After 20 years of touring an Arrogant Worm said things tend to blend together.
It started out as a hobby, making fun of the big dumb world and since the world is still dumb the Arrogant Worms have plenty to sing about.
Trevor Strong and the other worms, Mike McCormick and Chris Patterson will once again make a stop in Prince George Wednesday at Art Space on their rather oddly organized tour.
Strong said there's a bit of crisscrossing going on during this tour, starting with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, so far so good, but then there's a big zig to BC then a zag up to the Yukon and then a plunge down to southern B.C.
"We hit on what we do pretty early in our careers -- funny songs about stuff and I don't know what inspires us because we all write separately," Strong explained. "I think it's what seems ridiculous to us. Every album I try to write the new Canadian anthem. That's my personal thing. I'm trying to knock O Canada off but it hasn't worked so far. I keep on swinging, eventually I'll write something that will get played in all the schools."
When an album is coming up Strong will consciously ask himself what annoys him.
"I will find something funny to write about when I ask that question," said Strong. "I wrote a cell phone song a few albums ago but now hardly anyone even talks on their cell phone any more -- they all text now so it's almost out of date already."
Strong might consider texting as fodder for his next song, from the abbreviated spelling where it seems vowels are superfluous, to acronyms like LOL and emoticons like the smiley face. Lot's to write about there.
The Arrogant Worms began as a comedy troupe in Kingston, Ontario, performing songs and sketches and as the show developed the songs delighted audiences while the sketches, not so much. So they stick to what they do best.
The Arrogant Worms have sold more than 150,000 copies of their dozen albums and played on three continents to crowds as large as 100,000. They were recognized in 2003 as the Touring Act of the Year by the Canadian Arts Presenters Association. The Worms have entertained at corporate functions, sung anthems at sporting events and emceed at major festivals. Their songs are in school lesson plans, in textbooks and even played on the Space Shuttle.
In recent years the Worms have donated their time and talent to the cause of literacy in Canada through Frontier College and were awarded the Peter Gzowski Award for their efforts.
During the show, The Arrogant Worms tell stories and sing songs.
"So you'll get to hear about whatever else has happened on our tour so far," said Strong. "Usually strange things do happen, especially touring in Canada in March. Something's bound to have happened to us by the time we get to Prince George."
There's also an audience participation portion of the show. That's a promise.
Show goes at Art Space, above Books & Co., 1685 Third Avenue, Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $30+HST at Books and Co.
