Robbie Robertson: How I Go Columbia

Robbie Robertson lives and works in Columbia — and New York (where he’s developing an original musical). In his hometown of Columbia, Robertson, 49, works for Mad Monkey, a commercial TV/film production company, and handles publicity for several clients. He lives downtown.

EAT: One place that’s so old school and so retro is The Villa Italian restaurant on Bush River Road. I just rediscovered it in the past year or two, and the food is always so, so good. They have incredible cheesecake. And when I walk in, I feel like I’m in an Al Pacino movie or something.

DRINK: I love all the specialty cocktails at Bourbon. They’re switching it up. I’m also a big red wine drinker. One place that I’ve been going recently is the Wine Garage. He really digs into what you’re looking for and what you like. The Whig is one of the coolest places because it really captures what I like in life: One day you might be wearing a tux, and the other you might be wearing jeans, and you fit in. It’s welcoming to all sorts of people in society that might not be in your social circle.

PLAY: I’d have to say Trustus first and foremost, because Larry Hembree is creating such diverse offerings there now. You always feel like you have something brand new to go to, everything from concerts to original works to readings to fundraisers. I try to go to most of their shows, if not a preview performance.

SEE: The go-to place for me to wind down and be more ‘in the moment’ is Riverfront Park. I usually run down there, and I go on the Columbia side because it’s a lot more quiet and you can have a lot more alone time, just back to nature. I work out at the Agape Fitness place on Main Street, 24/7 Health & Fitness. It’s so convenient. They’ve got good equipment and you can go anytime of the day or night. When you come out, downtown feels so much more active. I really dig what they’re doing with Main Street. It has a brand new bustling energy.

WHY I CAME BACK: Columbia is a great petri dish. I can test things out here and do things artistically that might be costly in other cities. I’m currently recording some demo music here, and I don’t think I could afford to do that someplace else. I’ve been able to manage all of my larger interests – like playwrighting and screenplays – by traveling. But this will always be a place to come back and feel settled and maintain old friendships.

Dawn Hinshaw

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Robbie Robertson: How I Go Columbia."