Opera Virtuoso Hasn’t Yet Recovered from Schroom Trip

by Paddy Johnson on November 3, 2017 Internet

The only thing online opera star (and AFC benefit host) Joseph Keckler needs to complete his persona is a massive following of rabid internet followers he can manipulate for his own evil ends. Today, he came one step closer to achieving AFC’s goal for the performer by releasing a sequel to “Shroom Aria” called “Strangers from the Internet“. In it, he regals his earlier reckless behavior on schrooms, where he invited online strangers into his home but no one came. Several years later, still reeling from the trip, he imagines a scenario in which these same strangers try to break into his house.
Keckler casts himself as an out-of-touch lord living in an opulent Victorian mansion who refuses to accept the presence of the rabble—youtube commenters, twitter trolls, etc—to his own great peril. Eventually, reality breaks down the doors. Performer Sheila Plummer (who bears a striking resemblance to Louise Fletcher), and a rag tag group of internet misfits find their way into the mansion and threaten attack.
I’ll let the video fill in the rest of the details, but you get the picture. It’s funny and not altogether unrelated to our current political climate. A one to one relationship isn’t meant to be read, but it’s hard not to see parallels between Keckler’s story and America’s billionaires, who disconnected from civil life are now under siege online. Keckler has his finger on the pulse.

Proving Craigslist is not yet dead, the performer managed to find and hire actual strangers from the internet through the free listing service and other online platforms. Each recorded their separate parts alone—the music was composed by Keckler and arranged by Patrick Grant—and were then assembled by producer Isaac Levine. Other actors and singers were cast from the students and faculty at The University of Michigan. Keckler’s new video precedes the release of his of his new essay collection Dragon at the Edge of a Flat World. It’s published by Turtle Point Press and comes out November 20, 2017.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: