Exclusive Q&A by Brad Balfour
Though I can’t remember what brought me to the Cutting Room that night in 2021, I do remember Rob Cannillo’s performance and put a little check in my mind that I had to talk with this guy further and do a story.
Well, it’s taken a while to get this piece on Rob Cannillo out into the world. Now that his latest launch, the song “Barn of Love” — a lyrical collaboration with Mike Greenly — I’m again alerted to his music. This time, I’m getting the story done.
New music from such a versatile Americana singer-songwriter as Cannillo can sound big enough to fit an arena but small enough — especially when he’s just on stage with his wife Susan — to be performed in a living room. That notion became a fresh strategy for Rob and he’s turned performing in people’s homes a touring option. Not many musicians are willing to scale down their booking budget to include such personal appearances. But Rob has.
Rob is available for private house concerts, especially for those who don’t want to go out to a bar to see live music. They can host a House Concert. It’s a listening event, usually with friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Throw in a potluck supper and dessert, and this is a unique experience. Online are a ton of resources on hosting one of these. You invite 20-50 of your friends, set up some folding chairs and Rob turns you into an intimate concert hall.
A seasoned singer-songwriter of rock, folk and blues, this 62-year-old has a sound that’s a compelling combination of traditional country melodies and modern storytelling. Cannillo’s songs weave tales of love, loss, and the struggles of daily living. With Susan, he establishes an engaging connection with an audience through his honest and expressive approach.
This self-taught musician burst onto the Hudson Valley entertainment scene and quickly became one of the area’s premier artists. His melodies evoke the sounds of other popular indie/Americana artists such as The Avett Brothers, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Ray LaMontagne, The Lumineers, and Amos Lee.
A passionate, earthy performer at festivals and fundraisers, this lifelong New Yorker has played a collection of renowned venues ranging from The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, The Turning Point in Piermont, NY, The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY, The Falcon in Marlboro, NY, The Town Crier in Beacon NY, The Cutting Room in NYC, The Bitter End and more. He has opened for such international recording artists as Steve Forbert, Artimus Pyle, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Members of Bad Company, G.E. Smith and more.
Cannillo has produced and performed in a series of festivals and fundraising events which include Rock the Mountain, a two-day festival of music, camping, and artisans at the Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center in Sterling Forest, NY. It raises money for Spectrum for Living, a home for adults with developmental disabilities. Rob also helped organize, produce, and perform in The Mighty High Mountain Festival and The Sullivan County Blues Festival (now hosted at Bethel Woods).
Cannillo also hosts a series of barn (there’s an actual barn) concerts on his four-acre property in New York’s bucolic Hudson Valley. Other music festivals where he has performed include River Jam in Lackawaxen, PA; the Music in the Meadow Festival in Chester, VT; and the Ladles of Love Fundraiser benefiting the Eastern Long Island (NY) Food Pantry Network.
This Q&A was conducted online over several days as “Barn of Love” was being released.
Q: When did you first have a desire to perform live — what was that story?
Rob: My desire to perform live was a byproduct of me wanting to write my own songs. At some point, I said to myself, “I guess I now have to sing these songs so people hear them.” I do love performing live now, but that was not my motivation in the beginning. It was to get these stories that I had in my head, these musical stories, out into the world. I can remember performing one of my original songs at an open mic at the Turning Point in Piermont, New York, and being terrified!
Q: When did you start making music of your own and do you still have those recordings?
Rob Cannillo: I always wanted to play guitar and write songs, I finally built up the courage to do that at 25 years old. Teaching myself guitar so I could write songs. Right at that moment, when I had my first guitar in my hand, I started writing my own material. I have some of those recordings somewhere on cassette tape. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened. Someday I’ll revisit them. Some of those early ideas became songs which I still play to this day.
Q: What stories did you feel you had to tell?
Rob Cannillo: After picking up the guitar at 25 years old, I was pretty much relegated to playing in my living room and a few open mics. At 40 years old, I was diagnosed with a tumor in my jawbone. After major surgery, I was facially paralyzed for over a year. They took out one of my ribs and rebuilt my jawbone. They cut me through my lip, down my chin, around my neck and around my ear. I still suffer some facial paralysis to this day.
In facing that, that was my galvanizing moment. I knew I had to pursue my Music full force to the best of my ability, never looking back and not worrying about what people might think. That was the best decision I ever made.
I’m not sure if I have a specific story or stories I want to tell. But I always wanted to be authentic, passionate and true to life. Me and my songs are one and the same. I write songs of my happiness and my struggles. I also feel that these are universal themes. I never got into this to be a hit maker. I started this journey to make music that will inspire, comfort, and bring joy to people. I would be playing these songs in my living room, but I’m so humbled and thankful that people come out to my shows and enjoy my songs.
Q: How different do you think it is tackling a music career later on in life than when one is a teenager or college student?
Rob Cannillo: Age was never a factor for me because my music was a calling, not necessarily a pursuit. It was something that I had to do, no matter what the outcome. With that said, I think it could be more challenging for somebody starting a little bit later, but anything is possible!
Q: You obviously have a lot of life experience to inform your music. Does that make the process of music-making have a greater resonance for you and your audiences?
Rob Cannillo: People have told me that some of my songs have gotten them through difficult times. I don’t think you can write a song that can do that unless it comes from a lived-in place. I write songs for people trying to navigate their lives, hopefully giving them a pathway to feeling that they’re not the only ones experiencing things.
Of course I write songs for my own catharsis. The song I wrote called “The Road” was about a good friend of mine who passed away too soon. I don’t think it’s necessarily about how long someone has lived. I think it’s more if they can experience and observe life in a way that they can put it into a song.
Q: What musicians have informed you either musically or through their own history?
Rob Cannillo: Bob Dylan and Gregg Allman have had the most influence on my music and writing style. Ray Charles, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen have influenced me in more subtle ways. To see some of these artists play for over four decades is inspiring. I’ve learned that you just have to stick through the lean times and enjoy the successful times. We’re all influenced by somebody or something, but of course I always try to be original.
Q: How much do you balance touring with life and with making music? And do you love the road or not?
Rob Cannillo: I have my performance schedule in a perfect place right now. I’m doing an acoustic duo with my wife, Susan. We love traveling to different locations and performing. When I was touring solo, it got a little lonely. But now that she’s able to be with me all the time, it’s so awesome! It’s mostly every weekend traveling to different locations –– sometimes staying overnight, sometimes a week at a time. It’s been super enjoyable.
Q: Do you have a regular band or do you fall back on musicians available at the time?
Rob Cannillo: I’m focused on my acoustic duo with my wife, Susan. But in the past and sometime in the future, I reach out to a handful of seasoned professionals and I’ll put together a project occasionally. Playing with a band is a lot of fun, but it comes with a different set of responsibilities and parameters that are sometimes hard to coordinate. I’m really loving the acoustic duo at this point.
Q: How much do you like to do solo gigs or those with a band?
Rob Cannillo: I do miss the dynamics of a band. The freedom that I have as a solo or duo right now is just fantastic. The travel is easier. The logistics are easier and Susan and I are just really enjoying these performances together. And I think the audiences are as well!
Q: You write songs but also collaborate like your recent song done with Mike Greenly. What makes you collaborate and others time write alone?
Rob Cannillo: I’ve never collaborated with anybody until my most recent song “Barn of Love.” I’m pretty much a lone wolf as a singer songwriter. Mike approached me and had a concept for the lyrics which was very inspiring to me. We co-wrote the lyrics together and then I took the music from there. I think it’s an absolutely fantastic song! It will be submitted for a Grammy this year. I’m very proud of this song , and I’m sure Mike is too!
For more info go to: https://robcannillo.com