| Page 1 2 3 GETTING TO KNOW: ROBERT POLLARD by Mark PittmanWho He Is: Probably the most prolific songwriter in the history of rock music, Robert Pollard was the singer and primary creative force behind one of the most acclaimed bands of the mid-90s, Guided by Voices. Pollard disbanded GBV nearly a year ago on December 31, 2004, but since then has continued to release an absurd amount of product under various pseudonyms and with various collaborators. By many accounts, he is the greatest melodist since the Beatles (not surprisingly, one of his favorite bands). His fan base is small, but fanatical. How To Spot Him: It used to be that you could spot Pollard by his mass of brown curls, for which one writer labeled him the “Ronald McDonald of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” But since the late 90s his hair has gone completely gray, and he keeps it now at a respectable length/volume. Pollard is 47 years old which also means that in a lineup of artists he’ll probably look at least ten years older than anyone else making new music worth discussing. Even though Pollard’s from the Midwest, he will sing with a British accent since he thinks his normal accent “sounds too hick.” If you see him live, he will probably be wearing a long-sleeve shirt untucked over dark pants or (non-blue) jeans, and Converse Hi-Tops. He’ll be swinging his mic in a wide arc á la The Who’s Roger Daltrey and punctuating key moments in his guitar-driven anthems by executing disturbingly adept high kicks. He will be drunk. Vital Fact: Bob loves beer. At home and on the road he consumes an ungodly amount of the stuff. Bob’s love of beer may seem non-vital to non-fans, but beer consumption is an ever-present part of the image, lore, lyrics, and life of Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices. Pollard has stated that he can’t perform live until he’s at least half-buzzed, and additionally claims that he knows just how much he can drink before and during the show for maximum benefit. At every show, much is made of the large cooler of beer that is brought on stage and from which members of Bob’s band retrieve liquid refreshment between and during songs. As far as preferred brands go, it used to be Miller Light, but at some pointed Bob changed to Bud Light. For health reasons, Bob only drinks light beer. Another vital fact about Robert Pollard is that for fourteen years he taught fourth grade in an elementary school. According to Pollard, after teaching 10-year-olds for fourteen years, a person becomes 10 years old himself. This may explain the whimsical, highly imaginative lyrics and subject matter of his songs, especially his most highly regarded work which he wrote during and immediately after his career as a teacher. Pollard hails from Dayton, Ohio, which is considered the birthplace of aviation as it was home to the Wright Brothers. Dayton also serves as home to several government bases and hangers that house some of today’s more advanced forms of aircraft. Perhaps not surprisingly, airplane and jet imagery appears constantly in Pollard’s work, which he admits is probably due to his hometown’s influence. Not So Vital Fact: During high school, Pollard was a standout athlete in three sports: football, baseball, and basketball. In baseball, he excelled as a pitcher and had a fastball that was clocked in the 90s. Pollard’s athletic accomplishments continued in college—while playing ball for Wright State University, he threw the first no-hitter in the school’s history. Page 1 2 3 |
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