Music + Funny = Rob P.
With the mind of a comedian and the soul of a musician, Rob Paravonian seamlessly fuses sharp comedy performances with top notch musicianship. This perfect blend is evident everywhere from his viral Pachelbel Rant, his observations on popular music, to his well-crafted original songs.
Rob’s act is accessible and he works with minimal profanity so there are few limitations on where he can perform or where his albums can be played. He regularly works comedy clubs and cutting edge venues in New York, as well as cruises, all-ages venues and corporate events.
The Pachelbel Rant
In 2006 Rob uploaded a video of his popular closing performance piece “Pachelbel” to a new video sharing site called YouTube. The piece, which had been a mainstay in his live shows and was popular on the Dr. Demento Radio Show, began to get noticed and shared throughout the emerging social media ecosystem.
After a few weeks and a few thousand views, YouTube highlighted the video on its front page and the popularity exploded. Music students, musicians, music teachers, and general fans of pop music and comedy began sharing the clip, and people from all over the world began commenting and connecting to it.
It is currently over 14 million views and continues to be shared in music classes and among musicians and pop music fans alike.
Cello, I must be going…
Rob started learning the cello in first grade as part of the string program at the Waukegan Public Schools in Waukegan, IL, famously the home of another comedian and string player: Jack Benny
Starting in the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes ear training, Rob continued with the cello through grade school and high school, playing in orchestra and taking lessons at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts.
Rob took a few years of piano lessons and in 8th grade bought a bass guitar and started teaching himself to play. Jam sessions, cover bands, and original bands followed, and in college Rob took several units of jazz bass classes while getting his degree in creative writing at the University of Southern California.
The Funny
In college Rob found an outlet for his love of humor writing in the open mic comedy stages of greater Los Angeles. When Rob began mixing songs and music into his sets it was a revelation and the enthusiastic response was immediate. By the time he graduated (cum laude) he was getting regular booked and paid spots around L.A.
Though music and a promising original rock band took Rob back to Chicago, he continued to explore comedy through classes at Second City and performing stand-up. He soon became a regular at the Chicago Improv and Zanies clubs, and started working the road touring clubs throughout the Midwest and colleges coast to coast.
Doing Work
Rob has been a prolific comedian both on the stage and through his recordings. From his first studio album Don’t Crowd the Plow, which had a track featured on the Dr. Demento Show’s Funny Five, to his live concert album Rob P. Rocks a Jazz Club, which has tracks in SiriusXM’s regular rotation, to his latest multi-genre album The American Songbook: Redacted, Rob’s studio work has added depth and dimension to his work and has helped him reach fans throughout the world.
The American Songbook: Redacted is also a live solo show, which previewed in NYC in 2022 and will be featured in the 2023 Edmonton International Fringe Theater Festival. On stage Rob’s wealth of material also extends beyond his comedy music. He has staged three solo shows, presenting them in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles; he was a staff writer for the NYC-based sketch group Spurn for several years, he has written three one-act plays that have been performed in New York.