In a time where pretty much everyone needs a good laugh or two – or three or five or 100 – comedy is becoming more and more essential.
Doing his best to provide some comedic relief in a time of need – because really, tiger memes can only be funny for so long – is YouTube jokester and Warped Tour funnyman Jarrod Alonge.
Known for his hilarious online videos poking fun at pop-punk and metalcore bands plus creating his own parody music under monikers such as Sunrise Skater Kids and Canadian Softball (oh and don’t forget his non-parody, very serious and very kickass band CrazyEightyEight), Alonge is looking to share his wit in 2020 with a multitude of projects.
Starting with a new children’s book about how to properly mosh and then a deathcore album covering some high-level health issues, the multi-talented entrepreneur and his newfound media company will be very busy this year.
“Taking on excessive work is actually a weakness of mine,” admits Alonge. “I’m currently a little overwhelmed, which is why this deathcore album is coming out so late and why my other albums have been delayed for over a year.”
“Most of 2019 was spent building the foundation of Boketo Media,” he adds. “But now that everything is up and running, my projects should start coming to fruition sooner than later.”
To read more about what the hardworking entertainer has up his sleeves for 2020, be sure to check out our Q&A with Alonge below. To pick up some recent Boketo Media releases, including How To Mosh: A Beginner’s Guide To Crowdkilling, head here.
Comedy can obviously be a huge sense of relief for people in times like this. Is there any humor you’ve turned to lately to help distract you from everything going on?
JARROD ALONGE: My wife and I started Schitt’s Creek the other night, so far it’s been a good escape from everything. Aside from the occasional funny YouTube video or surfing memes, I usually distract myself with video games. Let’s just say I’m progressing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons a little too quickly…
For you personally, do you find that it’s a hard time to be funny right now? Or are you able to laugh at things when times are tough?
It really depends on where the humor is placed. I laugh and have fun every day, regardless of the circumstance, and I actually find it very therapeutic to make jokes during difficult times. I do feel a sense of duty keeping my audience entertained considering how many of them are younger and have trouble processing current events without feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I DO have a hard time navigating politics with humor though, especially in this “post-truth” era. Most jokes are crafted on a mutual understanding of an issue but the current political landscape is so blatantly screwed up I usually just get too frustrated and end up spending my meme-minutes lecturing internet strangers.
A recent example of you sharing your humor amidst everything going on is your deathcore parody track “Coronaviscerated.” How do you feel the overall reception of the song & video has been so far and how quickly were you able to write that track?
The “medical PSA” concept of the album was actually a year and a half in the making. That specific song originally covered sexually transmitted diseases but I made the decision to scrap those lyrics and cover COVID-19 instead once the pandemic started picking up. I knew the music video would be more popular than others considering the coincidental timing, although I wasn’t expecting it to pass a million views so quickly. My original career path was actually in healthcare so I genuinely DO feel good having the opportunity to educate the public with actual scientific facts. I guess my degree is finally paying off.
You’re planning to release a full album with your deathcore band Vermicide Violence titled The Praxis of Prophylaxis. What lead you to write a full deathcore record as opposed to different genres like your previous album Beating A Dead Horse?
Like Friendville by Sunrise Skater Kids and Awkward & Depressed by Canadian Softball, I see the album as another spin-off from Beating a Dead Horse. I should note that this is my first comedy album with outsourced instrumentals. Usually I either write the songs myself or co-write with another producer but the instrumentals on this album were devised completely by Lee Albrecht, a producer based in Grand Rapids. Considering the complexity of deathcore music, it takes a big burden off my shoulders.
Do you find that it’s hard to get certain jokes across with deathcore songs when the lyrics aren’t as easily understood?
It’s pretty much impossible to understand screaming lyrics unless paired with a lyric video. Screaming in deathcore is particularly difficult to comprehend, which is why every song on this album will be released with lyric videos. Luckily some stuff just sounds hilarious even if you don’t know the lyrics. I made sure to make each mix sound as stupid as possible.
One of the other many projects you’ve been working on is your new sort of children’s book How To Mosh: A Beginner’s Guide To Crowdkilling. Where did the idea to write a book come from and how much fun was it to create it with your sister?
My career as an entertainer has partially been defined by “hmm, I bet I can do that too.” At first it was just YouTube sketches but I got bored and gave music a chance. That ended up being a good decision. Earlier in 2019, I thought the same thing about publishing a funny children’s book. My sister does graphic design on this side so she was the obvious choice for illustrator. We used to draw together when we were kids so it’s funny seeing everything come full circle like this.
What was the most challenging part of the book? Was there anything you wanted to include but couldn’t?
It came together surprisingly easy. By the time we were done we were baffled there was a completed book in front of us. If anything, getting it printed and shipped was tedious. I included just about everything I wanted to include but I do have other jokes and gags I’m saving for sequel books in the near future.
Lastly, your company Boketo Media has been very busy since you started things early last year. Other than your own releases, what else do you have in store for 2020?
SO MUCH. Too much. Taking on excessive work is actually a weakness of mine. I’m currently a little overwhelmed, which is why this deathcore album is coming out so late and why my other albums have been delayed for over a year. Most of 2019 was spent building the foundation of Boketo Media, but now that everything is up and running, my projects should start coming to fruition sooner than later. I’m currently working on three other albums, two video games, a handful of web shows, a nonprofit and a plethora of other things I’ll probably never get around to starting. We shall see!
