What do a philosopher, a bass guitarist, and a father have in common?

They make up one City College assistant professor: Marc Bobro.

When the Santa Barbara native isn’t teaching classes like PHIL 101, “Introduction to Ethics,” he plays bass in the punk band, Crying 4 Kafka, and Eating Crayons, an alternative rock band.

“I have run so many bass players out of this band because they can’t hack it,” said Brandon Thibeault, 25, drummer for Crying 4 Kafka. The music major at City College calls Bobro’s bass playing “steady.”

About six months ago, Bobro auditioned for other members of the band, before being introduced to the self-described “prima donna.”

“He held it together, and I said, ‘cool, Marc can stick around,’” Thibeault said. “Marc brings me a sense of calm that I need to play.”

In a recent performance at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, their set was cut short thanks to a wardrobe malfunction.

“Two girls came onstage, and they did an act or something, and at some point, some clothing fell off. So, we were shut down,” Bobro said.

One of the dancers lost a pastie.

“It happened during a song called ‘Demons Come Dance,’ and they were dancing. It made sense,” he said.

Bobro describes Crying 4 Kafka’s lyrics as unique and distinct.

“Just really interesting, psychological, political, philosophical lyrics that are different from pretty much any other band I’ve ever heard,” he said.

The band’s singer and lyricist, Paul Abramson, wrote “Give Sodomy a Chance” in response to Republicans in Texas who outlawed sodomy to prevent gay relationships. The psychology professor at UCLA also wrote “Fuck Mom, Fuck Dad,” about child abuse.

Philosophy major, Sameer Saleh, 23, has watched his former professor perform at Muddy Waters. “[The lyrics] were a little bit explicit. But at the same time, they also have positive vibe to it, which is cool,” he said.

Crying for Kafka will team up with Mama Pats Inner Light Community Gospel Choir on May 6 at Muddy Waters, in a show called “The Sacred and the Profane.”

“That’ll be, I think, a really interesting show. ‘Cause we actually do a couple of gospel covers, but we do a punk version of them,” Bobro said.

He began playing the baritone and tuba in elementary school, after his mother insisted he join band. Eventually, he learned to play bass guitar.

“[Playing bass] just opened up another world beyond band or orchestra,” he said.

Growing up Christian, his family listened to Cossick, Ukrainian and gypsy music.

“Actually, we grew up with no Beatles; we grew up with no pop music,” Bobro recalls.

Although he enjoyed playing music, Bobro didn’t think of it as becoming a career choice.

“I had a strange idea that if I got seriously injured, or lost some fingers, I couldn’t do music anymore,” he said. “How can I play bass if I lost a few fingers?”

He uses music as a physical release, and philosophy to keep his mind and body balanced.

“I think there’s a connection between the mind and the body … I need to find some kind of release physically, right?” he said. “…I mean, that’s one reason I like playing punk, is that at the end of a show, I actually am sweating; it’s a workout.”

Music itself is a sound with no ideas, or meaning, attached, he explains. On the other hand, philosophy is all about the construction of ideas that can be written down without sound attached.

“So, in a way, I like to be able to do both; have both that way,” he said.

So, would he leave Santa Barbara behind if he were given the chance to tour the world and make it big?

“Actually, it would probably make me a better teacher. What I’ve realized is, the older I get, the more experience I have,” Bobro said. “No matter what kind of experience it is, the better teacher I am.”