Meet Robby Ravenwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robby Ravenwood.

Robby, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I held a very respectable job as a campus director for a major university here in southern California for years – at night I freelanced as a stand-up comedian also for years – and I was always a musician.

I was class president back in High School, but also class clown. I was a fan of Jonathan Winters, but also a fan of the Beatles. I always wanted to do sketch comedy, but I also wanted to be a professional musician.

I started performing stand-up comedy. I worked the comedy club circuit for a number of years, but I missed music. Writing songs, my humor always seemed to butt in, so I eventually stopped fighting the yin and yang of comedy vs music, and combined my two passions into one career, and became a musical satirist, similar to Dan Hicks, Niel Innes and Randy Newman.

I’ve performed at venues such as The Ice House in Pasadena and The Improv in Los Angeles. I have opened for Paula Poundstone, Lily Tomlin and Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite boys. I am featured in the book and DVD “The Secret.” Performing solo, or with my band, “The Fun House Porcupines”, my music is a unique blend of Gypsy-Jazz, Lounge, Cabaret, Folk and Western Swing, combined with ironic, social commentary that creates the unique musical stew I playfully call “Un-Easy Listening!” I sing, play piano, guitar and ukulele.

I eventually quit my day job and have never looked back!

I want to also give credit to my Grandmother Rita Perse who sat with me for countless hours as a boy learning how to play the piano – my Dad who reluctantly bought me my first piano and guitar – of course various music teachers along the way with a special shout out to Greg Dean who’s comedy class/workshop I took many times. My best friend and boyfriend Alex Rodarte who has stuck with me for 17 years – often doing the sound and videos and pics. Countless musicians I have played with over the years – band mates – and of course venue owners and bookers who thought I was swell – with a special shout out to Ed Boswell and his friend Christopher Burkhardt of Steller Productions who gave me a very BIG break recently too in the rockabilly world!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have to say like most entertainers, there is a bit of a “rough road” to blaze your own trail with. I am openly gay and have never hid that – I used to get a lot of ridicule from other comedians which was hurtful, then tiring – it was one of the reasons I moved more toward music. My mother was a professional ballerina and my Father was a life long MP and policeman – ironically – my wanting to go into show biz was harder for him to deal with than my being gay. LOL, My Mother on the other hand was very understanding and supportive. I still take a lot of flack for being an open LGBT but hey the world is slowly changing and I do my part via my art. Prejudice of any kind is worthy of poking holes at and hopefully educating while entertaining. It’s why I am a satirist. Then of course there is the usual struggle of getting enough gigs to make a living – but that would take another ten paragraphs to describe!

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a freelance entertainer. Basically, I’m “Robby Ravenwood Inc.” I perform as a solo artist, a duo, a trio or my full compliment band “The Fun House Porcupines”. Usually we have a set up of me on uke, a stand up bass, a woodwinds player and some percussion/drums.

I specialize in a very interactive, fun, satirical show. I often invite audience members to sing a song with me – folks dance and I sometimes have room for a conga line!

Whether solo or with others, I sing my own original songs, plus some old-timey jazz standards and my take on more contemporary and classic rock and folk tunes as well.

I play for corporate events, private parties – I have done amicable divorce parties, dog parties (doggy birthday parties), open houses, weddings, a Christmas Fun Double Decker English bus, as well as more traditional shows in music and comedy venues. I also busk in Seal Beach on many weekends.

I’m different in that I am more of a “fun” musical act and use humor and playful sarcasm to get people laughing and dancing. I think I give a lot of stodgy, serious adults a safe space to set their inner child free for a while. That always makes me very happy to see.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I remember being very young at P.O.P. (Pacific Ocean Park) in Santa Monica and my Dad buying me a pirate flag -which thrilled me to death!

I also remember my Mother admonishing my Dad that I’d “poke my eye out” with the tip of the stick, the flag was on.

Years later watching “A Christmas Story” I heard the exact same thing spoken in the film about the young boy’s Mom. She said (about him getting a BB gun for Christmas) – “You’ll poke your eye out!” I guess Mothers are the same in any era!

Pricing:

• My rate is $200 for myself solo, for two 45 minute sets
• Any additional musician is $100 per player added

Contact Info:

• Website: robbyravenwood.com
• Phone: (562) 506-3041
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robby.ravenwood
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrDt1ZaFOcUr5Pq6WPxiXlQ

Image Credit:
All photos by Alex Rodarte

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