Corn Mo tastes kinda like Meat Loaf. (Image courtesy of Chad Nicholson Photography)

Hungry for rock with theatrical flair but don’t enjoy the taste of 61-year-old Meat Loaf? Feast your ears on the music of Brooklyn, NY-based Jon “Corn Mo” Cunningham and his band .357 Lover. Like Meat Loaf, Corn Mo has a quirky style that has been aptly described as a mash-up of “circus music, glam rock and humorous novelty songs.” Furthermore, his live shows feature sparkly suits and the kind of showmanship associated with ‘Loaf, Queen’s Freddy Mercury or David Lee Roth.

After two early-millennium solo albums and time spent touring as part of The Polyphonic Spree, Mo got with .357 Lover and dropped an EP, Your Favorite Hamburger is a Cheeseburger, in 2007. The group is currently working on its debut LP, Diorama of the Golden Lion, and a rock opera titled Alice Wakeman, for summer. They also just signed on to be Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s backing band at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, so you know they’re good…for you to poop on! Complex pulled Corn Mo away from all his mad creationism to see what he’d do with The Complex 7. Continue on to see video of the man doing his inimitable thing and check out his answers…

#1: WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND?

Corn Mo says: She hates Rush. But pretty much every girl hates Rush actually… So, she hates David Lee Roth? I had an argument with a friend who said he liked Sammy Hagar better than David Lee Roth. I asked him if he could name every Sammy Hagar Van Halen song, and he couldn’t, but I could name every Van Halen song with David Lee Roth, so…

#2: WHAT WAS THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

Corn Mo says: I’ve never broken up with anybody. Oh wait! No, I did! The worst way was I called up this girl in 10th grade and told her we were broken up, and then I started messing around with her sister. It was awesome! The [second] sister got mad at me for breaking up with her sister, but then we ended up making out in the band supply closet. The girl I broke up with married one of my best friends in my rock band.

#3: WHAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR AT ALL TIMES?

Corn Mo says: There’s a German sweet mustard that I really like but I can’t remember the name of it. I like to have that with any kind of meats, sandwiches, cabbages. I have a sweet tooth and I like mustard, so it takes two tastes I like to the next level. It’s a good, fun mouth thing to have.

#4: WHAT WAS THE MOST EMBARRASSING FASHION MOMENT FOR YOU?

Corn Mo says: I dressed up like a hobo in my dad’s old clothes with dirty makeup on for Halloween and went to a party, but there was no Halloween party, so I had to play it off like it was my regular clothes. I was in like second grade. I showed up and people were like, “What is that? Makeup?” And I was like, “No, it’s dirt.”

#5: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ALL-TIME SNEAKER?

Corn Mo says: Kangaroos. They had the zipper on the side. I used to put change in mine—it’s too small for a condom—and when I had ‘em I was too young for condoms.

#6: WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD A WEEK-LONG HOLIDAY?

Corn Mo says: I’d go to space and get drunk; I don’t think anybody’s really done it. I’ve been drunk in a lot of places around the world but never space in zero gravity. I imagine I’d start out thinkin’ it was fun, then vomit and realize it wasn’t a good idea and wish I’d decided on doin’ something else.

#7: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Corn Mo says: Uh, fuck, I know this one! I was watching the end of Step Brothers, the scene where Will Ferrell starts singing that [Andrea] Bocelli song and it makes his stepdad remember the time that he met his mom. The turning point towards the end of a movie always gets me.

Corn Mo in action: