ballooned to 158 lbs. and was covering such hideous pablum as Toto's "Hold The Line" and Bob Segar's "Old Time Rock n' Roll". Needing a musical change (and bigger pants), Rob suggested to the band that he try singing a few songs. After hearing him perform The Clash's "Lost In A Supermarket", the band collectively informed Rob that "....you should do the world a favor, and never step in front of a microphone again." Determined to stick it to the man and debase his detractors, Rob tacked on another 5 lbs., quit Inside Out, taught himself the guitar, and co-founded Bad Jimmies (known for a short while as The Half Knots) with a couple of friends who shared his passions for beer, the Simpsons, and The Replacements. The turn of the decade seemed to be proving fruitful for Bad Jimmies. In 1990, with countless college talent show victories and Spring Carnival performances to their credit, they decided to hit the studio and get serious in an attempt to become the next Nirvana (before anyone had ever heard of Nirvana, of course). But, regrettably, Bad Jimmies' life of Rock n' Roll bliss was cut short. Eventually, Rob's college career came to an end. During the early 1990's, he quickly reached 169 lbs. and played in a number of different cover bands. He was living each day like it was the last day of his life, not going to the dentist (cuz who's really gonna go to the dentist if it's their last day to live?). It was during this tumultuous time that he realized what he truly wanted......all the money. And with that, he hit the solo acoustic circuit for 3 years before co-founding the acoustic duo But as the millennium drew to a close, Rob found himself pushing 200 lbs. and pining for a steady back beat, a driving bassline, and the warm electric tones that only a true tube amp could provide. So, in February of 1999, he set out on an all points search in a non-stop effort to amass what would surely be the greatest rock band ever assembled!! After an exhaustive 25 minute flip through the Boston Phoenix, Rob was ready to give up...until one night, he got word of a nameless band on the South Shore seeking a chubby, balding front man. With his curiosity peaked, Rob grabbed his axe, got hip, got a grip, came equipped, grabbed his proton pack off his back and he split, heading off to audition for what, that night, would become......................... DIDN'T PLANET!!!! Since joining D.P., Rob has withered away to a mere 179 lbs. When asked how he's coping with the adjustment from fat to slim, he simply replied: "Hey man, if there's no difference between a "Fat-Chance" and a "Slim-Chance", then there's no diff between the Fat me and the Slim me. Hey, can I bum a beer off you?" |