Robert Blum was born and raised in Chicago. In 2005, he moved to Tucson and fell in love with the sun and heat of the Southwest. Blum got hooked on pop music as an early teen after he bought his first Prince 45, "Little Red Corvette," for a quarter. A frequent concert-goer, Blum has this to say about live music: "Watching a good band play live, performing for us in the audience, letting us share in their art, is always a joy."
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Prince's Lovesexy Tour in 1988. Sheila E. looked so sexy.
What are you listening to these days?
Beck, James Yuill, Bowie, !!!, Girl in a Coma, The Flaming Lips, The Cure, The Sundays.
What was the first album you owned?
Styx, Kilroy Was Here. I was a sucker for "Mr. Roboto."
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
Glee. With the karaoke mashups, it's just High School Musical on TV. Blah!
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
R.E.M. I've been able to cross a lot off my wish list, but I keep missing them.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Ahh, good '80s New Wave: New Order, Siouxsie, Front 242, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Camouflage, Nitzer Ebb, Big Pig. I've got a few mix tapes around here.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Pearl Jam, "Off He Goes."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
Prince. He has supplied the soundtrack to my life, from my teenage years to the present. And he spoiled me with so much music. He still does.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Prince, Sign o' the Times.
