To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, a Nanaimo comedian has delivered “the best kind of medicine” to the world.
As an extension of his ‘5-10 Bro’ character, Peter Hudson released his one – and likely, only – parody album, titled 5-10 The Parody, on May 10.
“Humour is medicine, and we need to laugh during really bad situations,” said Hudson. “Bottom line: it’s funny. It’s a little dirty, but it’s funny.”
A lifelong appreciator of parodies, Hudson said he was inspired to do his own album by the likes of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, American joke rock band Steel Panther and comedy duo Cheech and Chong.
The release was an emotional ride for Hudson, as his album is a product of two-years enduring “COVID-times.”
Over the course of the pandemic, he said he was compelled by sheer boredom brought on by not being able to work as a comedian, which spurred the project.
“I need to be doing something – always. My wheels are always turning. So I needed to dive right into my art, this time through parody music,” he said.
His album, Hudson said, would not have been possible without the help of his friends: Darcy (Details) McBride, Bryce Hills, Nick Machura, Sam Valsangkar, DJ Stelo, Matt Billon, Kaiden McMormick and his band, the Glue Huffers.
In March 0f 2021, Hudson donned a plastic box-like helmet and shot the music video Plexiglass, a parody of Justin Timberlake’s 2006 song SexyBack, in Nanaimo’s Superette Foods.
5-10 The Parody will not only include Plexiglass, but also parodies of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, AC/DC’s TNT, and Justin Bieber’s Lonely.
The album is intended as a stand-alone project, however, Hudson said he may revisit parody songs from time to time, and also plans to do a stand-up album as himself in the near future.
His character, ‘5-10 Bro’ originated shortly after his daughter was born in 2018, when he said he felt like he could do anything. Hudson first introduced ‘5-10 Bro’ as part of a stand-up routine, and modelled the character as someone who lives in downtown Nanaimo on Old Victoria Road, “living in the hood.” After testing ‘5-10 Bro’ at a friend’s going-away party, he took the character to the Vault Café on Wallace Street.
“Some people were in shock there, some people were laughing…” he said. “It can be difficult to do 5-10 Bro correctly, because he’s not very politically correct.”
While at the Vault, Hudson said local videographer Raymond Knight saw the character and was so intrigued that the two immediately started to create sporadic online episodes.
“Our first episode, we got over 100,000 views on Facebook,” he said. “Even the Trailer Park Boys showed some interest in us.”
The name, broken down, refers to the “hard time” the character was fictitiously sentenced to, and a catchphrase he thought his character would often say.
As a self-described outreach worker during the day and a comedian during the weekends, Hudson said doing what he does is “the perfect life” for him.
“I connect with people through humour.”
On Hudson’s rapidly approaching horizon is his opening act for Shaun Majumder’s ‘The Love Tour,’ which will see shows at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in Duncan on June 19 and the Port Theatre in Nanaimo on June 20.
On May 10, 5-10 The Parody will be available on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, as well as YouTube and www.5to10bro.com.
“I’m just doing something to prove to my daughter and to other people, it doesn’t matter how crazy your idea is – just do it. Just follow your heart and follow your dreams and do it. Go all in,” said Hudson.
READ MORE: Nanaimo comedian releases COVID-19-themed parody song ‘Plexiglass’
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