Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Chronic.
Hi Bobby, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As long as I can remember, I’ve felt drawn to music and performing. Whether it was watching my brother play in his room, all those Powerline scenes in A Goofy Movie, the Power Rangers skydiving to the Chili Peppers… the list goes on. By the time I was 12, I finally had my OWN guitar. I never put the thing down. Not long after that, I saw a one-man band playing reggae music outside Marley’s in Hilton Head while on vacation. My sister and I danced in the sand, Gramps had me go request Buffalo Soldier (his favorite), and then I heard a rendition of Brown Eyed Girl I’ll never forget. Fast forward another 8 years, and I got the opportunity to join my favorite local band, Tropidelic, as their new guitarist. At the time, it was a huge deal. It felt like I made it. Truth be told, that was when the real work began. We had a long way to go. That was ten years ago. We’ve been through just about every hurdle you could imagine together. The pitfalls of touring, especially as a DIY band from Cleveland, are no joke. But regardless of how many no-name towns we found ourselves broken down in, we persevered. We kept our heads down, and we kept on swinging. We refined our own unique blue-collar way of living a dream that so many young kids dream. I’ve met my heroes, I’ve traveled all over, I’ve gotten to play music I’ve written for some pretty damn big crowds. The reality, however, is that the reality is far different from the dream. But the sweat, blood, and tears. The sacrifice and suffering. The dues paid along the way. They give us a sense of fulfillment that no one can take from us. Knowing that we did this OUR way. We worked for what we have, just like every true Clevelander. Now I get to do what I love… and man, do I love doing it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Far from it. We’ve faced so many hardships. Some tours that beat you down so hard mentally that you find yourself having the best time and the worst time ever all at once. Wondering if you should ever even go home while simultaneously wanting to be there more than anything. I’ve had a lot of struggles with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. ADHD was something I never really understood until I was older, so my focus issues went undiagnosed for a long time. The depression was just something I figured I had to deal with, and my anxiety was something that I just figured was normal. The stigma that surrounds the idea that something was “wrong” with me kept me from seeking real help for my issues. We were trying to fire on all cylinders professionally, all while I was balancing staving off panic attacks and suicidal thoughts until I could get some privacy in a bathroom stall or a shower and find some reprieve from the dark thoughts in my head. It was maddening. I went years pushing all of that down as far as I could. When my wife and I were still dating, she opened my eyes to the line of thinking that seeking therapy and the right medication wasn’t a weakness. It was a strength. It takes a lot to admit some of those things to yourself… but once I did, once I faced it, and I did something about it, it made all the difference.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am songwriter and live performer. I specialize in the electric guitar and am a member of a unique and unorthodox band called Tropidelic, known for our high-energy stage performance and unified work ethic. We throw our own music festival called Everwild in the summertime at Legend Valley. We’ve always done things our own way. You might think going on tour is this glamorous never-ending party, and for some, I’m sure it is. Don’t get me wrong; we still have our fun. When it’s time to work, though? We work. We run a small 3-man crew: Merch, sound/lights, and tour manager. Outside of that? We are our crew. We are our techs. We set up, tear down, run lines… all of it. We honestly might be better roadies than musicians. Let me walk you through a day in the trenches. Wake up at a Pilot or Flying J, drive to the city of the venue (sometimes an hour or two, sometimes 7 or 8) stop at Planet Fitnesses. Exercise. Shower. Head to the venue. Load in. Set the stage. Soundcheck. Print set lists. Get dinner. Band Meeting. Perform. Loadout. Head to the next truck stop. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It takes a pack mentality to pull it off, but we do. We do it like no one else in the game. THAT is what I’m most proud of. 9 guys, united by a common goal, depending on no one but each other to accomplish it.
How do you define success?
Finding balance between all of the things in your life that you hold dear. Your career, your spouse, your children, your friends, and family. Your pets. Your SELF. That last one is hella important. You can’t work yourself to the bone and just go home to get up and do it again. We all need to grind, but don’t grind just to grind. Grind FOR something. Something that fills you up.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://tropidelic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbbaloo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tropidelic/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/TropidelicTV
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2SGFnb6c73UJd1vT6aGBMl?si=JRrpYzO-QOqwuaCcadeJwA
Image Credits
Dale Gebelein
Michael Clare
