Rob Forman – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Rob Forman – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

We connect with musician Rob Forman for a chat. This is what he had to say.

RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

RF: My first paid gig was in the summer of 2016 at Pauly’s Hotel in Albany. It was a night full of firsts: first time seeing my name and photo on a poster, and first time working with a sound engineer. I hope I didn’t give the sound man too many issues, but as someone who didn’t know much (and still doesn’t know much) about professional sound, I probably caused at least some headaches.

I was at the bottom of the bill, the opener for the opener! The attendance during my set was my dad, my roommates, my girlfriend (now wife) and 3 of my now in-laws. Pauly’s just closed down, but I’m happy to be able to say that I played there.

RRX: It’s a lot of fun living in the present, but we all collect memories and give birth to dreams. We’re talking dreams here. Where you see yourself next year? In the next five years?

RF: Well, Baby Boy Forman is coming in August 2024, so I see myself doing a lot of diaper changes and bottle feeding! When we get into a routine with the baby and I can get back to playing shows, I’m really eager to hook the little guy up with some headphones and have him out at some shows! In the next five years, I just want to continue what I’m doing now: playing new venues, meeting new people, and working on being a good hang. I try to make sure I’m dropping in on friends’ shows just as much as playing my own

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

RF: I’ve gotten to know many performers in the Capital Region over the past 10 years. Two who I need to shout-out are Matt Cosgrove and Scott Simpson.

I met Matt at his open mic in Saratoga in late 2019, and he was the first musician of that professional caliber I had the chance to perform with and learn from. Give him some chords to solo over and he’ll just take the tune on a journey, effortlessly.

Scott I also met in a similar fashion. I think he’s the best solo acoustic guy to see out these days because he has a good mix of songs and great volume control. I’ve learned thru gigging out that those are two important things to have down. You got to have songs in your set that people want to hear, and you have to play them at a level where everyone in the brewery or bar can still have conversations with their neighbors. If I’m playing and see that I’m not bothering anyone, then I’m pretty happy!

RRX: What do you think is the most dangerous song to cover from the perspective of criticism? Who do you think is too hard to cover, and why?

RF: Easy one. Anything by James Taylor. The man wrote the most perfect songs of the past 50 years. But his chord voicings and finger-picking is so uniquely him that it’s hard to replicate. I know just about everything in his catalog but won’t try them live because it doesn’t even come close to how they sound on original recordings. I’ll just hate myself for even trying.

RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

RF: In 2015 I went to record a small demo, and the producer pulled me aside at the end and strongly suggested I make sure to add some Bob Dylan songs into my catalog. Now I play at least 3-4 of his songs each night and folks seem to enjoy them, so I’m happy I listened!

My wife is a trained singer. She was the first to suggest I drop-tune my guitars to make even more stuff fit with my voice. And that worked out great too! She’ll  hear stuff on the radio, come home and say “you need to try this song at the next gig” which is super helpful because I’m not good seeking out new music.

RRX: Is there a favorite time of year? What time of year does the band have the most shows? Is there a recurring thing in the year that’s particularly memorable?

RF: Fall in the Capital Region, there is nothing better! That’s the point in the year where I have a lot of free time to gig, and when I tend to have multiple shows in a day. My favorite type of work day is when I can get up super early, grab a coffee, head over to play at the Troy Farmer’s Market in the early slot. Then head home to rest up, see my wife and play with our two pups. Maybe watch my NY Giants blow a lead. Then after all that, head out again and play the evening slot at a brewery.

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