Josh Groban... is smart, funny -- and can sing...

By Kyle O'Brien from The Oregonian

Sorry guys, Josh Groban will woo your girlfriend, and you can't do a thing about it.

Groban's dulcet tones are like spoonfuls of sugar to her, making his sweet medicine of classical-meets-pop music go down as smooth as baby food. While you might not like his music -- in fact, when you hear Groban's symphonic love songs you might be tempted to get into a bathtub with a live ferret -- the guy has a sharp, dry sense of humor, so it's pretty difficult to hate him.

Performing on Jimmy Kimmel's show earlier in the year exposed Groban's wit, as he performed Kanye West's real Twitter tweets with his piano and voice. A classic was, "I make awesome decisions in bike stores."

"The next time I do it, it should be for Gary Busey," he joked during a recent phone interview.

Groban, 30, knows that he appeals to a primarily female fan base, but he's appreciative when he can reach new audiences.

"Anytime something goes viral like that you reach fans and folks who aren't your fans. You're given the opportunity to present yourself as a person, not just an artist," he said.

Groban's sense of humor was honed during his formative years in Los Angeles, where he studied theater and comedy improv before being discovered for his rich, sonorous voice. After an appearance on "Ally McBeal" in 1999, Groban launched into superstardom at a young age, leaving acting mostly behind.

Groban, who performs Friday night at the Rose Garden arena, spoke from Chicago during the middle of his world tour, in support of his album "Illuminations," which was produced by rock producer-guru Rick Rubin.

"I'm having an amazing time on this tour. We were experimenting early in the year with smaller venues," said Groban, who added that he and his band wanted to translate the welcoming nature of those smaller venues into arena shows.

He added, deadpan, "There will be lots of indoor fireworks, with big paper hearts falling from the ceiling ... and whipped cream of course."

Funny ...

The real show is set in the round, meaning more people can be closer to Groban.

"We used the ideas that allowed for the most amount of people to get close," he said. "The way the stage is set up allows me to see every head that's there. There's a lot of crowd interaction ... there's even a text message Q&A. That always seems to yield the most hilarious moments of the evening."

Groban branches out on "Illuminations," writing several of the tracks and singing songs by varied artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle and Nick Cave, in Portuguese, English and French. But acting still calls. He recently appeared in his first film, playing Emma Stone's boorish boyfriend in "Crazy, Stupid, Love."

"I was completely out of my element. But it was great to do it and play against type," he said.

Groban continues to grow as an artist, and this tour is a big part of that.

"This represents the best of what I've done. ... This tour is more about the connection with my audience than I've ever had. ... I want the crowd on their feet going bananas," he said, laughing.

So watch out for your girlfriend ...

(Source)