About

That’s me on the left, backstage at “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” And yes I am going to post this photo as many places as I can.

CONTACT: jeff@jeffvrabel.com

I’m a writer/editor at Nickelodeon’s new momcentric humor site NickMom, despite being, as you have hopefully already determined, a dude. My writing has appeared in Men’s Health (for whom I wrote the cover stories on Zac Efron in May 2012 and Kenny Chesney in June 2012), Billboard (for whom I covered Bonnaroo in 2009 and 2010), The South Magazine (for whom I wrote the cover story on Sean Haire in August/September 2012), Paste, BruceSpringsteexfn.net, the preeminent Springsteen magazine Backstreets, Playboy, RollingStone.com, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Indianapolis Star, the Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll, No Depression, All About Jazz, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Grandparents.com, the Florida Times-Union, Metromix, PopDose, Charleston City Paper, Jacksonville Magazine, Indy Men’s Magazine, SND Design Magazine, the Columbia (SC) State, the McClatchy-Tribune News Service, the WordPress.com home page, Hilton Head Monthly (for which I served as editor-in-chief in 2010-2011) and several angry Neil Diamond message boards, because wow can those people not take a joke.

I’ve written bios and PR material for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (including official web bios for Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren and Soozie Tyrell and a number of the site’s album and tour blurbs) as well as Social Distortion and the Respect Sextet.

And I currently write a weekly humor column for the GateHouse News Service in what history textbooks will one day refer to as “newspapers.”

I’m a former Hoosier and Chicagoan now living on Hilton Head Island, SC, with my wife and two sons; the older just stole bacon off your plate and the younger has been personally approved by Springsteen (long story).

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Interviewing the Avett Brothers at Bonnaroo in 2010. (Photo / Robert Hooman)

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In this context I’ve interviewed and/or profiled such nice folks as Zac Efron (Men’s Health, May 2012), the Beastie Boys, Gnarls Barkley, four members of the E Street Band, the Avett Brothers, the Drive-By Truckers, John Mellencamp, John Prine, Billy Joel, Tom Jones, “Weird Al” Yankovic and many others.

I’ve also interviewed Snoop Dogg while my son watched a Winnie the Pooh movie in the back seat, covered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in New York City, discussed “Elmo’s World” with Alice Cooper, met Jimmy Buffett backstage at Jimmy Fallon, covered SXSW and Austin City Limits, obtained parenting tips from Ben Harper, boarded Damian Marley and Nas’ fragrant tour bus, accidentally convinced DMC to drop a 20-second freestyle dedicated to my cousin, had a margarita with ?uestlove, accidentally appeared on VH1 adjacent to “Weird Al” Yankovic, shook the lovely hand of Britney Spears, kicked a soccer ball around with Michael Franti, watched Jay Leno produce a copy of my Zac Efron story on “The Tonight Show,” been mentioned by name on Hillbilly Jim’s satellite radio program, had a fine interview with an actual Wiggle (the yellow one), discussed reproduction with Maynard James Keenan, had the band Travis send my son a hug, engaged in one extremely terrible interview with Ghostface Killah and a surprisingly chill one with Mitch Hedberg, seen Jimmy Buffett at Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, swung by Mose Allison’s house, discussed IU basketball with Craig Finn of the Hold Steady, been indirectly insulted by Russell Crowe on Chicago talk radio and directly insulted by Brian May on his blog, exchanged Mick Foley stories with Johnny Knoxville, and asked Bret Michaels, Dizzie Rascal and Danger Mouse what song was playing when they lost their respective virginities (answers, in order: “something short,” he didn’t remember, and Jodeci). I also once asked Bruce Springsteen if we should have a second baby, and he said yes, so we did. Fact.

Other profiles and interviews, most of which are available on this blog, include Gillian Welch, Linkin Park, Grandmaster Flash and Mele Mel, Slash, Jack Johnson, Herbie Hancock, the Bad Plus, G. Love, Les Claypool, Jurassic 5, Mates of State, the Indigo Girls, Atmosphere, Henry Rollins, Ike Reilly, Mike Ness, Rob Thomas, Lyrics Born, Joan Jett, Grace Potter and many more.

Some of my favorite live reviews include memorable shows by Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band, Neil Diamond, R. Kelly, Guns N’ Roses, Dave Chappelle, Springsteen on the “Magic” tour and many more.

Thanks to Ebert having much better things to do, I reviewed a few films for the Chicago Sun-Times, including the indie-rock doc “Dig!”, the original “Star Wars” trilogy on DVD and, memorably, “Jackass: The Movie.” (While at the Sun-Times, I also learned that if Ebert wishes to sit at your desk, even briefly, you let him.) I also liked this piece on Martin Scorsese’s Bob Dylan documentary.

My humor pieces have absolutely no connective thread whatsoever, but have involved the night my son vanished from the house at 1:30 a.m., the day he decided he was pregnant, the state of waiting areas of the Newark International Airport and fiascoes about handwriting. I have also been known to become emotionally invested in competitions regarding pierogies.

Find me at the cleverly named jeffvrabel.com or on Twitter.