Stars of the AVT #34: Corn Mo

This post is one of a series profiling the hundreds of performers I’ve presented through my American Vaudeville Theatre in celebration of its 15th anniversary. Don’t miss the American Vaudeville Theatre’s 15th Anniversary ExTRAVaganza in the New York International Fringe Festival this August!

Corn Mo is an amazing animal, sort of an operatic heavy metal accordion player, with intimations of Meat Loaf and Jack Black. It’s a little hard to tell if his act is on the level or a spoof — on some level, probably both. But if you talk to him you will find him to a gentle, earnest, definitely spacey creature. He saves the big volume for his performances.

I first had the honor of presenting him in 97 or 98 when my Charleston Bar & Grill vaudeville show had evolved into an open mic night. Back then, he was still based out of his native Austin. Many years later he played for one of our Galapagos shows in 2004. By then, he had been the musical act for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and opened for the late great Tiny Tim. Later, he would do shows with David Cross, Ben Folds, and They Might Be Giants.

And, lo, here he is, doing his thing on the Jimmy Kimmel show:

To learn more about vaudeville past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.