MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY

Bob Schmidt’s musical life began in the 1970’s as a kid growing up on the north side of

Chicago, Illinois. He started with formal training on piano while learning a few other

instruments on his own and in elementary school. He later went on to learn dozens

more instruments and conducting while earning his degree in music from VanderCook

College of Music.

His rock music performance experience started by doing neighborhood

productions of Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare” show as a kid at

Age 9. Bob has been doing rock band shows in clubs and bars since he was

14 with his long-time friend Carlo. Bob has founded and performed with

several original and covers-based rock bands over the years, including EXIT,

Reality, One Way, TBA, Comfortably Floyd, Al Is Cooper, and Pink Floyd

USA. He’s always had a knack for dramatic shows and the most elaborate

productions as possible.

Bob founded a few notable rock bands over the years beginning with his

first group, formed with his long-time friend Carlo, that he called “EXIT”.

EXIT played all over Chicago at places like Tuts, Thirsty Whale, etc. and

also recorded in the studio when Bob was only 16. His electronic dance

group called TBA (Two Beats Ahead, Two Brain Anatomy) played at

Chicago venues like Medusa’s and The Avalon. Using lasers and video

projections, his Pink Floyd tributes (Comfortably Floyd, Pink Floyd USA)

headlined Dupage County Fair 4 times, opened up for Ray Manzarek

(original keyboardist of The Doors), and played many of Chicago and

suburban live music venues.

Bob’s original music encapsulates a wide variety of musical influences including

Rush, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, NIN, DK’s, The Residents, Snakefinger, and Green

Day, along with his many orchestral influences. Music that was psychedelic,

unusual, dramatic, or showed great hard-rocking musicianship was what he liked

and worked to create. His rock bands played classic rock, while his electronic music

projects pioneered Chicago house, techno, psychedelic EDM, and industrial music.

His latest solo releases, as “BS420” are a combination of all those styles.

Bob’s interest and knowledge of instruments led him to a career in

orchestral music, conducting, composing, and arranging music for

bands, choirs, and orchestras for 20 years. This period culminated in a

2004 performance in Chicago’s Symphony Center conducting a 450-

piece orchestra with chorus performing his own arrangement of 10

Motown songs, entitled “Classic Motown”. His commitment to the

orchestral music slowly drove him away from the rock music, leading

him to walk away from it after 20 years to start rock tribute shows.

Bob gained a great deal of production knowledge and experience through all

of these elaborate productions. This led at first to a few side gigs doing audio-

visual work like sound and lighting. As he did more of these gigs and

productions, his DMX stage lighting, video projection, and pro audio skills grew

stronger. Eventually the A/V gigs got more fun with higher pay and more

opportunities in the field. Once established in this field, the COVID-19

pandemic shut down all the large-scale events where Bob could work. During

the pandemic, Bob re-tooled himself with his own A/V gear and instruments designed to do smaller

shows. He has even learn some lead guitar to prepare a solo Pink Floyd show using automated

backup tracks set to lights and video projections.