Rob Paravonian: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 07:47, 3 April 2010
| Rob Paravonian | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rob Paravonian |
| Born | Waukegan, Illinois |
| Medium | stand up, guitar comedy |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works and roles | Pachelbel Rant |
| Website | http://www.RobPRocks.com |
Rob Paravonian is a comedian, best known for his "Pachelbel Rant" which parodies the use of the chord progression from Pachelbel's Canon in many popular songs.[1]
Music
Born in Waukegan, Illinois, son of a first-generation Armenian-American schoolteacher, Rob Paravonian has always loved music, learning cello at age six and playing it from grade school through to the Waukegan High School Symphony. At age 10 the Grade School Orchestra went to nationals in Nashville, and at 13 he went to Florida with the High School Chamber Orchestra, before teaching himself guitar and bass in high school.[2]
While attending college at USC in Los Angeles, Rob began working as a comedian, performing at wide-open shows in cafes in L.A. After college he studied improvisation and ensemble work at the Second City Training Center in Chicago and became a regular at the Improv. He also began going on the road, playing Midwest clubs and headlining colleges from coast to coast.
After moving to New York, he quickly became a regular at Catch a Rising Star, and has appeared on Comedy Central, VH1, has written cartoon theme songs, written and performed sketch shows and is on his third solo show.
In 2005 he performed for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which he described as "...a great experience."[3]
Musical stand up
Originally a traditional stand up comedian, Rob started bringing his guitar with him to pass the time waiting for his set at the open mic clubs in LA, playing comical songs he'd written with the other comics there. They suggested he try some guitar stuff on stage and, since he had played music most of his life he tried it, and found the crowd enjoyed it.[4]
Much of his success comes from word of mouth and via the internet.
Pachelbel Rant
Rob's popular YouTube video regarding his hatred toward Johann Pachelbel and his Pachelbel's Canon in D major has attracted more than 7 million viewers, including more than 100,000 favorites. Throughout the course of his rant, he continuously plays the Canon's chord progression on his acoustic guitar. Below is a list of the songs he references (at times ambiguously) throughout his routine, and the lyrics that tie to each of them (N.B. During several of the latter songs, he changes the chord progression to suit the individual song, although still using the same chords):
| Band | Song | Lyric |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | Graduation (Friends Forever) | "As we go on, we'll remember..." |
| Aerosmith | Cryin' | "There was a time when I was so broken-hearted..." |
| Original Caste | One Tin Soldier | "Listen children to my [sic] story, it was written long ago..." |
| Blues Traveler | Hook | "Suck it in suck it in suck it in / If you're Anne Boleyn or Rin Tin Tin [sic] / Make a desperate move and then you're in..." |
| Green Day | Basket Case | "Do you have the time to listen to me whine..." and "Am I just paranoid..." |
| Matchbox 20 | Push | "I wanna push you around, well I will, I will [sic] / I wanna push you down, well I will, well I will..." |
| Better than Ezra | Good | "Wahow, it's been good living with you..." |
| Bush | Machinehead | "My machinehead is better than the rest / My machinehead is better than the..." |
| U2 | With or Without You | "See the stone set in her eye / See the thorn twist in her..." |
| Natalie Imbruglia/Ednaswap | Torn | "I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel / I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor..." |
| Avril Lavigne | Sk8er Boi | "He was a boy, she was a girl, / Could it be any more obvious...[sic]" |
| Twisted Sister | We're Not Gonna Take It | "We're not gonna take it / no, we ain't gonna take it..." |
| Cyndi Grecco | Making our Dreams come True (Laverne & Shirley theme song) | "On your mark, get set, and go now / Got a dream and we just know now..." |
| Bob Marley | No Woman, No Cry | "No woman no cry..." |
| The Beatles | Let It Be (song) | "When I find myself in times of trouble..." |
Releases
Studio CD
- Living it Down
- American Cheese
- Don't Crowd the Plow
- Songs From the Second Story
Live CD
- Live on Both Coasts
- Official Bootleg
- Playing for Drunks
DVD
- 40 Minutes From Chicago
- Rob P. Live