An Interview with Rob Carlson of Modern
Man
Corine Hi Rob! When is the next gig in MANHATTAN?
Rob: Nothing right now, but we're working on it. Maybe back at
Metropolitan Room. I'll put you on the mailing list.
Corine: Thank you. I adore you're tunes! Modern Man is so hysterical.
What makes you funny?
Rob: Desperation with a generous dash of plagiarism. Actually there's three different answers to that question. David is funny different from George who is different from me. David is a very witty writer who is the closest thing we have to a straight man on stage. George is a deadpan clown with his own special quality of deranged innocence. (He's also a hell of a piano player). I'm the closest thing we have to a standup comedian. I talk the most. Our particular chemistry together makes Modern Man whatever it is.
Corine: Please explain the rap song that you performed in the
Nightlife Awards ceremony.
Rob: That's David's writing and I thought explains itself. It's geriatric hip hop.
Corine: I love David and he is a straight male! Interesting!
He is fun! What is next of Modern Man?
Rob: Retiring to Florida? Naw, none of us plays golf. Actually I'm about halfway through a solo album of straight songs. David and I are performing live under the name "Post Modern Man" doing the new tunes and some of Buskin's classics. For years people have been asking why we don't do some intentionally non-funny songs. So we're gradually working in some straight tunes as well.
Corine: Give me David's number. Just kidding! People would
describe you as a cross between Crosby Stills and Nash and the
Marx Brothers.
Rob: Yeah. Unfortunately I got Harpo's voice and David Crosby's liver.
Corine: So explain the rap song. It cracked me up.
Rob: Again, David's idea. We like to send up various styles of
music and we'd never done a hip hop thing. So why not? It helps
us stay down with our homies. Street cred, you know. Word up,
beeeyatch. Whatever that means.
Corine: If you had 5 wishes what would they be?
Rob: World peace. Clean, renewable energy. Cures for AIDS and Cancer. Enough money to tell Donald Trump to go fuck himself. Oral sex with Scarlet Johansson. Not necessarily in that order.
Corine: When will you be back in NYC. I need to laugh. Oral sex with Scarlet Johansson? Maybe you are straight, too!
Rob: Keep watching the website, http://www.modernman3.com.
Corine: Any new music coming out?
Rob: Yup. My new solo album, which I may release in two six song
EP's. Six tunes are ready to go. You can hear a couple, including
one cowritten with David ("Feed the Cockatoo") on the
new Rob Carlson MySpace page.
Thanks for your interest! Stay in touch! Best... Rob
Corine:Thanks, Rob. I am interested. Please stay in touch.
Modern Man is very funny stuff!
WORD UP TO THE FUNNY HIP HOP HOMIES.
Interview conducted by Corine Cohen
