Heavy Metal and……Ned Flanders?  Okilly Dokilly is just exactly that and it’s an idea that is just crazy enough to work.  Their first official video for “White Wine Spritzer” blew up the internet a few months ago and they are currently on tour to support their debut album, Howdilly Doodilly.

Okilly Dokilly we make a stop in Cincinnati at the Woodward Theater on March 19th as part of the Mockstrocity Tour with fellow acts, Mac Sabbath and Metalachi.  I spoke with the front man, Head Ned about the band and upcoming show.

Let's start with the question most kids wanna know.  Where did the idea of Simpsons Metal band come from?  And Why Ned Flanders and not someone closer to the Metal Scene Like Otto?
The idea for the band actually started with the name. Myself and our drummer, Bled Ned, were joking around, imagining the most brutal intro to a metal show ever, with the lead singer stepping out and in a Nathan Explosion type of voice saying some goofy band name like, we're... Your Neighborhood Girl Scouts, or Death By Snoo Snoo or Okilly Dokilly. When the name Okilly Dokilly came up, we expanded on the idea, imagining the whole band dressed as Flanders. We looked for reasons not to make that idea happen, started on it, and didn't stop. We're huge fans of the show, had access to cheap polos and sweaters, and knew enough musicians crazy enough to join. The juxtaposition of having the friendliest guy in Springfield being the sole driving theme of an angry metal band was just really funny to us. So much so, that we became it.

I think Okilly Dokilly is one of the most unique and fun ideas to come out of Metal in years.  Personally, I love Metal and The Simpsons.  What's the general audience reaction to the band?  How wild do your super fans, the Neighborinos get?
Thank you! We're really grateful to have so many neighborinos out there. When we first started, we thought our audience would be so small. We imagined this diagram with metal fans on one side and Simpsons fans on the other, and this tiny bit of overlap in the middle. It is not tiny, and that is awesome. At shows, our neighborinos continue to amaze this little ol Ned. They throw up a mix of devil horns and the hand gesture for OK at the same time. When we play the country bits of Panic Room, fans often form a square pit. It's like a circle pit, but a bunch of people hook elbows and square dance really hard. It's great to see everyone get excited about the band, and have such a great sense of humor at the same time.

Any other Members from Springfield planning to make an appearance at a show?  How does Homer take your success?
Our shows mainly feature Ned and more Ned, but we're supported by a network of Springfieldian personas; our manager, Reverend Killjoy, our guitar tech, Gearkeeper Willie, and a slew radioactive ex-plant workers as our roadies.

Homer has repeatedly sent fan mail to our PO Box. Usually it's addressed to the 'Four-eyed lame-os that wear the same stupid sweater every day' and just says 'screw Flanders' repeatedly.

You know, Cincinnati is right across the river from Northern Kentucky; the home of the Simpsons according to the "Behind The Laughter Episode” Any plans to visit Flanders country while you are in town?
Yep, we've got Springfield marked on our map, bordered, of course, by Ohio, Nevada, Maine and Kentucky.