Local comic Eli Sairs, who performed at BYT’s Bentzen Ball this year, did us a solid by interviewing the (very funny) Rob Cantrell.  Thanx Eli!  -cale

Comedian, writer, and musician Rob Cantrell has appeared on several major networks, including CBS, NBC, HBO and Comedy Central. His cannabis cult-like following has lead him to tour with ‘The Marijuana- logues’, as well as write for “High Times Magazine”. He also helped write segments for HBO’s ‘The Flight Of The Concords’ and “The Howard Stern Show”. His 2005 documentary film “Metaphysical Graffiti – A Road Movie” was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. His new Stand-Up comedy and music album KEEP ON THE GRASS was released by Stellah Records in July 2009. When not on the road, Rob can be found in New York City performing at clubs, theaters, and improv venues.

“Cantrell’s headlining set was greeted to uproarious applause and rapt attention. His stage presence ran between happy stoner, hilarious philosopher, and intelligent humorist.” — The Comedians Magazine

“Immense comedic talent, go see Rob.” — SF Guardian

Eli Sairs: Hi Rob. Could you talk a little about your D.C. roots, and how (and if) living here played a role in pursuing a comedy career?

Rob Cantrell: I was born and raised in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of North East DC. It wasn’t a rough neighborhood, but it was a few blocks from some. Our house got broken into a few times and my bike got stolen semi regularly. My mom still lives in the house I was born in, my dad bought it for like 12 dollars in 1969 during the DC race riots. I went to Brent Elementary school in SE with my older brother and sister. When I was 10, we moved to a small southern town in Virginia called “Buena Vista”. It was a drastic change, DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains, is like Mars to Buffalo. I had a lot of “fish out the water” moments growing up and that must have lent itself to pursuing comedy. My dad past away in a car accident a few year after we moved to Virginia and my family moved back to DC when I was 16. I lived there from age 16 to 24. The town has its own vibe – crazy politicians, Redskins, a clean metro, Go-Go music, legendary punk bands, museums and monuments. I vividly remember taking the 96 bus across town to Northwest for violin classes when I was 6 or 7, and U Street was all porn theaters and pimps, like early Times Square in NYC. I didn’t start performing Stand-Up comedy till I moved to San Francisco. I knew too many people in DC and the first few years of Stand-Up are pretty brutal for everyone starting out. I didn’t want my childhood friends to see me go through that shit, judging my ass.

ES: Your act is pretty diverse. Did you always intend to mix comedy with music? Or did one come first, the other just finding its way in over time?

RC: Stand-up Comedy is the tree, the rest are leaves. I am a huge fan of early Blues Brothers, Spinal Tap, Biz Markie, Tenacious D and Flight Of The Concords. My first foray into comedy music was in San Francisco; I had a Jazz Comedy Trio called “The Jazzman Megaband of Power”. I’d tell jokes and play a spinning kazoo, the other comics in the trio played real instruments. One comic was on Stand-Up Bass and other played the Sax, there are clips of it in my film “Metaphysical Graffiti”. We actually got some paid gigs opening for bands and played an office party once. During this time, my solo Stand-Up got national TV exposure, the band broke up and I moved to LA. After a couple years of the “Hollywood Shuffle”, I decided to move back east. I have always been a big Hip Hop fan (DC Go-Go as well), and when I moved to Brooklyn I had a radio show for a brief period with two top notch DJ’s. They helped produce the 4 music tracks on my new Stand-Up album KEEP ON THE GRASS (on Stella Records and ITunes). I have two videos out on YouTube doing really well, “Married N Shit” and “Coffee and Weed”. Please Google.

ES: Do you plan on keeping stand-up comedy your main pursuit? You’ve been successful in other mediums—the aforementioned music, and your film “Metaphysical Graffiti – A Road Movie” was screened at Cannes.

RC: Stand-Up is something I keep growing at and learning from. I love it and think it is the most DIY thing a person can do. There is no expensive equipment, just a notebook, write down what you think is funny, go up there and see if you can pull it off, then repeat that 8 million more times. The whole Cannes Film Fest trip happened because I was invited by a comedy punk rock band from Baltimore called “Dingleberry Dynasty.” They had rented a theater in Cannes to screen a film they made. I had a free flight from miles and had just finished editing the film. My film was screened in a make shift movie house in Cannes in front a bunch of chain smoking French skate-borders. They were into it.

ES: You’ve played comedy clubs and larger venues in the area, is there a reason you’re going the more intimate, rock club route this time?

RC: I really just like to mix it up, it makes you a better performer and keeps everything fresh, like an all you can eat salad bar with a solid sneeze guard.

ES: Stand-up has been described by some as a dead sport. But this shift into music venues has seemed to re-vitalize it with some new fans and a bit more diversity. You’ve worked in the comedy club circuit as well as alternative venues. Would you say the differences are cosmetic (same stuff, new stage) or a genuine sign of growth in a re-charged art form?

RC: Everything is changing constantly, so I try not to measure it too much. I go with the flow and try to connect with what I think is funny. The international scene is growing at a fast rate which is exciting to see and I believe audiences are becoming more educated on what is original and what is played out. Stand-up will always go up and down in popularity, but if something is really funny, it’ll stick.

ES: Thanks for taking some time out for this. Are you currently busy with any projects we can look forward to?

RC: More shows, doing rock clubs in SF and Boston right after the DC date. Performing in a play called “The Marijuana-logues” in Portland OR on Dec. 10th. We have two more music videos slated to film from my album KEEP ON THE GRASS/ ITunes.

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Rob will be performing at The Velvet Lounge (915 U St.) at 7 pm this Friday along with DC comics Mike Eltringham, Ahmed Huidobro and Eli Sairs (me).

The show is only $4 people.

http://www.robcantrell.com/
http://www.velvetloungedc.com/