Nissue #8: Kat Robichaud, Musician.
With live and in-person music and shows feeling just within reach, I wanted to interview someone who’s not only excited to get back on stage but that also figured out a way to thrive and remain creative during this year of relative isolation.
Kat Robichaud has been a shining star on Patreon for years, proving that connecting to your true fans can be lucrative without compromising one’s creative integrity and vision. My wife Jane, who works at Patreon, inspired me to reach out to Kat, so I thought it fitting to have her fiNish up this introduction.
Jane: Kat describes her music as cabaret-rock but that feels like a simplification. It’s bawdy yet personal, there are elements of Broadway mixed with the burlesque, comedy, and romance. I cannot wait to see her live and in-person again!
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Kat: Drinking a glass of wine and watching my husband Guillaume cook.
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Kat: Dairy Queen when I was 16. I was terrible at everything, the customers were exhausted parents on vacation, and I wound up getting fired for lying to get out of work. It was my first paycheck job and I hated it as much as I was bad at it.
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Kat: Dairy Queen, if you don’t count babysitting, which I also wasn’t the best at.
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Kat: The one that I have now. I produce, create, and star in a musical variety show called Misfit Cabaret. I love everyone I work with and everyone I get to collaborate with. I love the community that has grown around it. It’s taken me a while to get here, and I feel very fortunate.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Kat: I’m a hard worker but an even harder procrastinator. I think it’s the fear of the white canvas. I have to kick myself to get started sometimes, but once I’m working on something, I can keep going forever. Sometimes it bites me in the ass and I think my procrastination has held me back from some “what could have been” big moments in my life.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Kat: Dishonesty.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Kat: Practice more.
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
Kat: I’m not quite sure what you mean by that question. If you’re talking about materialistic things, I have expensive taste, but I enjoy hunting for things second-hand and also saving up for something I really want. It makes it special. If not materialistic, then probably my stage persona for Misfit Cabaret.
Nish: You have dinner reservations for 4 at Noma, excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Kat: David Bowie, Noel Fielding, Lady Gaga,
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Kat: Well… The Misfit Cabaret Theme Song would be pretty fitting.
Nish: What is your motto?
Kat: Life is not a spectator sport.
Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?
Kat: We just finished filming Misfit Cabaret: The Movie and I’m excited to see how it’s all going to come together and also excited to share Misfit Cabaret with a lot more people. That’s the big thing. A much smaller thing would be that I’m currently sitting in my living room, watching a carpenter install new drawers and floating shelves that look amazing, although I’ve been told I’m not allowed to put records on the shelves, as they are much heavier than books.
End Interview.
