Hey Everybody!
Wow, I know I'm not too good about updating this- or any, haha!!- section of my site, but, I was pretty surprised to see I have posted nothing, 'til now, in 2018!  I hope it's going well!

Thus far, it's been an interesting year.  I played a couple cool shows with my friend Rachel on violin- one at Viking Bar in Minneapolis and one at Amsterdam Bar in St. Paul.  It was cool to play those spaces, and it's been a while since I did more of a "bar" type show.  Thanks, Rachel!

I continue to work on a ballad called "Sara Jane".  It has what I think is a sweet melody, but, it's a "story song" and I've been having a rough time finishing the story!  It'll get done, though.

Things at home have been mostly cool, though I've been fighting a stomach ailment for the last 5 weeks!  It was finally diagnosed, a few days ago, as a parasite called Giardia!?!  I don't know how I contracted it, but, I'm down 22 lbs and have been battling major fatigue, nausea and very frequent visits to the bathroom.  No fun, but good to get a diagnosis and a single megadose of drugs which should, I hope, clear things up pretty quickly.

Honestly, I haven't given a lot of time to the guitar or, in general, my music during the course of this illness.  One of the things I look forward to once I'm recovered is sitting, for many, many, many hours, with a guitar and seeing what happens.  Shit, maybe I'll get that "Sara Jane" song finished!

Finally, despite a record setting amount of April snow, Spring must be on the way.  Baseball has started, the NFL draft is next week, and the NBA is in playoff mode.  Some of my favorite times are hanging with my son Jonathan and soaking in the plethora of sports options on television.  I am both delighted and a bit guilt-ridden that by the fact that I appear to have turned him into a Cleveland fan.  That's alright, though, it'll make him tough, teach him some good life lessons, haha.

Take care, everybody.  Send me an email or stop by a show- it'd be great to see ya!

Bob

Hey Everybody,
I just posted a couple new videos from my 12/1/17 Honey show.  "Song for Elle" and "Katie", both performed with my buddy and violinist Rachel Calvert.  I think she sounds so great on my songs and feel very lucky to have her playing with me!
Speaking of which, we have two cool shows coming up this week.  On Thursday, 12/14, we will play a short set at the Perpich Center for Arts Education.  Joining us on the bill are stellar musicians Maya Elena & Corey Hess, and Joe K. Walsh & Grant Gordy.  Maya, Corey and Joe are all Perpich alums.  Later this week, on Saturday, 12/16, Rachel and I will play for an hour or so at the iconic Viking Bar on the West Bank of Minneapolis.  We will begin around 10 p.m., followed by her band Barbaro.  I am very much looking forward to both shows.
Finally, on the homefront, I'd sure appreciate some good thoughts from anybody reading this as Laura and I have a few "big" appointments this week.  I'm hoping for an early Christmas present.  I hope, too, everybody doing well and that you have a restful and enjoyable end-of-the-year!
Take care, Everybody!
B

Hey Everybody!
Very, very pleased to report my wife Laura and I received excellent news from the doc yesterday!  An early birthday present for me, a little room to breathe...  Onward!
Speaking of my birthday, haha, I am looking forward to playing a "birthday show" at Honey on 9/29, two days before my actual birthday.  I may debut a new song- "Twilight Bill"- if it's finished in time, and will definitely play a new cover of Joe Purdy's beautiful on-the-run song "The Pretenders".  Can't wait, hope I see ya there!! B

Hey Everybody,
Below is a newly recorded version of my 20-minute (!!) ode to the Cleveland Browns "Red-Right 88".  It first appeared on my record "Tape From Minnesota" (2004).  I decided to re-record this song, started from scratch and, in addition to new vocals and guitar, I have added, with a little help from my friends, some tasty keys & percussion.  This is a work-in-progress, and I hope to have some violin on there soon.  But, as another Browns season begins, I thought I'd get this version out there.  Enjoy! Hope everybody doing well and, Go Browns!! B
P.S. And- Good Luck to our baseball boys as they chase their record-setting 22nd win in a row!  Jonathan and I have watched just about every game from our comfy Mpls basement.  Cherished Father & Son times... kinda like those described in "Red Right 88", except Cleveland is winning! B

Hey Everybody,
I am excited to write that, after some delay, my record "LongShot Deal" is now streaming on Pandora.  It joins my earlier record- "Nothing Hid"- and you can check 'em both out at my Pandora artist page.  For those of you not familiar with the site, Pandora is a free site which allows you to create stations based around musicians you dig.  Pandora will play songs by the musicians you choose to create your station, as well as by other musicians it determines share similar qualities with the ones you've chosen.  Check it out, it's pretty cool, and I am happy to have my music available thru this site.
In other news, I saw a wonderful show by Joe Purdy last nite and got to chat with him for a little bit afterwards.  He is a favorite musician of mine- yes, I created a Joe Purdy station on Pandora!- and it was a super cool evening, shared with my son Jonathan.  Take care everybody! B
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Hey Everybody,
Hope you are all doing well.  I posted some new photos and some videos from my last two shows.  My friend and colleague Rebecca Bullen shot both shows- so cool of her!!- and hooked me up with all kinds of cool photos and full video of each show.  Thanks, Rebecca!!
My next Honey show is Friday, September 29th, which is only two days from my birthday so it'll be some kinda birthday show.  Hope you can make it!! B

"Hey Everybody,
As Summer comes to an end, I am excited to be playing another Honey show tonite.  I will be joined by Rachel Felicia Calvert, who will be playing violin with me on a bunch of songs.  She played all the violin parts on "LongShot Deal" and I think tonite will sound awesome!
I think perhaps the highlight of my Summer was the "LongShot Deal" show I played at Honey on June 8th.  I was joined by all but one of the musicians who helped me make that record- unfortunately, Rachel couldn't make it, and we really missed her!- and I think the show sounded awesome.  I began with a few solo tunes, then was joined by the band and we played thru the entire record, song by song.  It was tons of fun, the turnout was solid, and it was an awesome nite.  There are a couple videos from that evening posted in the "Video" section of this site.  Check 'em out!  Big thanks to Corey Hess (drums), Matt Unga (bass), Kevin Gastonguay (organ), Mark Joseph (electric guitar), Marc Conklin (acoustic guitar), and Natalie Fine (harmony vocals).
I spent yesterday afternoon in the studio with old buddies Corey Hess and Marc Conklin. Local vet Dan Israel also was there and a good time was had by all!  Dan and I were laying vocal tracks for a couple songs on Marc's record "I Just Can't Sing".  I think it's sounding great!
Not much other news.  I have some cool songs I'm working on as I continue to try and push "LongShot Deal" out into the world.  I also have a couple writing projects I am excited to pursue.  Finally,  Laura and I received some excellent news on the homefront on July 24th, so I've been relaxing in that cool space for the last couple weeks.  Back on contract next week, hard to believe how quickly the Summer goes!
I hope everybody doing well.  I'll try to be better about keeping my site updated, but, we know how that goes!
Take Care, Everybody!
B

 Hey Everybody!
Happy Spring!  As per usual, I haven't posted for a bit, but am pleased to report that LongShot Deal has been accepted by Pandora and will soon join Nothing Hid  in streaming on that site.  It is also now available for purchase- or just to listen- thru various online sources, including iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc.  Here is a kind review from a local writer-
"Bob Frey's "Longshot Deal" presents a significant entry into the literature of American folk music. The deceptive ease with which the songs approach the difficulties of our times, personal and public, acts as a gift. The sound here, filled out by tasteful guitar, organ and violin, gracefully holds space for the vulnerability of the writing. Taken as whole, "Longshot Deal" is a perceptive documentation of engagement with adult life. The songs lead us into the emotional territory that much contemporary folk music doesn't risk—we come back wiser and more openhearted."
—Spout Press
I am hoping all of the musicians who played on the record can join me at Honey on June 8th.  We will play the entire record live and I will round out the evening with a solo set.  Very excited, more to come!  Take care, B

Friends,
I woke up this morning with a surprise in my email inbox! The surprise was a link to a review of "LongShot Deal" by Harry Kaplan at the music blog Twangri-La.  Harry had some very kind words to share about the record- Thanks, Harry!!  Here is the review, in its entirety-
"Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Just to let you know, LongShot in the title is not a typo. That is the way Bob Frey has it on his album so I wanted to keep the authenticity alive.
If you mix insightful and intelligent songwriting with unique and soothing vocals, you will get a good snapshot of Bob Frey. I mentioned that I seem to review and gravitate to an inordinate number of performers from Ohio. Although Bob Frey has spent the last 24 years in Minneapolis, he is a native of Cleveland. Another one to add to the ever growing list. This is a little bit on the folk side of things but has an attitude and great musicianship that differentiates LongShot Deal from your standard folk performers. At times it sounds like Dylan, Dire Straits, and maybe Cat Stevens. Although the influences are there, Bob Frey fuses these influences into his own style.
Smart songwriting is what Bob Frey is all about. These are not songs as much as they are poems set to music. They are incredibly tangible and all of them tell a great story or require some thought or introspection.
"American Kid", the final song on this collection immediately caught my attention because it is a nostalgic song about various events in Bob Frey’s life. It is written and sung with so much conviction, it immediately captivated my attention. Again, more like a poem or short story than a song. It is as if a small folk song grew up to become an adult. The last lines of every verse are especially moving and thought provoking:
"So, Condemn me, or Forsake me, Criticize me, or Embrace me 
I was just an American Kid..."
These are the lines that Frey sings to explain himself at the conclusion of each adventure which happens to also be the end of each verse. It is an absolutely perfect way to sum up all the experiences and lessons learned in this song. This isn’t just a collection of folk songs, rather a collection of anecdotes or short stories. Set to music, this release is a keeper and one i will play over and over."

Hey Everybody!!
I am very excited to write that, on January 18th, I picked up my new record "LongShot Deal". Big thanks to Brad at CopyCats for making the process so smooth.  Much work remains in terms of getting the record to online distributors, online stations, radio, local record stores, etc. The heavy lifting, however, is done and it feels great to have product-in-hand.  I worked on this record for over two years, and, once again, my buddy Corey Hess gave so much love to the recording and producing and mixing of these songs...  Thanks so much, Corey!  And, once again, I feel so lucky to have been joined by some truly awesome musicians, some of the Twin Cities' best.  
Mark Joseph (the Big Wu), Kevin Gastonguay (New Sound Underground),  Natalie Fine (More Than Lights), Corey Hess, Rachel Felicia Calvert, Marc Conklin...  I am forever grateful to each of them for the Love and talent they brought to these songs.  You can listen- for free!- to all of these songs by clicking on the "Music" tab on the upper left of this page.  In terms of  purchasing a song- or the whole record!- it is available- or will be- thru multiple online vendors and, of course, from me personally at a show!  Thanks for your continued support and for listening to my music.  I am proud of this record, I think it sounds great, and I hope you will, too!!  Take care, everybody!
Bob