"Weird Paul" Petroskey

"Weird" Paul Petroskey (born November 21, 1970) is a lo-fi musician and a YouTube personality[2][3][4] in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.[5] He has been writing and recording music since 1984, and has written or co-written over 700 songs and appeared on over 50 released albums.[6][7][8] Petroskey has played as part of an ensemble and has performed in the bands The Blazing Bulkheads, The Blissful Idiots (which later changed their name to Revenge of the Nerds), 57 Big End Halos (Scott Fry) and The Weird Paul Rock Band.

"Weird Paul" Petroskey
Petroskey in 2019.
Petroskey in 2019.
Background information
Birth namePaul Petroskey
Also known as"Off-The-Wall" Paul, "Champ"[1]
Born (1970-11-21) November 21, 1970
OriginBethel Park, Pennsylvania
Genreslo-fi, punk rock, indie rock, comedy rock, spoken word, nerd rock
OccupationsStreamer, Musician, Spray Coater[1]
InstrumentsVocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Chord organ, Stylophone, Keyboards
Years active1984-present
LabelsHomestead Records, Rocks & Rolling, Thick Syrup Records
Websiteweirdpaul.com

Petroskey formed his label Rocks & Rolling Records in 1987, through which he released his first album In Case of Fire Throw This In on cassette tape.[9] He initially called himself "Off-the-Wall Paul" in an effort to differentiate himself from "Weird Al" Yankovic. In late 1989 Petroskey began performing with drummer Manny Theiner and in 1991, signed with New York record label Homestead Records.[10] Through Homestead Records the two released the album Lo Fidelity, Hi Anxiety, but were not picked up for a second album. The pair toured the United States to promote the album.[11][12]

Between the years 2001 to 2004, Petroskey filmed a documentary with Chicago filmmaker Stacey Goldschmidt, who was creating a film about his music. Weird Paul: A Lo Fidelity Documentary was completed in 2005 and was released in April 2006, where it went on to show at the Chicago Underground Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival.[13] In 2015, Petroskey hosted and starred in the weekly local television series The Weird Paul Variety Show on WEPA-CD in the Pittsburgh area. The first airing was June 11, 2015.

A documentary about Petroskey was released in 2019, called Will Work for Views: The Lo-Fi Life of Weird Paul which is described as "a documentary film 30 years in the making."[14]

Selected discography
  • In Case of Fire Throw This In – Rocks & Rolling Records 001 (1987)
  • I Need a Pencil Sharpener – Rocks & Rolling Records 002 (1988)
  • Now I Blow My A-B-C-'s – Rocks & Rolling Records 003 (1989)
  • Live at the Underground – Rocks & Rolling Records 004 (1989)
  • Does Anyone Want This? – Rocks & Rolling Records 007 (1989)
  • Songs For Santa – Rocks & Rolling Records (1989)
  • The Concept Track – Rocks & Rolling Records 008 (1990)
  • My Last Tape – Rocks & Rolling Records 012 (1990)
  • Lo Fidelity, Hi Anxiety – Homestead Records 166 (1991)
  • Worm in My Egg Cream – Rocks & Rolling Records 015 (1994)
  • Best Sled Ever – Rocks & Rolling Records 016 (1995)
  • The Proliferation of Matter – Rocks & Rolling Records 017 (1996)
  • The Blazing Bulkheads – Rocks & Rolling Records 018 (1998)
  • The Dame That Drove Me Nuts – Rocks & Rolling Records 019 (1999)
  • Your Favorite Gum – Home-Aid Recordings 005 (2000)
  • Pine 'n Lose – Rocks & Rolling Records 020 (2000)
  • Billy Joel Likes Cakes – Rocks & Rolling Records 021 (2000)
  • 2001 – Rocks & Rolling Records 023 (2001)
  • The Mess of Weird Paul – Rocks & Rolling Records 026 (2002)
  • I Punch You! – Rocks & Rolling Records 029 (2004)
  • Weird Paul: A Lo Fidelity Documentary Soundtrack – Rocks & Rolling Records 031 (2006)
  • Medically Necessary – Rocks & Rolling Records 032 (2006)
  • As Heard in My Dreams – Rocks & Rolling Records 033 (2009)
  • Police Baffled; Public Aroused (with Ben Blanchard) - Rocks & Rolling Records 035 (2010)
  • Simulating the Act of Love (with The Weird Paul Rock Band) - Rocks & Rolling Records 036 (2010)
  • Check Me Out Now - Rocks & Rolling Records 037 (2011)
  • 25 Lo-Fi Years - Thick Syrup Records 0047 (2012)[15]
  • Still Going Strong - Thick Syrup Records (2013)
  • Live On WRCT 1988-2009 - Rocks & Rolling Records 038 (2013)
  • 57 Big End Halos (with Scott Fry) - Rocks & Rolling Records 039 (2014)
  • PP
    2    BB     (with Ben Blanchard)     - Rocks & Rolling Records 040 (2015)
  • In Case Of Fire Throw This In 25th Anniversary - Rocks & Rolling Records 041 (2017)
  • The T-15 Tapes - Rocks & Rolling Records 042 (2018)
  • Lit AF - Rocks & Rolling Records 043 (2019)
  • 31st Anniversary Of The Rocks & Rolling Records 5th Anniversary Special - Rocks & Rolling Records 044 (2020)

References
  1. "My First Time Away From Home 1988 -(Weird Paul) Recording Workshop Leaving Home Moving Story - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  2. "Interview with the original vlogger Weird Paul". Lunchmeat VHS. 3 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. "Interview with Weird Paul Petroskey". The Bacon Post. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  4. "Still going strong. Weird Paul celebrates 33 years of vlogging". pghcitypaper.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  5. "Weird Paul Petroskey – Please Don't Break My Atari". The Retroist. pp. {page}. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  6. Mervis, Scott (April 20, 2006). "Adventures of Weird Paul: Documentary sheds light on quirky Pittsburgh music legend". Post Gazette. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. Hayes, John (Oct 12, 1990). "Weird Paul Goes on Record". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  8. Siffert, Matt. "A weekend of music at Carnegie Mellon". The Tartan. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  9. Harrington, Greg (30 May 2012). "Keeping Weird Paul Weird". Pittsburgh City Paper. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  10. King, Peter (May 2, 1991). "Weird Paul". The Pittsburgh Press. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  11. Ogiba, Jeff (4 September 2012). "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO WEIRD PAUL". Vice. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  12. Channell, Justin (July 7, 2018). "Bethel Park native's home videos become YouTube sensation". AP News.
  13. Mervis, Scott (1 December 2006). "WEIRD PAUL IS DISCOVERED". Post Gazette. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  14. "On DVD/VOD: WILL WORK FOR VIEWS: THE LO-FI LIFE OF WEIRD PAUL". what (not) to doc. 2019-02-27. Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  15. Garrison, Kurt (November 2012). "Album Reviews: 25 Lo-Fi Years". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
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