Grand Annex Presents The David Robert Pollock Variety Hour

“Expect the Absolutely Unexpected”

Modern folk singer-songwriter David Robert Pollock (formerly known as DCR Pollock) returns to the Grand Annex Music Hall, Sept. 14, to premiere The David Robert Pollock Variety Hour, featuring guest appearances by talent from across the LA music scene.

This show brings to life his short indie film The David Robert Pollock Show: Fame Is Poison And Your Heroes Are Cowards. The film takes place on a ’70s television set, reminiscent of classic variety hours like The Dean Martin Show, but with a thrilling, dark comedy twist.

Pollock, who was raised in San Pedro, was contacted by the Grand Annex about a year ago, just as he was in the process of changing his project and his former moniker. 

“I had nothing lined up and I said ‘give me a date and, leading up to the show, I’ll let you know what I’m doing.’” said Pollock.

The Grand Annex was on board with Pollock, who it’s familiar with from his past performances at the venue. As the months passed, the venue contacted Pollock about his upcoming date. He had released a filmed variety show so he asked the theater, “what if we do it live?”

“That’s how this came about,” Pollock said. “I’m just going to be hosting, playing a couple songs myself, but mostly just getting everyone a little rowdy.” 

The David Robert Pollock Show: Fame Is Poison And Your Heroes Are Cowards

Pollock’s short film was written during COVID-19. The artist had signed with a label where he put out a record at the start of the pandemic. Then, they kept him in limbo. He followed with a second record but the label told him they wanted to wait for the first record to get some more traction; meanwhile, they weren’t going to release anything. 

“So I was like, well, I want to occupy my time with something,” he said. “I always liked The Carol Burnett Show and The Dean Martin Show, so it’s my way of mak[ing] the worst possible version of that because I don’t have a background of that kind of stage presence or entertainment. I said, well, why hide that? Why not just lean into the fact that I suck at it.” 

In one of the film’s vignettes, Pollock wears a smoking jacket as he sits in a 1970s style den, “painting.” Someone’s hand places a cigarette between his lips then lights it. After Pollock’s smooth and friendly welcome to his audience, the same hand removes both the cigarette from Pollock’s lips, then the painting, as two arms turn it toward the camera so the audience may gaze upon a likeness of … the Mario Brothers. I’ll let you discover the rest. 

“I always thought it was so funny that those shows always cut away to the host doing something. [like] painting and it was clearly a painting they didn’t do,” Pollock said. “I thought, if I had the capability of painting, what would I [make]? And what would bother people the most? So we had about six different paintings that we came up with. That one had the most visceral reactions.” 

The film consists of different vignettes, most of them silly and surprising. When asked if Pollock had any message to his madness he basically answered no, but continued.

“I don’t think anything exists in a vacuum,” Pollock said, “There’s always a context that goes into everyone writing something. There’s always a political climate. Everyone has a class background or a class environment they’re surrounded by, who you sympathize with, who you don’t sympathize with. I hope it’s clear who I sympathize with and who I don’t sympathize with in the show.” 

Ultimately, there wasn’t supposed to be a message, other than the fact that Pollock has a visceral reaction to entertainment in general. 

“Overall, I wanted [to show] how I [feel] about entertainment … in that show, which I think it’s all meaningless in a sense. But that’s only in the context of looking back on it. Most of it was just me and a couple of buddies setting up a camera. If it’s propaganda, it’s really bad propaganda.” 

Since Pollock cannot do what he did in the film at his live show, it’s going to be a little more tame.

“Obviously, we’re not going to be pulling guns and blood splattering all over the space,” Pollock said. “Mostly because you can’t get it out of the carpet. It’ll be more structured just because we have to for time sake. We can’t just go into an editing room, live, and have it make sense.” 

I’ll admit, the film was hard to understand but as Pollock discussed, that effort wasn’t necessary. However, I gleaned that it seemed to be talking about the state of the world. Pollock expanded on that.

“I think we’re in such a time that any attempt to make entertainment seem relatable to human beings is a failed project,’ he said. “Anytime you watch interviewees, or these talk shows, there’s something so dystopian about them. Everything’s a shitshow and it’s a bunch of schmucks trying to sell you on that slot. And [there’s] a clear disconnect going on the whole time. There’s something about that contradiction that I love. It’s like, you’re not buying it, but you’re still locked into how pathetic it is. The entire thing is just embracing how absolutely useless another variety show is.”

Pollock and team considered having a theme for this show, but because of its many moving parts, people and not much rehearsal time, the theme is, it’s a music based South Bay variety show. Most of the performers are singer/songwriters.

“We have Grace Olivia DJing,” Pollock said. “She’s a staple around San Pedro. She’s always playing at Dockside. But she makes hilarious DJ sets, there’s clips of the most dystopian Mark Zuckerberg quotes. So we’re having her jump on to really set the tone.” 

Pollock said it will be a pretty absurdist night — fun, loose, a unique experience.

“The idea comes from the old snake oil salesman shows. So we’ll be honking items the whole night, trying to pawn them off to people and sell them. We’ll be selling some nonsense drinks throughout the night sponsored by some dystopian companies. It’ll be a pretty hectic night, but it’ll be fun. We’re going to do our best to contain it to the stage as much as we can, [so as] not to put anyone in harm’s way.”

Marketing and leading up to shows is stupid to Pollock. However, he said this show is special because it’s localized. 

“I get it,” Pollock said. “I’m all about keeping a local community having a place to come to. I like that Grand Annex has that, but there’s something so funny about me trying to make what’s clearly an insignificant thing seem significant to people.

“Come expecting the absolutely unexpected,” he said. “As long as you don’t try to understand it, you’re going to have a good time. I’ll be the schmuck they want me to be … the late-stage capitalist host that everyone is expecting from a variety hour. I’ll make fun of it. I lean into that character and try to give discount codes for the revolution.” 

Pollock has a lot of appreciation for San Pedro’s local theater. 

“Grand Annex supports what I do,” he said. “Every time I go there, I’m always bringing the most nonsense, [asking] can we just like to do it this way and they’re always accommodating. I appreciate that.” 

Coming up, Pollock has a record coming out next year, under David Robert Pollock. 

“It’s a very country record,” he said. “I said to hell with it. I’m going to make the shit I listen to.” 

David Robert Pollock and Special Guests from the LA Music Scene

Time: 7 p.m. doors open, 8 p.m. show, Sept. 14

Cost: $22.95 and up

Details: www.grandvision.org/event/the-david-robert-pollock-variety-hour 

Venue: The Grand Annex Music Hall, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro