Bob Karwin

He's Bob Karwin! (What's His Name???)

Independent Trop Rock and Bob Karwin go together like peas and carrots.

I met Bob on the Parrot Head Cruise 2008 and immediately liked his offbeat sense of humor and over the top vocals.

As a musician of 35 years, I knew I had found a kindred spirit when Bob announced at the Songwriter's Showcase, "Tuning is for pussies!" Right on!

He's also the only guy I have ever seen break two guitar strings without playing a note.

When I visited his online island (bobkarwin.com), it said he knew of no "unofficial" sites and I thought, "That's not right!" and you are reading the result.

Latest Bob News

2009/03/31 - The first annual "What's My Name????" Cruise has been canceled due to the plummeting economy. Bummer. Hopefully, we'll get another shot at this.
2009/02/12 - Bob says he has begun recording his new album and expects to have it completed by June 1st! It will be all new material, so stand by.
Bob announced this week he is almost finished writing his new album and will start recording soon! He has promised rough cuts as soon as they are available.

Bob Photos

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Bob's Schedule

February 28th, 2009 - Couger Vineyard - Temecula (Cougar Vineyard & Winery 39870 De Portola Rd Temecula, Ca 92592 (951) 491-0825 www.cougarvineyards.com
April 1st, 2009 - Bob will be at an annual event called "ice water rafting" on the King's River and subsequent party. Bob invites you to email him at bob@bobkarwin.com if you are interested in joining in.
June 6, 2009 - Bob and the Sand Dollar Millionaires will be co-headlining a concert at the Ramona Main Stage Theater with country artist Rachel Stark. They will each perform for a little over an hour and tickets are only $10. Go to http://www.ramonamainstage.com/ for details.

Brief Bob Bio

Bob Karwin began his music career in Boston, Massachusetts on June 4, 1990, playing to drunken mobs in the Irish pubs and college bars. He quickly made a name for himself in Beantown by being able to tame an unruly crowd fired by Guinness and Jack Daniels using only his guitar and a microphone.

In 1993, Bob packed up his Jeep and moved to sunny San Diego. His blend of humor and thoughtful songwriting struck a chord with Southern Californians and he began to develop a following at his rowdy one man shows. Bob is now a full fledged Californian, strolling the beaches and vowing to never shovel a driveway ever again.

Bob on YouTube

Scott Sperber, Dream Vice President-Campland Parrot Heads

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Boat Drunks & Bob Karwin singing "in the city"

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Bob Karwin - Jello Utah

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Bob Karwin - Nothing can take the place of you

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Bob Places on the Web

Bob Karwin's Online Island: Bob has his very own Online Island that you can visit here.
What's My Name? Carnival Cruise Information: Here is the link to the Palm Breeze Travel and Tours website with the details for the first annual "What's My Name" Carnival Cruise! Three day cruise departing May 29th, 2009 from Los Angeles for Ensenada, Mexico with Bob as featured entertainer. The cruise will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation
(http://www.pcrf- kids.com/) in Orange County, CA.
Don't forget Bob's Island Store: Purchase all of Bob's albums here.
Bob Karwin Bandwagon: The Bob Karwin Bandwagon will keep you up-to-date on the latest news from Bob.
Bottom Line Archive: An archive of Bob's semi-regular humor column: Bottom Line. Until Bob gets one of his own, I'll store them here.

Sound Clips, Lyrics and Bob's Comments

All of these songs are available from Amazon through the links at the bottom of this page, or you can purchase Bob's CD "Have Sun, Will Travel" at Bob's Island Store (link above).

California Sunshine Sound Clip: Bob's comments and the lyric for California Sunshine:
This song was born on the sand in Pacific Beach, California. When I moved to So. Cal. from Boston, I couldn't get over how soothing the beaches were. Almost every night, I would take my guitar and a bottle of red wine down the beach after dark and strum under stars with the rolling waves keeping time. I wanted to write a song that gave the listener a sense of how I felt sitting on the soft sand in the warm evening air. The original track was pretty sparse with just a guitar. I have always regretted putting it as the second track instead of the first. That error is corrected here. Also, Kevin added some awesome Steely Dan style keyboards that compliment the tune.

Lyrics:
California sunshine brings peace to my weary mind
But there's nothing I can find
To take the place of having you right by my side.

Chorus: I can lie in the warm sand
Margarita in my hand,
But nothing can
Take the place of you

A sunset on the Pacific Shore
Reminds me of what I'm living for
But I could not ask for more
Than to see it set with the one I adore.

A cool breeze on a summer day
Blows all my cares away, but there's
One thing a breeze can't replace
A soft smile on your pretty face
Perfect Day Sound Clip: Bob's comments and the lyrics for Perfect Day:
When I moved to California, I got a furnished apartment in Ocean Beach. If you don't know the area, I will try to explain. When you see hookers and pot heads sitting around your town in the evening, do you wonder where they are during the day? They are in their furnished apartments Ocean Beach. Back in 1997, we had satellite television. Not the cool, sleek DirecTv type, but that giant space station looking thing that only got 20 stations. We didn't even have MTV, but we did have CMTV (country music television). This was before country music became modern and cool. Hell, Faith Hill didn't even have an album out yet. Once thing I noticed about Nashville was that thing weren't going to good for those folks. They lost their jobs, wives, girlfriends, cars and dogs. I had heard the old joke about "What happens when you play a country record backwards? You get your job back, your truck back, your wife back..." I never really believed it until I saw CMTV. So, I thought I would write a happy country song about a day when everything goes right. They will probably never play it on country radio, because no one could relate to it in Nashville. But, it is here for you.

This song was on ALSFE. Kevin added some awesome, bar room keys. He also got his band's harmonica player, Kaare Wieneke (yes, that's his real name) to lay down some nasty harp. It was what this song needed.

Lyrics:
The sun is out, but it's not too hot
Thinkin' 'bout how my truck is running great and the pocket full of money I got.
Every song on the radio's got a perfect beat
I won twenty dollars on a lottery ticket that I found in the street.

Chorus: I know it ain't too often something like this will come my way
So I'm turning my back on my past trouble
Gonna enjoy my perfect day.

Driving down the freeway
Not another car in sight
I turn off to take a short cut I know and I made every light.
I went to the post office and didn't have to stand in line
Then I made it to the bank one minute before closing time.

(chorus)

Forgettin' all the money I owe and the bills I left behind
Forgettin' I work 90 hours a week and don't get overtime.
Forgettin' about the time I lost bluffing with two of a kind
Well I'm feelin' good and I'm feelin' fine
Haven't felt this good in a long, long time.

Walk into my house, what do I see?
My lovely lady with open arms waitin' with a smile for me
I crawl into bed/I turn out the light
It may be the end of a perfect day, but it's the start of a perfect night, yeah
Never Met the Man Sound Clip: Bob's comments and the lyrics for Never Met the Man:
I fly all around the country playing for Buffett fans and the one question they used to ask me more often than any other was whether I had met Jimmy Buffett. After all, I had played at Margaritaville, been hired by his tequila company to play VIP parties before his shows, shared the stage with members of his band and performed for more of his fans than I could ever count. But, sadly, I have never met the man. This song is dedicated to everyone in the parrothead nation who, like me, would love to meet the genial gnome who started it all, but has yet to get the chance.

This song has become somewhat of a hit for me. It was originally on my second cd, "Proper Attire." I didn't want to re-release that one, but I did want to re-release the song. Doing it as a single is kind of a pain in the butt, so we re-mastered it and included it here.

Lyrics:
I got my boat drink and my Hawaiian shirt.
My friends are all decked out in hula skirts.
I'm living the life you know the best that I can, but I still never met the man. - -

I got a shark fin tied to the roof of my car.
I got a bottle of rum and an acoustic guitar.
I got my truck filled up with Florida sand, but I still never met the man.

I make my parking lot pilgrimage every year.
Hoping just once he will appear
And if he did I'd hand him a beer
And break out with a grin from ear to ear

I got the box set and a bootleg or two.
I got albums by Peter and Fingers, too.
I'm a registered Banana Republican. But I still never met the man.

I got my tickets, I'm flying to Key West.
When I get there I'll do my parrot head best.
I'm gonna walk up to him, hope he understands that I just wanted to meet to the man
Big Rudy (King of Karaoke) Sound Clilp: Bob's comments the the lyrics for Big Rudy:
This song was the result of a writing assignment given to me by my good friend, and fellow troubadour, Jim Hoehn (www.jimhoehn.com). We were in New Orleans for a show and I told him a story about this little bar in Glendale, California called the Big Fish. It was called that because it had a giant stuffed marlin mounted over the bar. Anyway, on Thursday nights they had karaoke hosted by this fifty-something year old Pilipino guy named Rudy. Without any sense of irony, he wore a black shirt open to his waist, with gold chains, a pencil thin mustache and a jet black pompadour. His signature song was "Mona Lisa." On several occasions, he was joined by his son, Rudy, Jr. Nothing unusual about it. They even sang together. Well, one night, he introduces his grandson%u2026.Rudy, Jr., Jr. I kid you not. The three of them tore off a Tom Jones song that was seared into my memory forever. This song immortalizes that night.

This is a new track just for the cd. It is a full bar room brawl of a song that feels like the Big Fish. In case you are wondering, yes, for better or worse that is me playing the harmonica solo.

Lyrics:
He's got his hair piled high and his shirt buttoned low
Medallion giving off a cool gold glow
He's ready to rock the local watering hole

He's gonna tear the house down without a band
His only weapons are the microphone and microphone stand
He's big Rudy, the king of karaoke

But Rudy doesn't rock alone
His son Rudy, Jr's got his own microphone
And Rudy, Jr's not the end of the line
Rudy, Jr. Jr's standing right behind

So if you want to rock a room
That's dirty and smokey
Call Rudy, Rudy Jr and Rudy Jr, Jr
The kings of karaoke.

Cathy sings Reba and Ed does Elton John
And 14 other people kill Celine Dion
But they all step side when the Kings of the Castle come on

Rudy Jr. to the left, Jr. Jr. to the right
Big Rudy steps into the spotlight
Tilts his head back and gets ready to fly

Then the room falls into a hush
Rudy gives his pompadour one last brush
And the boys step up to give Tom Jones that three Rudy touch

Bob on Amazon

Some of my favorite tunes from Bob. You can listen to clips in the sound clip section above. Try'em, you'll like'm!

Have Sun, Will Travel

Download Bob's entire album!

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 07/11/2009)