Anthony Carone plays keys in popular Canadian band, Arkells - and he's dad to a two year old son named Oscar, which makes him a great fit as the next dad in the A Dozen Questions with Dad series.
I've been a fan of Arkells for a few years now, and have had the chance to see ( and write about) Anthony and the band play live at WayHome, Toronto's Budweiser Stage, and at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa over the last few recent years. Ollie loves to jam out to their songs, and if we're having a dance party (that isn't exclusively Disney) there's a strong chance that an Arkells jam will be included.
Watching Anthony on stage is a lot of fun, the band is a lot of fun, so to get him to answer these dad life questions is a great window into something different than what I already knew of him.
BUT before we get to that, Arkells dropped a new single this week called Quitting You and you can hit play to watch the video and listen to the song now!
Give Anthony a follow on and for more Arkells content, his life as a dad, and his perspective on life and the rest.
Thanks to Anthony for playing along. Check out his answers to A Dozen Questions with Dad now!
A Dozen Questions with Dad - Anthony Carone
Q1. What is your favourite curse word alternative to use around the kids?
I try to sub in "fudge" when I can, but I have quite the potty mouth, so there are many slip ups.
Q2. What is your favourite thing to watch with your kids? (TV, movies, YouTube, etc.)
Oscar's favourite movie right now is Coco. He loves the music (I even bought the sheet music so I can play some of his favourite songs). It's always fun watching that with him because his reactions to certain scenes evolve with every new watch.
Q3. Which kids program from your childhood do you wish was in HD and still relevant now for your kids?
Care Bears.
Q4. Which fictional dad (TV, movies, books, comics, etc.) do you like to think you most resemble or would you want to resemble as a dad?
Maybe not represented as a 'dad' on his show, but Mr. Rogers. It would be an incredible feat to be as level-headed, empathetic, sympathetic, wise, etc, etc, etc as Mr. Rogers, but I won't pretend I don't fantasize about it.
Q5. What is the one toy your kids love that you wish would go missing? (past or present)
I actually don't mind Oscar's toys (yet). We did put his kid drum set in the basement though because instead of playing it, he was just picking it up and tossing it around the living room. Not cool.
Q6. Which of your hobbies/interests have you or do you hope to pass on to your kids?
Both my partner and I are creative types, and it would be amazing to see Oscar's creative juices flow the older he gets. That said, I love politics, and it'd be really cool to see Oscar become politically involved.
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Q7. Do you have a go-to meal for daddy cooks or solo daddy dinner night?
Oscar is obsessed with shrimp. My go-to is a sesame shrimp stir-fry, as I know he'll always wolf it down. He's also obsessed with pancakes, so I'll hit those for him maybe once a week.
Q8. Do you feel like you were sufficiently warned about how many times you'd get hit in the nuts as a dad?
Luckily, I have not been hit in the nuts yet. And I definitely just jinxed that just now.
Q9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how close is your experience as a dad to what you thought it would be before you were a dad?
ooh, that is tough. Okay, I would say a 5. I don't think I realized the hardships involved, especially early on, or how different life is after having a child. That said, we are best buds. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for him, and I'm so happy to have met him.
Q10. What is the most challenging thing about being a dad for you? (ie. discipline, organization, leaving to go to work, helping with school work, explaining the world. etc.)
Interestingly enough, the thing I thought would be hardest (leaving to go to work) has kind of been put on hold because of Covid. Up to this point, bottle feeding and sleep training have been the toughest moments for me. We're about to potty train though, so I will report back.
Q11. Can you share a proud dad moment or memory with us?
There's a moment in Coco when Miguel is singing a song his great-great-grandfather wrote for his great-grandmother. I got a little choked up, and Oscar turned and gave me a kiss. Dude is 2, and is way more emotionally in tune than I will ever be. That one goes to mom.
Q12. What significant yet simple piece of advice would you give to other dads or dads-to-be?
Dads-to-be. Have your shit together (emotionally). Any past traumas that you've shoved down, or put neatly in a box in the attic are 100% going to come back up no matter how good of a job you think you've done. No matter how big, or how small, it's inevitable, and will make things much harder for you. Don't be afraid to face that stuff before you meet your little one, it will only make you a stronger and better dad.
Thanks again to Anthony. Ollie and I can't wait to see what's next for him and the band - and to watch Oscar grow up too.
performance photos: for thereviewsarein.comAnd here are 2 photos I love from the day Ollie and I met Trish at Toronto's Union Station for the Rally Cry release event.
