Local Culture

What Can’t Robert Pollard Do?

Guided by Voices-frontman has an art exhibition, goes on tour

by Josh Kurp   |   Aug 5, 2010

What Can’t Robert Pollard Do?

Photo: Daniel Coston

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Since the early 1980s, Robert Pollard, 52, has recorded over 1,600 songs. To put that into perspective, Bob Dylan, one of rock’s most prolific songwriters, has written roughly 500 songs, and he’s 69 and has been working since 1962! The Guided by Voices frontman writes songs the way us normal people write grocery lists, except his writing is funny, occasionally heartbreaking and always genius, while our grocery lists are just, well, grocery lists.

Obviously, Pollard is a man who likes to work, and this year is no exception. He’s got an art show, “The Public Hi-Fi Balloon,” at The 45 Space (45 Bond St.) in New York on August 27 (6-11 p.m.) and 28 (2-11 p.m.). The exhibit, according to a press release, contains “more than 60 imaginary record sleeves, as well as dreamed-up magazines and coffee table books.”

According to Pollard, “I’ve been working long hours daily getting ready for this show. It’s going to be insane.”

This isn’t the first time Pollard has been associated with the art world: he created the cover art for most of Guided by Voices albums, and in 2007, visual artist Todd DiCiurcio and actor Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti!) co-hosted “Do the Collage,” which included original art for several of GbV’s albums. DiCiurcio will also co-host “The Public Hi-Fi Balloon” with Vanity Fair executive online editor Michael Hogan.

Pollard is also touring with Guided by Voices’ famed “classic lineup,” whose Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes should be in every music lovers’ collection. They’ll play Terminal 5 on November 7. Tickets are basically sold out, but you can check Craigslist and hope to get lucky.

Here’s hoping for some “Game of Pricks” love.