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ON THE COVER:
Jarod Palmer of Intruder Alert! Soda-free & on tour with Millionaires


By Matt Muñoz, Bakotopia Editor
Photos by Joseph Gomez

Armed with a laptop and keyboard, musician Jarod Palmer has been giving his ever-growing fan base more than just a one man show.

Under his stage moniker — Intruder Alert! — Palmer, 22, blew out this summer’s Rockin’ Roots fest at Stramler Park, and now joins previous Bakotopia cover girls and MySpace phenoms, Millionaires, on a sold-out national tour as their keyboardist.

Thanks to the wonders of e-mail, Bakotopia caught up with Palmer — somewhere between Portland, Ore., and Utah, on 7/31/08.


Jarod Palmer

Q: How would you describe your one man musical jam?

A: Intruder Alert! is something that was never meant to be.

After taking a music tech class at CSUB, I used all of my college money to buy a studio set up for myself. I wanted to better learn how to master songs, so I began writing songs of different styles to practice mixing down and mastering. Eventually those songs came together to form my first album, “In Seconds or in Lifetimes.”

Q: How long have you been performing as Intruder Alert?

A: My first show as Intruder Alert! was at Backstage July 13, 2007.

It was my CD release show and was intended to be the one and only. I quickly realized the potential Intruder Alert! possessed and started playing shows every opportunity that arose. I have Sarah Fiske, Pete Madera, Codie Boy and The Dome to thank for my early exposure.

Q: What’s it like touring with Millionaires, and how did you get hooked up?

A: Touring with Millionaires is the only way to go! haha...

The girls are extremely nice and are always fun to be in the presence of.

Their fans are very supportive and every show on the tour so far has been sold out. If you haven’t been to a Millionaires show, you are definitely missing out on a huge dose of life. The shows are a party and we usually end up with a stage-full of kids by the end of our set.

I met Millionaires for the first time on a mini-tour I did with Brokencyde in March. I must have made a lasting first impression with my performance  because a few months later, I got a text from Melissa Marie from Millionaires asking if I wanted to be the new keyboard player for their first nationwide headlining tour.

I happily accepted the offer, and now I’m living life on the road with three amazing girls.

Click on cover below to read the Bakotopia interview with Millionaires!


Q: Any bizarre stories to speak of while on tour?

A: I was on tour with Kill Paradise and we just finished our show at Club Retro with a local called Vyncent Flaw.

We headed to Taco Bell for a bite and chilled in the parking lot while we ate. I noticed a man sitting up hunched over in the front seat of his car and I joked to everyone, “Dude, this guy is deadskie.” After an hour of inactivity from the body curiosity grew, so we walked over and knocked on his window.

The guy didn’t even a flinch. So my drummer took a firecracker and tried to toss it near his car to see if he would react to the noise, but it ended up exploding on his window! It wasn’t until Max from Vyncent Flaw broke out a mega-phone and began talking in his Monty Pythonesque voice, “Excuse me sir ... are you dead ...”

The man finally looked up and that’s when we peeled out and bounced.

Q: What can Bakersfield fans look forward to from Intruder Alert?

A: I’ve been blessed with being able to hang out and tour with some of the greatist artists in my genre. I’ve been exposed to a vast array of new musical styles and flavors. Expect all my recent experiences to influence my new material, which I’m working on at the moment.

My current album, “In Seconds or in Lifetimes” will be on iTunes within the next couple weeks worldwide! Watch out for a full line of new merch — along with a new twist to the live show.


Jarod Palmer

Q: Any bizarre factoids we should know about you?

A: I haven’t had a drop of soda, lemonade, raw tomatoes, or raw citrus fruits and juices for about six years.

Back during my junior year, summer vacation in high school, I drank tons of 7-up everyday. Near the end of vacation, I started getting terrible stomach pains that made me feel like I was on fire from the inside of my stomach. After having the doctor put a camera down my throat, we discovered that I no longer had a stomach lining!

So I slowly learned what I could and couldn’t have. In some ways, I’m glad that it happened. I’m a healthier person because of it.

All in all, I end up saving roughly $950 a year on soda …Think about it.

Get tour dates and music at:

www.myspace.com/intruderalert

Story also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 34, 8-7-08