February 3, 2025 • 23 mins
#154. Ron talks with NYC guitarist Rob Mastrianni about being banished to Catholic school, his Brooklyn roots, birds of prey, belly dancers, releasing his first-ever solo album.Sponsored by DistroKid. Get 30% off your membership at distrokid.com/vip/independentmindedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
You're the one that should be worried. You're a freak.
You're heading for big trouble.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Does music make you happy?
Speaker 1 (00:13):
He's a little song to fall asleep by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Whenever I'm looking to get serviced a mechanic, a pedicure,
a pinball machine repair man, what did you think I
was talking about? Get your mind out of a gutta.
Whenever I'm searching for these services, I hit the usual channels, Google, Yelp.
For all your music makers out there, the same laws apply.
You need people you trust to make sure your new
(00:41):
release gets on the web so your legions of fans
know you're still alive and kicking. And there's only one
place to go for that distro kid. Well, there's more
than one place, but Ronnie Google is here to tell
you that there might as well just be one. That's
because distro kid is the easiest way for musicians to
get music into Spotify, Apple and on title TikTok and YouTube.
(01:02):
Did I hit them all? And for their small annual fee,
you get unlimited uploads, you keep one hundred percent of
your earnings, and you get more promo features than all
those other guys. And I'm not just gonna patch you
on the tushy. To motivate you, I'm gonna give you
thirty percent off your membership right now. Go to DistroKid
dot com slash vip slash independent Minded, try it for
(01:23):
a year and tell me I'm crazy. Five stars distro
Kid five stars. In twenty twelve, when the goons at
(01:48):
my corporate media company asked if any of us radio
nerds wanted to start a podcast, I raised my hand,
and because those goons were clueless about podcasting, as was
most of the world back then, they basically handed me
a pail and a shovel, then said go build a
sand castle. Actually they didn't say anything at all. They
didn't care what it was about. They didn't contribute to
(02:10):
the process. Like the whores that they were and still are.
They just wanted content, wanted to let the industry know
they had more of it than anyone else. It was
that typical lack of oversight that made it easier to
walk away from what some considered the good life. It
was also because there was no training, no mentorship, nothing,
(02:31):
that I had to learn how to do it all myself.
My first thoughts weren't I'll be famous or I'll make money.
What instantly popped was, I know so many musicians who
I grew up with. This is my chance to tell
their story, And thirteen years later, I've told my share.
My first ever guests were childhood friends from Brooklyn who
had long admired folk rockers, bur Left to Kashmir, Bandits
(02:53):
on the Run, Lucky Chops, Social Station, nieces and nephews.
These were all artists who I'd played with in the past.
What would play within the future banks in part to
independent minded. Thirteen years after I raised my hand and
was handed that pale and shovel, I'm still making sand castles.
And in between the Henry Rollins, weird al and Baroness
fanboy moments, I get to know some cats that I've
(03:16):
kind of known my whole life, whatever really knew. So
we sat down and talked with intent.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Show you what the window right now? We got ice
flows in the river. That's the Hudson River.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
On thet you're right off the river.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, right by the George Washington Bridge.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Guitarist Rob Mastriani didn't always live in Upper Manhattan. Once
upon a time, he and I grew up literally around
the block from each other in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I'm playing guitar since I'm a little kid growing up
in Brooklyn. I had four older brothers. My eldest brother
played guitar and bands, and I remember when I was five.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Years old and he took me to one of his
shows at cb TV.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
So I'll forget that moment, sitting on the side of
stage and they were rocking out. They're kind of like
a mix of like the Police and Elvis Costello, that
kind of early kind of sound. Yeah, I remember this vividly,
but I was sitting on the side of stage to
watch them rock out, and they were stopping their feet
when they worked closely. It was like what a bugs
running across the stage rock and roll and how disgusting
(04:12):
it was.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
At the same time, Rob's not a punk rocker. He's
a true blue hippie craftsman. It's turned himself on to
everything from world music to Native American sounds to beat
boxing and harp guitars.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
So this instrument, I know, it looks ridiculous and crazy.
So it's got, like I said, the guitar in the middle.
So it's a sandwich basically, you got the guitar in
the middle, and then you have a bass harp so
you can hit get and then play achor then you
(04:46):
got these yes, which I really love.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
You throw the looping pedal in who needs a band? Right?
I guess that right, That's always been you in a nuts.
I'll like self sufficient in that regards, not because you
don't like paying with other people, because you like that
crazy freaking instrument. Rob and I talk about his love
affair with the guitar, his Brooklyn roots, being banished to
Catholic school, Birds of Prey, belly dancers, and releasing his
(05:14):
first ever solo album. Here's the title track from that
new self released album, Airwaves. Then the Rob Mastrianni story
continues right here on Independent Minded water Bugs.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Rydaldos Mazy podcast, Rhyndados Pas podcast, tugging of people, make
God Music, plugging their project, making the famous, helping the mouth,
just my making sure to talk about all the bullshit.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That even though Rob Mastrianni and I are the same age,
(07:26):
grew up down the block from each other, we didn't
really meet until years later. That's because I was a
good boy and little Rob was a little devil. How
are you acting out?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I was just like a little punk just funny said,
you know as an adult, you know, my whole adult
life had been quiet. And yeah, I think I kissed
off the teacher and she threw like chalk and the
races at me.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Is the one that had the nervous break Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
She did have a nice breakdown and the police came.
It was a big thing. The police came and they
ticked her away. I felt really bad for her. Back then,
you know, we had the Yellow pages or the white
pages to look up for someone's numbers. Looked at the
teacher's number. I left it like a real like Ulger
message was answer machine.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
And I think they did trace.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
It and find out that it was me that they
didn't that's what you know. Doing that and write the
graffiti on the walls in the.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
School got a different world.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I feel like, Yeah, when Catholic school really ripped me
into shape.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
You went.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Tell them, and I remember I was it was like
coach shock for me. You know, going from a public
school to a private school and you had the uniform
was very militant. You had to look neat and have
the tie on, wasn't allowed to have long hair, and yeah,
it was it was heavy and I was like a
(08:47):
little rocker kid, you know, and I was just getting
into the Metallica.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
But I had four older brothers, so they all had records.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Of course, I was listening to like Kiss and led
Zepite and Hendricks. Actually at that time I was really
into like Thresh, Mental, Slayer, they for a Slayer, Megadeathtic Anthrax,
Nuclear Assault or were killed.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
Went away in a way from but I went on down.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Those bands and I would write the lyrics in my book,
you know, to like Slayer songs and pentagrams.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And one of the teachers found it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And then of course it's a Catholic school that like,
this kid is like Satanic. So they sent me to
the priest for the counseling. And the priest was actually cool.
He was listening to like he told me his recollection
led definitely and you know, Pink Flood and Purple that
kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So he was like a cool priest from Ireland to
Irish guy.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
The priest puts on the Joshua tree, performs an exorcism
and push compound and encourage Rob to focus on music
as a way to improve himself. Well most of that
is true.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
After that, yeah, I just focused on guitar, and that
was it. It was like my obsession. My oldest brother
had guitars all over the house, so he had a
cool Fender Mustang that I would just pick up and
play all the time. I took some classical Spanish guitarists
(10:49):
and as a kid, worked hard at it. And then
I found this guitar playing and Michael Hedges, he's an
acoustic guitarist. Unfortunately passed away in ninety seven, but luckily
I got to see him play at the bottom Line.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the acoustic guitar.
Who's that chiggle on the street with his hands in
his pocket and his pocket out feat hang.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It on the curve. Look at all the stir as
the boys from home. They all came running. They were
making noise, man handling choys with the girls on the
back with the nasty curls wearing padded brass, stupping beer
through straws, dropping down their jars. Where did you get yours?
Speaker 4 (11:44):
And that was just like, you know, mind blowing and
life changing to watch this one guy get up on
stage with acoustic guitar and just how he could captivate
a whole audience just by himself.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Just play.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
He's looking good in every way. Stark, you better whistle
and miss with me. Money man can win mother. It's
stead thinking up. We always hang in a buffalo stand
(12:21):
read the dive. Every time he dance. I'll make a move,
nothing left to chance. I'll make love and left a chance.
Don't chick out best with me.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It's around this time that Rob begins to find his
own voice, and he soon realizes that his instrument might
be the only voice he needs.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I think it was more by accident, just like I
can't find a singer.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Right around the turn of the century, Rob forms a
buzzworthy Brooklyn trio called Next Try. It's more jam band
than rock band. We're talking wind chimes and nine minute
long songs.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Yeah, then beat box guitar.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
That was my ready pless.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Needless to say that Rob style all over the map
and often a showcase for his adventurous spirit. His performances
and beat box guitar were often accompanied by belly dancers,
not something you typically see in the New York City
club scene.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
That kind of got popular in that belly dance world
all around the world. Actually, we got to perform in
dance schools in Germany and Prague, California, and New.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Mexico over here.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
So I never intended to write music for belly dancers,
but it kind of just happened.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Rob's being modest, Yeah, it kind of just happened. But
it happened because Rob put in the practice, played the shows,
made good impressions. These all crucial to the existential success
of the independent minded spirit, a spirit that may have
left his Brooklyn roots behind, but has never left the city,
that never.
Speaker 8 (14:43):
Sleeps business energy that's undeniable.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
You know, you could just be walking down Saint Mark's
and you can feel like that energy of the history
of the area.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
You're walking on a bowery.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
You know, even though Cbgv's isn't there anymore, and you
know that presence is still there. You can't explain it.
And of course you know, lots of great food, that's
a great music.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
And hey, don't forget the parks. Parks are one of
the biggest reasons Rob still in New Yorker.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Yeah, that's probably in my early twenties or so, and
I was in Central Park with my girlfriend at the
time and a retailed hawk landed on a tree branch
above me.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
What's that doing here?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
And it's like tearing apart a pigeon and I'm like wow,
and that was amazed that wildlife is here in middle
of Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
It just like snowed me into like learning more about
my hawks and ecology and ornithology and wildlife. I started
studying a falconry, and falcony is an ancient sport of
like hunting with birds of prey. Became an apprentice falconer
and that led me to a falconry event in Central Park.
But they had all these birds of prey and falconers.
(15:59):
They were doing educational show. And then I met some
park rangers there. I was like, wow, that's the coolest
data ever park rangers in Manhattan, New York City. And
then I told him I was an apprentice falconer. And
then the guy's name is the ranger Rick. At the time, he's.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Awesome, Yep, it's that typical New York success story. Excuse me,
a ranger Rick. My name's Rob, and I'm an apprentice
falconer and you refer to yourself as Ranger Rob.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's my nickname.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I'm gonna start calling you that Rob Mastriani doesn't just
apprentice falcon. He's been a park ranger for nearly twenty years.
(16:52):
We're not playing his harp, guitars and touring with belly dancers.
He protects baby eagles. He's literally helped save birds of
prey from extinction, which of course is pretty metal.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, it's very metal.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, Granta park flesh, talons, gripping and killing.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
This has been Rob's formula for many years, Ranger, rob
By day, Danger rob By Night, gigging at clubs and
theaters on the Lower East Side, collaborating with hoop dancers
and Native American musicians. But for all his happy accidents
and exotic adventures, there's one thing Rob Mastrianni had never done.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
It's kind of been something I wanted to do my
whole life, make my own solo album. I would start
it and then not finish it. Started not finish it,
you know. So during the pandemic, you know, of course
the gigs kind of stopped. You know, I got a
looping pedal, so I started creating like a whole set,
you know, just me solo doing loops, you know, play
the you know whatever bass line and then the melodies
and the harmonies with the melodies and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
I got this.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Gig during the Lockdown, which is a place called Marshall
stat This guy John Mato, He asked me and a
couple other musicians to do shows.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
But we were playing the window, basing the street the windows.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
We were playing the window and attractor crowd and people
weren't allowed in. They could order drinks and then you know,
take them outside. Everyone had to wear a mask. Most
of the songs done airwaves. A part of that set
playing in the window.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Once Lockdown is lifted, Rob refines his pandemic Window set.
It takes it to producer Danny Bond at Astral Sounds
in Bushwick.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Really awesome spot. Yeah, he's a great producer and we
just knocked it out really fast. I'll go like once
a week with more than thirty songs.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I'm just released seventeen or eighteen, So there's one bonus
track on dan Camp.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
One of the songs that makes the album is a
classic instrumental guitar cover made by two other Brooklyn Nights,
the iconic Sleepwalk.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I always loved that song since my kid. I think
I first heard it in the soundtrack or in the
movie Mybamba at the end that melodies is so like
h so heartfelt. You know my mom, her brother is
a guitar player. He was in the duop scene in
the fifties and he was friends would say to Johnny
and Brooklyn, they.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Would hang out.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
They kind of knew my family and they're from Brooklyn
and they're Italian. And also it's my mom's favorite song.
So whenever I play it live, always dedicated to my mom.
She loves that song. So she was like super psyched
when I recorded it. When that came out, like instrumental
songs would become like hit songs, which I think is amazing.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Making a record independently in today's era of music consumption
is an achievement all itself. If you're not connected to
the taste makers or the influencers or the pr players,
the whole act of completing a song or an album
shouldn't leave you empty. If the end of Tree isn't
paying attention, Making art isn't about the numbers game. Making
art is fuel.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I got this new boost of energy to this whole
experience making this record. You know, it just makes me
want to keep doing more and releasing.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
More and You've got to respect Rob Mastrianni for doing
all the things necessary to keep the tank full. He
surrounds himself with nature, with like minded individuals, and with
guitars that are never too far out of reach.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Because it gets a little the base art.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Quick Find out more about Rob at Robmastriani dot com,
(22:07):
sample the new album Airwaves on his band campage, and
follow Rob on social media at Rob Underscore Mastrianni. Big
thanks to Rob for the long overdue catchup and conversation,
and you know I'll always play the harp for you.
Loyal podcast listener, Subscribe, leave a kind review for Independent
Minded on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, Share the links, tell
(22:29):
your friends, buy some music at baldfreak dot com, and
if you want to say hi or send me your
new music, email me at Ron at baldfreak dot com.
Plus you can keep up with the latest freaknews on
social media at Baldfreakmusic. You know that's going in the podcast,
(22:50):
and nice, I know you a long time, not intimately,
but that little two minute noodle right there just kind
of sums up every thing I know and love about
Rob Master. Thanks man, Independent Mind that it's a bald
freak music production. In me, I'm still Ron Scalzo.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
You're a national
You're the one that should be worried. You're a freak.
You're heading for big trouble.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Does music make you happy?
Speaker 1 (00:13):
He's a little song to fall asleep by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Whenever I'm looking to get serviced a mechanic, a pedicure,
a pinball machine repair man, what did you think I
was talking about? Get your mind out of a gutta.
Whenever I'm searching for these services, I hit the usual channels, Google, Yelp.
For all your music makers out there, the same laws apply.
You need people you trust to make sure your new
(00:41):
release gets on the web so your legions of fans
know you're still alive and kicking. And there's only one
place to go for that distro kid. Well, there's more
than one place, but Ronnie Google is here to tell
you that there might as well just be one. That's
because distro kid is the easiest way for musicians to
get music into Spotify, Apple and on title TikTok and YouTube.
(01:02):
Did I hit them all? And for their small annual fee,
you get unlimited uploads, you keep one hundred percent of
your earnings, and you get more promo features than all
those other guys. And I'm not just gonna patch you
on the tushy. To motivate you, I'm gonna give you
thirty percent off your membership right now. Go to DistroKid
dot com slash vip slash independent Minded, try it for
(01:23):
a year and tell me I'm crazy. Five stars distro
Kid five stars. In twenty twelve, when the goons at
(01:48):
my corporate media company asked if any of us radio
nerds wanted to start a podcast, I raised my hand,
and because those goons were clueless about podcasting, as was
most of the world back then, they basically handed me
a pail and a shovel, then said go build a
sand castle. Actually they didn't say anything at all. They
didn't care what it was about. They didn't contribute to
(02:10):
the process. Like the whores that they were and still are.
They just wanted content, wanted to let the industry know
they had more of it than anyone else. It was
that typical lack of oversight that made it easier to
walk away from what some considered the good life. It
was also because there was no training, no mentorship, nothing,
(02:31):
that I had to learn how to do it all myself.
My first thoughts weren't I'll be famous or I'll make money.
What instantly popped was, I know so many musicians who
I grew up with. This is my chance to tell
their story, And thirteen years later, I've told my share.
My first ever guests were childhood friends from Brooklyn who
had long admired folk rockers, bur Left to Kashmir, Bandits
(02:53):
on the Run, Lucky Chops, Social Station, nieces and nephews.
These were all artists who I'd played with in the past.
What would play within the future banks in part to
independent minded. Thirteen years after I raised my hand and
was handed that pale and shovel, I'm still making sand castles.
And in between the Henry Rollins, weird al and Baroness
fanboy moments, I get to know some cats that I've
(03:16):
kind of known my whole life, whatever really knew. So
we sat down and talked with intent.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Show you what the window right now? We got ice
flows in the river. That's the Hudson River.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
On thet you're right off the river.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, right by the George Washington Bridge.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Guitarist Rob Mastriani didn't always live in Upper Manhattan. Once
upon a time, he and I grew up literally around
the block from each other in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I'm playing guitar since I'm a little kid growing up
in Brooklyn. I had four older brothers. My eldest brother
played guitar and bands, and I remember when I was five.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Years old and he took me to one of his
shows at cb TV.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
So I'll forget that moment, sitting on the side of
stage and they were rocking out. They're kind of like
a mix of like the Police and Elvis Costello, that
kind of early kind of sound. Yeah, I remember this vividly,
but I was sitting on the side of stage to
watch them rock out, and they were stopping their feet
when they worked closely. It was like what a bugs
running across the stage rock and roll and how disgusting
(04:12):
it was.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
At the same time, Rob's not a punk rocker. He's
a true blue hippie craftsman. It's turned himself on to
everything from world music to Native American sounds to beat
boxing and harp guitars.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
So this instrument, I know, it looks ridiculous and crazy.
So it's got, like I said, the guitar in the middle.
So it's a sandwich basically, you got the guitar in
the middle, and then you have a bass harp so
you can hit get and then play achor then you
(04:46):
got these yes, which I really love.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
You throw the looping pedal in who needs a band? Right?
I guess that right, That's always been you in a nuts.
I'll like self sufficient in that regards, not because you
don't like paying with other people, because you like that
crazy freaking instrument. Rob and I talk about his love
affair with the guitar, his Brooklyn roots, being banished to
Catholic school, Birds of Prey, belly dancers, and releasing his
(05:14):
first ever solo album. Here's the title track from that
new self released album, Airwaves. Then the Rob Mastrianni story
continues right here on Independent Minded water Bugs.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Rydaldos Mazy podcast, Rhyndados Pas podcast, tugging of people, make
God Music, plugging their project, making the famous, helping the mouth,
just my making sure to talk about all the bullshit.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That even though Rob Mastrianni and I are the same age,
(07:26):
grew up down the block from each other, we didn't
really meet until years later. That's because I was a
good boy and little Rob was a little devil. How
are you acting out?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I was just like a little punk just funny said,
you know as an adult, you know, my whole adult
life had been quiet. And yeah, I think I kissed
off the teacher and she threw like chalk and the
races at me.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Is the one that had the nervous break Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
She did have a nice breakdown and the police came.
It was a big thing. The police came and they
ticked her away. I felt really bad for her. Back then,
you know, we had the Yellow pages or the white
pages to look up for someone's numbers. Looked at the
teacher's number. I left it like a real like Ulger
message was answer machine.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
And I think they did trace.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
It and find out that it was me that they
didn't that's what you know. Doing that and write the
graffiti on the walls in the.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
School got a different world.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I feel like, Yeah, when Catholic school really ripped me
into shape.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
You went.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Tell them, and I remember I was it was like
coach shock for me. You know, going from a public
school to a private school and you had the uniform
was very militant. You had to look neat and have
the tie on, wasn't allowed to have long hair, and yeah,
it was it was heavy and I was like a
(08:47):
little rocker kid, you know, and I was just getting
into the Metallica.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
But I had four older brothers, so they all had records.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Of course, I was listening to like Kiss and led
Zepite and Hendricks. Actually at that time I was really
into like Thresh, Mental, Slayer, they for a Slayer, Megadeathtic Anthrax,
Nuclear Assault or were killed.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
Went away in a way from but I went on down.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Those bands and I would write the lyrics in my book,
you know, to like Slayer songs and pentagrams.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And one of the teachers found it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And then of course it's a Catholic school that like,
this kid is like Satanic. So they sent me to
the priest for the counseling. And the priest was actually cool.
He was listening to like he told me his recollection
led definitely and you know, Pink Flood and Purple that
kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So he was like a cool priest from Ireland to
Irish guy.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
The priest puts on the Joshua tree, performs an exorcism
and push compound and encourage Rob to focus on music
as a way to improve himself. Well most of that
is true.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
After that, yeah, I just focused on guitar, and that
was it. It was like my obsession. My oldest brother
had guitars all over the house, so he had a
cool Fender Mustang that I would just pick up and
play all the time. I took some classical Spanish guitarists
(10:49):
and as a kid, worked hard at it. And then
I found this guitar playing and Michael Hedges, he's an
acoustic guitarist. Unfortunately passed away in ninety seven, but luckily
I got to see him play at the bottom Line.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the acoustic guitar.
Who's that chiggle on the street with his hands in
his pocket and his pocket out feat hang.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It on the curve. Look at all the stir as
the boys from home. They all came running. They were
making noise, man handling choys with the girls on the
back with the nasty curls wearing padded brass, stupping beer
through straws, dropping down their jars. Where did you get yours?
Speaker 4 (11:44):
And that was just like, you know, mind blowing and
life changing to watch this one guy get up on
stage with acoustic guitar and just how he could captivate
a whole audience just by himself.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Just play.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
He's looking good in every way. Stark, you better whistle
and miss with me. Money man can win mother. It's
stead thinking up. We always hang in a buffalo stand
(12:21):
read the dive. Every time he dance. I'll make a move,
nothing left to chance. I'll make love and left a chance.
Don't chick out best with me.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It's around this time that Rob begins to find his
own voice, and he soon realizes that his instrument might
be the only voice he needs.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I think it was more by accident, just like I
can't find a singer.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Right around the turn of the century, Rob forms a
buzzworthy Brooklyn trio called Next Try. It's more jam band
than rock band. We're talking wind chimes and nine minute
long songs.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Yeah, then beat box guitar.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
That was my ready pless.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Needless to say that Rob style all over the map
and often a showcase for his adventurous spirit. His performances
and beat box guitar were often accompanied by belly dancers,
not something you typically see in the New York City
club scene.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
That kind of got popular in that belly dance world
all around the world. Actually, we got to perform in
dance schools in Germany and Prague, California, and New.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Mexico over here.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
So I never intended to write music for belly dancers,
but it kind of just happened.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Rob's being modest, Yeah, it kind of just happened. But
it happened because Rob put in the practice, played the shows,
made good impressions. These all crucial to the existential success
of the independent minded spirit, a spirit that may have
left his Brooklyn roots behind, but has never left the city,
that never.
Speaker 8 (14:43):
Sleeps business energy that's undeniable.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
You know, you could just be walking down Saint Mark's
and you can feel like that energy of the history
of the area.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
You're walking on a bowery.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
You know, even though Cbgv's isn't there anymore, and you
know that presence is still there. You can't explain it.
And of course you know, lots of great food, that's
a great music.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
And hey, don't forget the parks. Parks are one of
the biggest reasons Rob still in New Yorker.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Yeah, that's probably in my early twenties or so, and
I was in Central Park with my girlfriend at the
time and a retailed hawk landed on a tree branch
above me.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
What's that doing here?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
And it's like tearing apart a pigeon and I'm like wow,
and that was amazed that wildlife is here in middle
of Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
It just like snowed me into like learning more about
my hawks and ecology and ornithology and wildlife. I started
studying a falconry, and falcony is an ancient sport of
like hunting with birds of prey. Became an apprentice falconer
and that led me to a falconry event in Central Park.
But they had all these birds of prey and falconers.
(15:59):
They were doing educational show. And then I met some
park rangers there. I was like, wow, that's the coolest
data ever park rangers in Manhattan, New York City. And
then I told him I was an apprentice falconer. And
then the guy's name is the ranger Rick. At the time, he's.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Awesome, Yep, it's that typical New York success story. Excuse me,
a ranger Rick. My name's Rob, and I'm an apprentice
falconer and you refer to yourself as Ranger Rob.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's my nickname.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I'm gonna start calling you that Rob Mastriani doesn't just
apprentice falcon. He's been a park ranger for nearly twenty years.
(16:52):
We're not playing his harp, guitars and touring with belly dancers.
He protects baby eagles. He's literally helped save birds of
prey from extinction, which of course is pretty metal.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, it's very metal.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, Granta park flesh, talons, gripping and killing.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
This has been Rob's formula for many years, Ranger, rob
By day, Danger rob By Night, gigging at clubs and
theaters on the Lower East Side, collaborating with hoop dancers
and Native American musicians. But for all his happy accidents
and exotic adventures, there's one thing Rob Mastrianni had never done.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
It's kind of been something I wanted to do my
whole life, make my own solo album. I would start
it and then not finish it. Started not finish it,
you know. So during the pandemic, you know, of course
the gigs kind of stopped. You know, I got a
looping pedal, so I started creating like a whole set,
you know, just me solo doing loops, you know, play
the you know whatever bass line and then the melodies
and the harmonies with the melodies and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
I got this.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Gig during the Lockdown, which is a place called Marshall
stat This guy John Mato, He asked me and a
couple other musicians to do shows.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
But we were playing the window, basing the street the windows.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
We were playing the window and attractor crowd and people
weren't allowed in. They could order drinks and then you know,
take them outside. Everyone had to wear a mask. Most
of the songs done airwaves. A part of that set
playing in the window.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Once Lockdown is lifted, Rob refines his pandemic Window set.
It takes it to producer Danny Bond at Astral Sounds
in Bushwick.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Really awesome spot. Yeah, he's a great producer and we
just knocked it out really fast. I'll go like once
a week with more than thirty songs.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I'm just released seventeen or eighteen, So there's one bonus
track on dan Camp.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
One of the songs that makes the album is a
classic instrumental guitar cover made by two other Brooklyn Nights,
the iconic Sleepwalk.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I always loved that song since my kid. I think
I first heard it in the soundtrack or in the
movie Mybamba at the end that melodies is so like
h so heartfelt. You know my mom, her brother is
a guitar player. He was in the duop scene in
the fifties and he was friends would say to Johnny
and Brooklyn, they.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Would hang out.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
They kind of knew my family and they're from Brooklyn
and they're Italian. And also it's my mom's favorite song.
So whenever I play it live, always dedicated to my mom.
She loves that song. So she was like super psyched
when I recorded it. When that came out, like instrumental
songs would become like hit songs, which I think is amazing.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Making a record independently in today's era of music consumption
is an achievement all itself. If you're not connected to
the taste makers or the influencers or the pr players,
the whole act of completing a song or an album
shouldn't leave you empty. If the end of Tree isn't
paying attention, Making art isn't about the numbers game. Making
art is fuel.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I got this new boost of energy to this whole
experience making this record. You know, it just makes me
want to keep doing more and releasing.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
More and You've got to respect Rob Mastrianni for doing
all the things necessary to keep the tank full. He
surrounds himself with nature, with like minded individuals, and with
guitars that are never too far out of reach.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Because it gets a little the base art.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Quick Find out more about Rob at Robmastriani dot com,
(22:07):
sample the new album Airwaves on his band campage, and
follow Rob on social media at Rob Underscore Mastrianni. Big
thanks to Rob for the long overdue catchup and conversation,
and you know I'll always play the harp for you.
Loyal podcast listener, Subscribe, leave a kind review for Independent
Minded on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, Share the links, tell
(22:29):
your friends, buy some music at baldfreak dot com, and
if you want to say hi or send me your
new music, email me at Ron at baldfreak dot com.
Plus you can keep up with the latest freaknews on
social media at Baldfreakmusic. You know that's going in the podcast,
(22:50):
and nice, I know you a long time, not intimately,
but that little two minute noodle right there just kind
of sums up every thing I know and love about
Rob Master. Thanks man, Independent Mind that it's a bald
freak music production. In me, I'm still Ron Scalzo.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
You're a national
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