By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Interview: Joey Kalico of Rolling Blue – Musician and Parody Writer-Recorded via Zoom on May 5, 2023
Rock At Night interviewed Detroit blues rock band Rolling Blue in 2015. At the time Joey Worrall (singer, guitarist) and Brianna Ray (drummer, vocalist) were green and just starting out. The band became a staple in the Detroit scene and even won a Battle of the Band’s contest to become the house band at Kid Rock’s Detroit restaurant. Joey and Brianna are now married, have two bouncy toddlers, William and Elizabeth, and have put the band on hiatus for the moment.
During COVID, Joey began posting music parodies and comedy skits on Instagram and YouTube. He would often pose shirtless and dance, showing off his robust physique (think Chris Farley from the famous Chippendale’s skit on SNL). The songs often consist of jokes revolving around overeating, favorite foods, going to the bathroom, and topics that appeal to my 12-year-old self. Hey, what can I say?
As time went on, the videos became almost daily, and became more elaborate, featuring costumes, makeup, and fancy editing. He started to use the name Joey Kalico. After really catching traction and many of his videos going viral, he decided to try to monetize the hobby which eventually became a new career. I remember in one video he said something like, “Please donate if you like my videos so I can quit hanging dry wall.” Joey now has merch, such as t-shirts, for sale and he was even selling hand-painted artwork, some created with his “large areolas,” as he describes.
Last month, Joey posted videos of a trip to California where he was hanging out with Kyle Gass of Tenacious D. I later found out in the interview that he auditioned for America’s Got Talent. As of this date, the verdict is still up in the air.
In this interview, Joey Kalico discusses the nuts and bolts of making the videos, his love of Weird Al Yankovic, copyright issues with parodies, his trip to California and meeting Kyle Gass, trying out for America’s Got Talent, stand-up comedy versus parodies, and life as a musician.
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Rock At Night’s theme song is “Get On Down If You Feel Up To It” by Billy “Bass” Alford
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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