Meet Bob Cronin | Rock Doc Youtuber, DJ and music producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bob Cronin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bob, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Not to be afraid of change. The world we live in and the tools we have access are constantly in flux and evolving, Being able to respond to that gracefully and adapt will allow you to find your path. As an artist, and as a professional, it’s been essential to be open to reinventing myself and leaving my comfort zone.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Dennis Ball is a tennis ball who is the host of the show. It started during COVID down time, and evolved from a puppet sketch comedy show, to a Dad Joke Show, to a talk show in a built puppet set, Dennis Ball was interviewing and kidding around with visual artists, musicians, comic artists, actors, authors, cosplayers.., Eventually I taught myself Character Animator and Dennis became a cartoon. There were some straight ahead cartoon episodes with Dennis and his friends. We were building an audience and making some fun videos. With steadily increasing quality, we were learning a lot about telling stories well. But even with these tools, it seemed like nothing was really landing with audiences. I was trying to find my stride with Dennis- viewers liked him, and he has a personality. When I went al in on my music interest and made a video called “What All The Artists Made At Woodstock” a little more than two years ago, it went viral and got a few hundred thousand views. Its been all music documentaries and interviews since.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d take them record shopping at Fantasyland Records, Criminal Records, Wax & Facts, and Soul Village.
We’d visit The Oddities Museum and ABV Gallery.
We might queue up at 5:30 to get a seat at the bar at S.O.S. Tiki Bar when it opens at 6pm.
Dinner at Nam Phuong on Buford Highway!
And I would bring them to Commune in Avondale Estates- especially if I was DJing that night.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I really have to thank Joe Jack Talcum (The Dead Milkmen), David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), dub reggae legend Scientist, and anyone else who has been a guest on my “Rock Docs With Dennis Ball” Youtube show. Established musicians coming on was a huge boost to the show’s viewership- and to my confidence. I’m really proud of the shows we made together, and both David and Joe became recurring guests and friends of the show.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennisballrockdocs/

Twitter: F that mess

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rocdocs

Image Credits
Band drawings by Ballette. Still images from Rock Docs with Dennis Ball.