| Intro | American musician |
| Is | Musician |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Music |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 3 September 1976, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. |
| Age: | 43 years |
| Star sign | Virgo |
Rob Potylo (born Louis Robert Potylo, September 3, 1976) is a Boston, Massachusetts-based musician, comedian, and entertainment producer. Since 2009, Potylo has produced and appeared in five seasons of an ongoing cable and online series about the Boston arts and music scene, Quiet Desperation. He is the son of Louis and Patricia Potylo of Danvers, Massachusetts.
Originally the lead singer of the band the Sweatpant Boners, which was a metal/hard rock band formed with Ken Susi of Unearth and Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage. They released one album in 2001 titled “Cruisin’ With The Masters”. Potylo formed his own band in 2005 called Robby Roadsteamer with Dave Pino of Andrew WK and has toured the United States behind his album Postcards From the Den Of Failure, including the Warped Tour. The band came in second in the WBCN (FM) Rock & Roll Rumble. Roadsteamer received nationwide radio airplay and was featured on VH1’s Best Week Ever for his single “I Put a Baby In You.” The character he developed “Robby Roadsteamer” is part Tony Clifton, part pro wrestler; usually appearing onstage in a wig, fake mustache and sunglasses. Roadsteamer was a disc jockey on WBCN until he was fired in early May 2008. Roadsteamer’s band has been nominated for “Live Band of the Year” at the Boston Music Awards three times.
The September 28, 2006 issue of the Boston Phoenix describes a Robby Roadsteamer skit performed at that years Boston Music Awards.
“On the program it was clearly marked “comedy routine,” but it still killed: Robby Roadsteamer storms on stage dropping f-bombs, announces an award he’s nominated for, mercilessly insults the other nominees, calls the BMA’s “plastic,” heckles the hecklers, then absconds with the trophy, leaving his sidekick Aaron the King Wizard to deliver a hilarious (because it’s true) monologue about the lack of black faces on stage — partly at the expense of EJ Labb, the show-opening gay-white-girl rapper. “The only black people in this motherfucker are me and the bear,” he screams. “Get the fuck up here, bear!” We thinks the “comedy” departed from the script, since there was an uncomfortable pause after Aaron left the stage; eventually the Snowleopards were announced as the actual winners for local song of the year, whereupon they were handed one of the Dresden Dolls’ spare trophies. For all we know, Robby’s still got theirs. Recommended course of action: ban Roadsteamer from playing shows. Hire him as permanent BMAs emcee.”
Quiet Desperation a mockumentary/documentary series Potylo created explored the struggling arts scene in Boston through the eyes of local, alternative artists, musicians, comedians. Over 300 artists appeared on the 50 plus episodes spanning over 6 seasons. Many have gone on to opportunities with Conan, IFC, MTV, Comedy Central. It was scheduled to be broadcast on CBS on Sunday afternoons for a six-episode season in spring 2014, but CBS allegedly breached the agreement and refused to view the pilot that had been made for them, despite thousands of dollars being spent by the filmmakers. In April 2014, Potylo and Angra sued CBS for “breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unfair and deceptive acts and practices.” The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. In an interview with Metro, Potylo implied he would like to see Quiet Desperation be broadcast nationally: ” If AMC or IFC got behind a show like Quiet Desperation with as much enthusiasm as Southie Rules, you’d see some really unique things happening; a renaissance.”
Career
In September 2007, Potylo appeared in an episode of a reality dating show called Sox Appeal which was broadcast on New England Sports Network (NESN). The dating show which took place on the right field roof deck during a Red Sox game at Fenway Park saw Potylo predict a David Ortiz double during the broadcast.
In February 2011, Potylo teamed up with Jennifer Coolidge of Best In Show, American Pie (film series) fame. Helping sing “Happy Birthday” to Jennifer’s dad at the Wilbur Theatre and filming his reality series Quiet Desperation with her.
In 2012, Potylo collaborated with performance artists and anarchist presidential candidate Vermin Supreme and was featured as Supreme’s protege in the 2014 documentary “Who Is Vermin Supreme? An Outsider Odyssey.”
He is also known for his former onstage comedic persona, Robby Roadsteamer.
In December 2014 Robby Roadsteamer made his big return at The Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, MA along his new manager WWE’s The “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart with whom he also created a new mockumentary series “Loud Satisfaction”.
Music Catalog
Sweatpant Boners (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2001
Okay Computer (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2004
Kid Corsaca Croons The Classics (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2004
The Heart Of A Rhino (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2005
Postcards From The Den Of Failure (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2006
I’ll Be At Your Funeral (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2007
LRP (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2007
Most Pretentious Album Since Axl’s (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2008
This Album Syncs Up To Toejam And Earl (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2008
The Crying, The Niche, And The Stronghold (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2008
New England Weathered Friends (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2008
I Solved Every Mini-Quest (As Robby Roadsteamer) 2009
Did We Happen To Begin? (As Super Time Pilot) 2009
Worried All The Time (As Rob Potylo) 2009
So Far From The Hatch (As Rob Potylo) 2010
Something Happened At Horse Lake (As Rob Potylo) 2010
And The Lonely Planets (As Rob Potylo) 2011
How Do You Feel In June? (As Rob Potylo) 2011
Lightning Bolts! Lightning Bolts! (As Rob Potylo) 2012
Drone Alone (As Rob Potylo) 2013