Interview with Parker Jacobs!

Thought I was dead, did you? Thought I disappeared from this world did you? No! I've just been hiding in the shadows...waiting to STRIKE! Parker Jacobs, of GOGO13 and Aquabats fame, was nice enough to take time off his busy schedule to answer a couple of questions I had for him....so read on loyal subscribers, read on!

1. So for the uninitiated…what bands have you participated in?

GOGO13, The Aquabats! [Dao’s Note: He was the original Professor for the Aquabats] The Sandfleas....and other Aquabatty side projects.

2. What is your fondest memory as The Professor for the Aquabats?

I've had so many amazing memories, it's hard to pin it down to one. We should write a book. I really loved it when I used to surprise the Aquabats with who they were fighting. For a while, at their concerts they never knew what they were getting! One time, I surprised them with this fire swallowing woman that came out wearing this Princess Leia slave girl-esque get-up with fangs, a whip and an albino boa constrictor. While the audience thought this was all part of the planned show, the Aquabats were genuinely scared! I laughed and laughed back stage.

3. How did you get into ska?

When I was very young in the 80's I was exposed to heavy, heavy doses of punk and new wave music videos. I remember going to school in 4th grade dressed in a suit with pegged pants because I wanted to look like the guys from the English Beat. It wasn't until the 90's that I realized that my FAVORITE favorite music was either considered ska; English Beat, Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, The Untouchables, Fishbone or ska related: The Clash, Oingo Boingo, Men at Work, etc. I thought it was all just new wave. I was a ska fan without knowing I was. It all hit me at my first Bad Manners show. It changed my life.

4. What do you think of the ska scene now a days, compared to the “boom” in the 90s?

It has its pros and its cons but the problem with the "boom" was a lot of ignorance and too many awful bands. Today it seems like if you are into to it, it's because you really dig the ska.

5. Let’s talk about GOGO13…How did the band get started?

GOGO13 started in 93. It was my younger brother Tyler's idea. We were California kids that had just moved to St. George, Utah. We were southern Utah's first ska band. We kind of started a music scene over there. My older brother formed the Aquabats in California shortly after he saw all the fun that we were having. G13 broke up and our original sax player and guitarist went to the Aquabats. They covered some of our songs, used our demo tape to get shows and even played shows that we had booked as GOGO13 to get started. The rest of that is Aquabat history. Tyler pushed me to reform GOGO13 in 2000, even though he quit a few years later. Since then we've being playing randomly for kicks.

6. Why the spy theme?

The first James Bond movie, Dr. No, took place in Jamaica, and ever since then the rude boy culture has borrowed a lot from the spy genre. It makes sense...You've got the 2-tone suits and guns and the whole bit. GOGO13's name derives from Japan's super-spy sniper Golgo13 and the mod revival slogan, "go-go not pogo". After that, the Jacobs onstage theatrics come naturally -- the fake blood and toy guns and all that.

Since we have so many band members coming and going, we've likened us to the original Mission Impossible TV series where you never knew who'd you get each episode. Hence the "Free Agents".

7. Will you guys ever record an album for GOGO13? I mean…damn...I know a lot of people are waiting for a GOGO13 album...

I don't know, I'd love to. We spoke with Jump Up, Megalith and Asian Man Records. All were interested...but only to distribute what we've already produced. It just comes down to money and time. After all of these years, what's kept the band going is that album on the horizon. However, since most of us have families and careers, all of our GOGO13 time has just been figuring out what we'll play for the next show. We always have plans but they keep getting pushed back farther and farther.

8. Okay, let’s talk about the project you’re currently working on…Yo Gabba Gabba…what exactly is it and how did it get started?

It's a preschool age children's show, focused on dancing, music and fun. We have dancing monsters, guest stars, guest animators, and guest musicians. It started many years ago while we were developing the Aquabats TV show. In fact, a couple of the main characters are originally Aquabats villains...but cuter. We are very excited.

9. When and on what channel will Yo Gabba Gabba be on?

Aug. 20TH 10:30 AM on Nickelodeon. It airs twice a day and it will also be on Noggin.

10. I hear the Aggrolites will be appearing on Yo Gabba Gabba…how did that happen? What song (or songs) will they be playing?

The Aggrolites are our friends! If we didn't invite them we might not get a Christmas card this year! They are doing their rendition of the Pyramids classic, "Banana". They also recorded a Yo Gabba Gabba song called, "Look Both ways" for an animated segment about crossing the street.

11. Will you guys have anymore Jamaican music artists play on Yo Gabba Gabba?

Not Jamaican, but Jamaican inspired. Kind of like Taco Bell being Mexican inspired. GOGO13 wrote a song about cleaning up your room called, "Pick it up" which features the vocal stylings of Mr. Alex Desért of Hepcat.

12. Finally, any last comments?

I SO want to include some of these YGG Ska/Reggae tracks for your Podcast, but right now it's a tangley mess with Nick. I know I can't do it until the episodes air, but hopefully?

Yes, hopefully indeed, I am excited to hear the the music of Yo Gabba Gabba!

Here are a few important sites that you guys might want to check out:

http://www.yogabbagabba.com/ The official Yo Gabba Gabba site...

http://brobee.blogspot.com/ The official YGG blog!

http://www.gogo13.com/ The official GOGO13 site...

http://gogo13.blogspot.com/ The official G13 blog...!