My first exposure to music growing up came from listening to my parents' LPs of artists like Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller Band, Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Beatles... I later developed my own tastes consisting of several more recent artists, yet still riddled with classic rock. Some of my faves that have influenced my style of writing and/or playing include Jason Mraz, Incubus, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Dispatch, Guster, Sister Hazel, Red Hot Chili Peppers...there are quite a few more... I like all kinds of music, and I'm always looking for new sounds to explore!
This page is sort of a combo music/personal myspace, so here are a few things you'd normally find on this side of the page... =)
MUSIC: Incubus, Led Zeppelin, Sister Hazel, Dispatch, State Radio, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews Band, Blue October, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Miller Band, Sublime, Bob Marley, 311, the Refreshments, Guster, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Bob Schneider, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Barenaked Ladies, Matisyahu, Cake, The Music, Thievery Corporation, Citizen Cope, Beck, Ani Difranco, Blind Melon, Travis, Monte Montgomery, Aerosmith, Green Day, Gnarls Barkley, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Deftones, Crystal Method, Jazzanova, Cowboy Mouth, the Eagles, the Doors, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, CCR, Imogen Heap, Moe, Los Lonely Boys, John Mayer, Foo Fighters, Black Crowes, Counting Crows, Jimmy Buffett, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Eat World, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Elton John, Hot Hot Heat, Fuel, Goldfinger, Eve 6, Maroon 5, Ben Folds, Tenacious D, Less Than Jake, Chemical Brothers, Blue Man Group, Weezer, Zebrahead, Chevelle, dZihan & Kamien, Bloodhound Gang, Blues Traveler, Bowling for Soup, Tim Reynolds, Alanis Morissette, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Suzanna Choffel, Regina Spektor, Spoon, Kings of Leon...just to name a few...
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!! Dertybird, Hanyaks, Down-Stares, Much Love, T-Bird & the Breaks, Feeding 5000, Uncle Lucius, Primm, Strangelove, all of the talented storytellin' singer/songwriters in the Shut Up & Sing family... and of course, don't forget the American Sideshow! =)
MOVIES: I could probably go on for a while here too, but here are a few of my faves: Dazed & Confused, Swingers, Pulp Fiction, Rounders, Memento, Ray, Anchorman, Old School, Half Baked, Boondock Saints, Snatch, Fight Club, Seven, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Almost Famous, Multiplicity, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Dogma, Fifth Element, Oceans Eleven, Cube, Swordfish, Adaptation, Waiting, Without a Paddle, Matrix trilogy, Requiem for a Dream, Blow, Kung Fu Hustle, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, 25th Hour, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... there's a start.
TELEVISION: KILL YOUR TV!! Let's play some foosball instead! Alright, fine - "turn on the boob tube, I'm in the mood to obey..." Family Guy, Futurama, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the Simpsons, South Park, Squidbillies, That 70's Show, the Office, Entourage, the Sopranos, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, SPORTSCENTER!!
BOOKS: Don't have nearly enough time to read as I'd like... the last book I read was The DaVinci Code, which was incredible. I used to read a lot of John Grisham and Michael Crichton. You can usually catch me flipping through a Guitar magazine, Guitar Center catalogue, or maybe a Playboy (all 3 have things that make my heart race...hehe). Check out LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME, by James Loewen (everything your high school didn't teach you about American history).
HEROES: my parents, Ken Block (of Sister Hazel), Mike Einziger and Brandon Boyd (of Incubus), Jason Mraz.
Sounds Like
this, according to my friends and fans:
"...acoustic rock, alternative rock, jam rock, soul rock, pop rock." - Lia
"Ben Harper." - Nat
"...a blend of singer/songwriter lyrics mixed with a bit of positive rock. Throw in a dash of Texas blues, now add the spice........LOTS OF SPICE!" - Ryan
"...pure sex for the ear drums." - Jackie A-Go-Go
"...stripped down soul with a clever twist of heat! All will love the sound, those with more depth will appreciate the lyrics." - Carey
"Jason Mraz." - Jackie
"...if you were to cross old school soul with the greatest eclectic mix of what dreams should sound like if they had background music...with a bit of humor." - Jess Rose
"...those familiar smells that come around every once in a while out of the blue to make you feel good; the ones that trigger a comfortable memory that can't be defined as anything in particular and you cant quite put your finger on what it is exactly that that makes it so familiar in the first place... You pause for a moment while your chin tilts slightly upwards to follow your gaze towards your mind and your left eye squints just a bit to get a better look into your brain and your lips are smushed into a pondering smirk until you realize that you've been nostalgically searching for something that's indescribable. You shake your brain back towards the world as the inquisitive smirk turns into a silent chuckle and you're smiling to yourself because you got a whiff of something that just feels good." - Jana
"No matter where or what in life, listening to Cooperman at any level, live or recorded, is a medley of instant joy. So, thank you for your sexy voice, talent, and really defining the essence of being a musician." - Star
"To explain to someone what your music sounds like would require a comparison to something they have heard before. While your music is definitely a collection of your own style mixed with your influences, it would do no justice to your music or the listener to compare it with something else. When someone listens to you, they are not going to hear something they have heard elsewhere, save a slight resemblance here or there. To me, your music is 'you.' It's unique and has its own style. I also feel that your songs speak in different forms...your music doesn't mean or sound the same to two different people at all. It probably affects everyone differently. The sound of your music doesn't fit in a box. The style draws from different genres and sounds. To place it in a category would be like building a fence around its creative ability to go where your feelings take you when you're creating it. If someone asks you what your music sounds like, you should just throw up your first and pinky finger and say, 'It sounds badass. Come check it out this Sunday.'" - Shea
"Throw all other musical comparison out the window... Not gonna use it... I can't use it. Impossible. What your music sounds like is Robert Cooperman. A driving force of creative ability and life experience that is harnessed and unleashed at the tip of tongue and finger. It sounds like a heartbeat, a heartache, cold ice cream, and warm birthday cake. Your music sounds like moments of greatness, greyness, and tragedy... recorded on a six string time line." - B
"...with lyrics that feel exactly the way his hugs do; deep, from the heart, real." - Jana
"Sideshow Rob is like one of those five-tool phenoms of baseball. Chops? Check. Pensive lyrics? Check. Fetching melodies? Check. Stage presence? Check. A good guy to have a beer with after the set? Check. And, dang, if that's not enough, most of the ladies I know think he's kinda cute." - Gleason Booth, INsite Magazine
I'm kinda tall, a little weird, very loving, too sensitive, and always hungry! I love playing the guitar, singing my heart out, and just havin' a good time with my friends and family... I love to laugh, and to make others smile any way I can. I live in Austin, Texas, and I love this town!! The people, the music, the arts & culture...just can't get enough of it. Being a musician, it's easy to fall in love with this city. Oh, and you can call me Robert, or Rob...either is fine.
My amazing son, Noah Levi, is the air I breathe. He's learning quickly, growing WAY too fast, and can make anyone smile through the darkest of times. He's got his mom's blue eyes, and is already showing signs that he's a lot like his dad, so I am definitely in deep trouble... I can't think of any better way to spend my time than playing with him, singing to him, and doing everything I can to teach him all of the valuable life-lessons my parents bestowed upon me. Each day brings new experiences and I'm incredibly thankful for the love and support of my WONDERFUL family and friends.
Music is my other passion, and most certainly my favorite form of therapy. It's such a release...I love being on stage and just letting go. Playing music helps to keep me (somewhat) sane, but I'm not opposed to a little more professional help... =) For a while, I played rhythm guitar and lead vocals for a groovy rock 'n' roll group called the American Sideshow. We kept the stage show at a high energy level, and kept the crowd dancin' and the groove movin' with powerful guitar riffs, vocal harmonies laid over insightful lyrics, and a funky foundation of jazzy drums and bass. I'm just doin' the solo thing now, but still deliver the same passionate and energetic stage performance that Sideshow fans came to know and love. During my time with the band, Feeding 5000 frontman Kelly Scott Taylor dubbed me 'Sideshow Rob' and it has kinda stuck ever since. So, come check out a show sometime. I promise you won't be disappointed! I also co-founded a 'storytellers' acoustic showcase called "Shut Up and Sing!" which has featured over 140 musicians and bands from all over the world. This atypical showcase is currently on hiatus, but may come back in the near future!
I'm a huge sports fan... not too big on hockey, golf, or tennis, but you will definitely find my ass glued to the couch on Sundays during football season. I was born in Indiana, but my mom's whole side of the family is from Miami. Spending so much time in south Florida growing up made me a big Dolphins fan ever since I knew what football was. My little sister (who I love dearly and will soon be making me an uncle!!) was born in Memphis when I was 3, so you might catch me pullin' for the Titans every now and then (especially since Vince was running the show for a while). I adopted the Atlanta Braves when we moved to Augusta, Georgia when I was a kid, and the San Antonio Spurs when I finally came to Texas back in 1994. I moved from San Antonio to Austin when I graduated high school in 1999 to attend the University of Texas and study psychology, so I am most definitely a Longhorn (HOOK 'EM HORNS!!).
I started this personal music myspace page to showcase some of my past, present, and future projects in the works. Drop me a line on here and leave a message or a comment, look me up on Facebook and show some love, or check out the Shut Up & Sing page and dig on tunes from some of the most talented independent musicians the world has to offer. Hope you enjoy!!
My bones are thicker in some areas (joints) than the length around it. Like my elbows and knees, specifically. I eat enough, I just don't gain much in the way of weight. I love DMB, and he himself is a really intriguing individual. I loved the behind the scenes interviews they gave him and Hugh on House MD. He was a surprisingly good actor too! When I think funky acoustics my first though is Moby, his old stuff had that really funky-jazz feel. :D No problem, when I'm up in Austin visiting you will have to come join us! Take care, and have a jazzy-bread filled day. (That is bread that fell on the floor.)
That is impossible, I suspect! I barely hit 105, and I am almost 5, 8. :O On a side note, I am sure everything she told you is a lie! However, she told me to listen to a few of your songs. You have an amazing voice, I definitely suspect you'll become quite popular. I'm not totally educated on your particular genre but would I be right in saying you have a little DMB feel in your work? ;x If not, don't be insulted. It is just my ignorance.
I just wanted to stop by and remind you how loved you are, I think of you often but I spent so much time running forward without planning my steps and digging myself out of the hole I fell in his taken up a large portion of my life.
The lack of time I have to spend with the beautiful people like you is in no way your reflection... it is my punishment as I rebuild the structure of my life.
Your music to this day is one of my greatest inspirations, and your friendship is one of my most precious gifts.
Thank you so much for your message. I listened to your music, and I love it. You truly are a very talented songwriter and musician. If you ever travel to and play in California, let me know.
Im sorry I cant make momo's Im helping a friend celebrate her bday tonight up near home at Bums Billiards. But Josh has promised me a bday party in a few weeks soooooooooo................:) :) xxoo
Hey Rob! Sorry it took me a while to get back to ya man - I hardly ever get on here and the couple times I did, I never checked my comments. Finally back in SA after 3 years of hell. How you doing?
ur going to love this little story im about to tell u. bryan had dylan (our 2 yr old, next month) in the car with him. i forget where he was going. anyways, he was flipping through the cds to find something to play. when dylan heard the first few beats of ur cd he grunted...his way of letting us know he wants something...bryan moved on to others, but had to go back to ur cd. when he did, dylan was all smiles. how cool and cute is that? haha bet u feel special, huh? u have a tiny tot fan. haha
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![♥ [Kiss the Bottle, Spin the Girl]♥](http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/108/s_8a15a5ed3af843a49e20f6e90e160ae5.jpg)
e acoustic shows with you....
