Very serious voice also has a lighter side...

An article by David Lindquist from IndyStar.com

Operatic pop star Josh Groban made a career based on refined anthems of yearning, but he's no stranger to comedy.

In January, Groban sang the tweets of rapper Kanye West for uproarious effect on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." (Seated at a grand piano, Groban interpreted West gems such as "Fur pillows are hard to actually sleep on.")

Groban will make his big-screen debut in "Crazy, Stupid, Love," a Steve Carrell film that opens July 29. The singer portrays a disreputable attorney, in decided contrast to his nice-guy image.

"(The role) is taken from a few people I've known in my life," he said during a phone interview.

Groban, who celebrated his 30th birthday in February, will promote current album "Illuminations," during his Tuesday visit to Conseco Fieldhouse. Produced by Rick Rubin (whose credits include work with Johnny Cash, Jay-Z and the Red Hot Chili Peppers), the album sold 190,000 copies in its first week of release.

Los Angeles native Groban talked to The Star about his voice and the making of "Illuminations":

Question: When I spoke with you seven years ago, you said your voice would not sound as good then as it would when you reached 30. How did your prediction turn out?

Answer: I think I was right. I feel like I'm able to do stuff now that I was so terrified to do at that time in my vocal life. As you continue to be a student of technique, you grow. You build confidence and your range grows and your stamina grows and your breath support grows. I'm having more fun vocally onstage than I ever have. I feel like I'm in my prime or approaching it.

Q: It seems rare to hear mainstream singing that hasn't been tweaked by Auto-Tune or other mechanical devices. In your case, is it important to have the integrity of "What you hear is really what I can do"?

A: One hundred percent. I think that's a wonderful thing about getting out on the road. You want people to get the pure, unfiltered version. When people walk out of a show and say, "Wow, it sounded better than it does on the record," it should be taken as a compliment. I think we've all become so cynical as to say, "Well, what is that? Who's really doing that?"

One of the great things about working with (15-time Grammy Award winner) David Foster and Rick Rubin is that they're really take-no-prisoners vocal producers. They are all about having the most open, clear microphone to bring out the nuances of the people they like working with. I'm singing the same way on a studio mic as I am on the stage. I'm proud of that fact.

Q: A few albums ago, you wrote songs with Dave Matthews and Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik. "Illuminations" includes six songs you wrote with Dan Wilson, who's known as Semisonic's vocalist and the co-author of the Dixie Chicks' hit "Not Ready to Make Nice." Why did you and Wilson click?

A: Dan really is the co-writer du jour in the industry. He's developed such a name for himself as a writing partner, with a line of people around the door waiting to work with him. When Rick Rubin listened to the melodies I was writing, he felt the lyrical content should be poetic and chivalrous and traditional. He didn't want the lyrics to be too casual-sounding.

He suggested that I fly to Minneapolis to try writing with Dan. We would get up early and work late. Every day, we wrote two or three new things.

Q: I've seen the trailer for your "Crazy, Stupid, Love" film. Is it accurate that you studied acting?

A: I went to an arts high school, where I studied drama, and then I was a theater major at Carnegie Mellon University before I was signed. Acting was something that I thought would be my world. It was a real fork in the road to be given the opportunity to record and to play myself.

(Source)

And now introducing ... Josh Groban, rock star...

I love that Josh is back on the road again. Here's another review from Minneapolis by Jon Bream of the Star Tribune.

REVIEW: He turned on the charm, delivering ballad after ballad and flirting with the crowd with no air of pretension.

The opera boy next door is really a rock star without a top 40 portfolio.

And a standup comic without a gig, a mimic, an impressionist, a fast-talking and fast-thinking improviser and an all-around charmer.

But back to the rock star, because that's how Josh Groban made his entrance Friday at Target Center.

As four horn players and four string musicians played on the main stage, Groban came running in from the back of the arena, slapping hands with fans and ready to rock 'n' roll on a spinet piano in the middle of the room.

OK, it wasn't exactly rock 'n' roll. It was "Straight to You," another ballady song in an evening of ballad after ballad. Some of Groban's ballads are louder than others, some slightly faster. But on Friday, he proved that he is essentially a man without a genre.

Mr. Hyphen is often referred to as pop-classical-crossover. But his two-hour concert -- which he promised would be more intimate than any of his previous arena shows -- didn't feel classical at all. Formal, yes. That's his style. Think of a male Celine Dion without the vocal gymnastics, chest-thumping or pretensions of making something contemporary.

Groban, 30, is comfortable in his own skin -- even knowing that his audience, middle-of-the-road and middle-aged, probably didn't know what he meant when he said he was "stoked" to be in Minneapolis. He was excited to be here, he explained, because he wrote half the songs on his current album, "Illuminations," here with songwriter-for-hire Dan Wilson.

While their reverently emotional "Bells of New York" and the almost-hummable "Higher Window" added a more personal feel to his hopelessly stately repertoire, they did not change the tempo or tenor. That's where Groban's personality came in. He cruised through the crowd of 7,000, flirted with a shoeless 10-year-old girl and plopped down in an empty seat on the main floor.

Later, he did a Q&A segment during which one woman hugged him and wouldn't let go ("I feel equal parts jubilated and violated," he said), and another fan asked if he could sing with Groban. After the star did the piano duties and Matt did the vocals, Josh did a spot-on vocal impression of Matt, adding more of a country music flavor.

Groban wasn't done joshing. After the Peter Gabriel-evoking world music "Machine" (the only piece that even flirted with uptempo), the star climbed back into the crowd and recruited a couple married for 35 years, a single girl (while he sang Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" in a perfect falsetto) and the shoeless 10-year-old to join him on stage, where he promised to serenade them. He poured wine for the couple and milk for the young women after asking if they were lactose-intolerant "because that would sound awful on these [inflated] couches."

The ad-lib may have caused cringes, but the songs "Broken Vow" and the operatic "Per Te" caused goosebumps. His tenor was not big, but it was true, finding the right emotions without going over the top. He left the bombast to his 13 musicians.

Groban understands, as he said during the encore, the difference between romantic, poetic and cheesy. So he then sat at the grand piano and played Neil Diamond's "Play Me" so elegantly that it seemed romantic, cheesy and rock 'n' roll all at once.

(Source)

An enchanted evening...

The second leg of the tour has kicked off in Minneapolis and here's the review of the show from Ross Raihala of TwinCities.com.

Like many a performer before him, Josh Groban wanted to make his current arena tour, which hit the Target Center on Friday night, feel more intimate. And, what do you know, he pulled it off.

The 30-year-old easy-listening favorite opened his two-hour performance by entering from the back of the main floor and climbing onto a satellite stage adorned only with a piano. Not only did that allow folks in the cheap seats a good peek at the star attraction, it gave the sense Groban was performing on a hole-in-the-wall cabaret stage, not the floor of a downtown Minneapolis basketball arena.

At first, that stripped-down style didn't translate well to the main stage, where Groban soon joined his 13-member backing band. With its blue spotlights and ancient Roman coliseum backdrop, it radiated with full-on PBS pledge drive grandeur.

As it turned out, though, the lack of live-action big screens and other moving parts kept the focus on Groban's rich, expressive vocals, as well as the lush
professionalism of his fellow musicians.

Groban began his career as a classical singer with pop leanings and, over the years, he's become increasingly adept at bridging those two worlds. Friday night's set list gave more attention to Groban's middle-of-the-road material than any of his tours to date.

Yeah, he still worked in more stately stuff, usually delivered in Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. But Groban really opened up when singing the radio-
friendly material from his latest album, "Illuminations." At the urging of producer Rick Rubin, Groban co-wrote much of the record with Minnesota's own Dan Wilson of Semisonic. In addition to giving Wilson, who has since moved to
Los Angeles, an on-stage shout-out for the help, Groban managed to work in most of their co-writes, including "Bells of New York City," "Higher Window," "War at Home" and "If I Walk Away."

Groban was most engaging, though, when simply interacting with the passionate, if reverent, audience of about 7,000. He answered questions from fans in the crowd, giving him the opportunity to air his quick wit.

When asked what one useless super power he wished he had, his charmingly rambling answer ended up with him pulling a woman from the audience for a hug and then announcing he wished his super power was the ability to hug the entire
audience at once. Aw, Josh!

Another audience member - who was savvy enough to know Groban has done this at other tour stops - asked if he could sing a song with the star. The fan chose "Remember When it Rained," a track from Groban's 2003 sophomore album "Closer," and the pair's impromptu duet proved to be a highlight of the evening. Later, Groban invited an older couple, a single young woman and a 10-year-old girl to sit on stage on inflatable sofas and enjoy a drink while he serenaded them with "Broken Vow."

He even managed to work in a fart joke. But coming from Mr. Josh Groban, it was a charming fart joke, indeed.

(Source)

Local Attraction...

Article by: Jon Bream, Star Tribune

The singer/songrwriter returns to the city that gave him much of the material on his latest album.

Minneapolis is going to be a very special place to play," Josh Groban said the other day.

Does that sound like standard show-biz blather, or what? He probably says that about every city.

Well, no. Minneapolis is where Groban wrote six of the 13 songs on his new album, "Illuminations." He is genuinely excited to sing them Friday at Target Center.

The classical-meets-pop star left Los Angeles for the Land of 10,000 Musical Hooks at the insistence of Minneapolis songwriter-for-hire Dan Wilson. And Groban is glad he did.

"It makes my brain calmer when I get to sit in a room with someone like Dan," he said.

Bringing Groban to Minneapolis was "like the urban equivalent of going to the woods," said Wilson, who, ironically, recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue more songwriting opportunities. "It's not calmer in L.A."

Groban, 30, had a specific vision for his fifth studio album: a singer/songwriter project driven more by songs and his voice and less by elaborate production. So producer Rick Rubin -- known for his work with Beastie Boys, Metallica and late-years Johnny Cash -- paired him with Wilson, who won a song-of-the-year Grammy for co-writing the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice." He also co-wrote three songs on Adele's current blockbuster, "21."

Groban had never written more than three or four songs on an album, but on "Illuminations" -- thanks to Wilson and others -- he helped write all but two pieces.

He came to Minneapolis a half-dozen times during the winter of 2008-09 and the fall of '09 for three-day writing sessions. He and Wilson would walk and talk about ideas en route to Starbucks. Or sometimes ideas would be exchanged over lunch at Common Roots or the Wilde Roast Cafe. Then they'd write at Wilson's house in Kenwood.

At night, Groban would often explore Minneapolis on his own. He recalls hanging out at the Local (and drinking Jameson whiskeys). "One night I was there and a dad and a son were having a beer and cheering and I said, 'What's the occasion?' 'My son just pitched his first game tonight for the Twins.' [We're guessing Anthony Swarzak, Jeff Manship or Brian Duensing.]

"You meet people. A lot of times I just people-watched. I have no problem just sitting somewhere and being alone with my thoughts and trying to get inspired. I always woke up early, at 8 or 9 in the morning, and had my double espresso."

Neil Diamond to the rescue

One challenge was to create lyrics that fit the formality of Groban's classically trained baritone. Wilson was surprised not only by Groban's lyric-writing skills but by his ability to rewrite spontaneously.

"He's fearless about generating something new as an alternative right then and there," said Wilson, the former Semisonic frontman who has written with Jason Mraz, John Legend and others. "It's not something everyone can do. He's really got a natural access to ideas. He's more able to get a lyric flow going than most artists."

Wilson figured out a trick to get over the occasional bump in the songwriting process.

"Josh had cracked me up one afternoon with a spot-on Neil Diamond impression of a new song he made up on the spot in the style of Neil Diamond. He's super quick-witted. Later that night, we were stuck. Jokingly, I said: 'What would Neil Diamond do right now?' Josh sang four lines and we used them all. They were great -- and funny, too. They served the song ['Higher Window'].

"We did that [exercise] here and there, but it wouldn't be fair to Neil Diamond. He's still writing songs."

"Illuminations" is warmer and more intimate than its majestic-sounding, David Foster-produced predecessors. There's still romance and drama, whether Groban is singing in English, French, Italian or Portuguese, but less bombast. Fans have responded enthusiastically, buying more than 1 million copies since "Illuminations" was released in November.

NYC, Oprah, movies

After recording his album last year, Groban moved to New York.

"It gets me out of the house," he said from his Manhattan apartment. "In Los Angeles, I'm always thinking about: What's the drive time? What's the traffic? What's parking going to be like? In New York, I just walk without any plan and just kind of accept everything that comes my way. I learn something new every day."

In May, he appeared on one of Oprah Winfrey's final shows, singing her favorite song, "Over the Rainbow," with Patti LaBelle. It was a challenge to merge their styles, he said. "In one hour of rehearsal that morning in total secrecy, we found a way to make itwork."

Groban also squeezed in a small role in the Steve Carell/Emma Stone film "Crazy Stupid Love," which opens July 29. "I play a kind of caddish lawyer who's Emma Stone's fiancé. He's the kind of guy who is blissfully ignorant to his own douche-bag behavior," said Groban, who has acted on TV's "Ally McBeal" and "Glee." "After spending a year in the recording studio, it was fun to let my hair down that way. For the film world, I just want to do more comedy. That's basically where I feel most comfortable, which is ironic because the music is so serious."

But he's not always serious between songs -- especially on his current tour.

"I've never felt freer onstage," he said of his interaction with the crowd. "It's the most fun I've ever had in my career, to be honest."

The concert features a Q&A segment in which fans text questions. In some cities, people have asked to sing a song with him. Maybe someone at Target Center will offer to buy him a Jameson.

(Source)

Don't hate Josh Groban because he's a nice guy...

Interview by Allison Stewart from the Chicago Tribune

Josh Groban can't help it: He's nice.

Moms like him. Their daughters like him. Puppies like him (probably). He made his name as a masterful purveyor of chest-thumping big ballads like "You Raise Me Up," but lately he seems to be chafing, however politely, against the constraints of his classical crossover stardom.

He collaborated with producer/guru/professional strange person Rick Rubin, known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Johnny Cash, on 2010's stripped-down, cred-enhancing and frankly really good "Illuminations." He also acts in the upcoming Steve Carell/Ryan Gosling film "Crazy Stupid Love," in which he plays against type as "a d----- bag lawyer. It was awesome."

Earlier this year, he famously appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," dramatically re-interpreting some of Kanye West's crazier tweets. Before hitting town for Wednesday night's United Center show, Groban, 30, called in to explain it all.

Q: With "Illuminations," did you decide you were going to just bust out and make the album you always wanted to make?

A: Well, it was definitely a very personal decision. For me it was the idea of expanding and growing and not thinking, "Oh, now is the time to do what I want to do." I've enjoyed and I've loved every record that I've made but when you stick to a certain formula for a little while, it's nice to shake things up. … I had just finished a Christmas record, and Rick Rubin had just finished a Metallica record, and we were feeling like we'd done a certain thing for a little while. We were starting to feel like we were on autopilot.

Q: You might reach a point where what pleases you might not always please the people who love you. Do you think about that?

A: I think there's always an ebb and flow. I think that sometimes you do stuff that's an acquired taste for fans. … I think that sometimes you guide them to a place (where you can) include them as part of the bigger world. This record to me is an idea of something that I'm adding on to the family tree of what I love to do, not a declaration of "This is me now" to my fans. I would never want to alienate anybody that way.

Q: Did you get the full-on Rick Rubin treatment? Was he wearing robes and scratching his beard thoughtfully and saying metaphysical things? Because you want that, right?

A: (Laughs) Yeah, I got Rick. Rick is amazing. And I got a little nervous because as you mentioned there's a whole mythology to him. I was a fan of his other work, but I knew his other work was like nothing I'd done. I didn't expect to be a blip on the radar in his world. … (His methods) inspired me to do things his way, because I can be a bit of a control freak. He's got a very kind of Zen, very laid-back way of taking the time to make sure things fall into place. So there's a huge amount of patience he taught me, along with the beard scratching.

Q: There's talk you're going to do another album with him.

A: Rick and I are always emailing with each other and staying connected. Regardless, I know I've made a friend for life. We'll see if it feels right to do something again immediately, or whether we'll save it for another day.

Q: I don't know how much of a backlash you've gotten, but the album still sounds like you. It's not like you've made a metal album or something.

A: People keep saying, 'Where's the metal album!' I think it did what I would have wanted it to do. I was very happy with the reviews and (the response) from the fans. This was something that was made to be a quieter experience. It doesn't have the big, key-changing, (dramatic) ballads fans are used to. So if anything, I think they might have been missing things from the last album … but that doesn't mean I won't do that in the future.

Q: Do you feel the need to burst people's bubble a little? To be like, "I'm not what you think. I drink, I curse." How much do you chafe against (your nice-guy image)?

A: Well, it's a little bit of a fine line. I think it's clear to my fans that I'm a normal guy. That doesn't mean I'm an overly obscene, alcoholic guy. It just means that sometimes people get a preconceived notion about you from your music that might not be accurate. But that's OK. I think there's something to be said (for mystery), for not overindulging the idea of, 'But wait! That's not me! Let me show you who I am!'

I'm very lucky that I make a living singing my heart out, and I'm not going to hide if I'm going to a party, or if I feel like saying s---, I'm going to say it. It's not like I'm trying to put across an image that isn't me. I think I'm really able to get myself across when I get to do comedy stuff, like when Jimmy Kimmel invites me on to do stuff. That's the side of me that feels like more me. My whole life I was the class clown, I was in improv, I was in comedy troupes and stuff.

Q: Have you run into Kanye after you sang his tweets on Kimmel?

A: I haven't run into him yet. I know he re-tweeted them, so I hope he got the humor, but it certainly wasn't meant to poke fun. It was a celebration of his quirkiness. Maybe he can retaliate by rapping some of my decidedly less interesting tweets.

(Source)