Jon Cozart – Laughter Ever After

With over two million subscribers to his YouTube channel and fifty two million views and counting for his first Disney parody video After Ever After, Jon Cozart is something of a sensation as a singer and songwriter online. His vocal talent is all the more incredible to hear in person, as he performs some of the songs which made him famous, as well as some new material, but this is not all that his first live show contains. Cozart’s performances in fact help him tell the story of how he became a YouTube sensation, with brilliant use of technology in the four screens behind him used to show some of his early videos, as well as accompany and harmonise with himself during his songs.

Jon Cozart delights with his witty, heartfelt music

Cozart tells his story with great warmth and humour, expressing delight with this being his first time in the UK – “You guys have castles! In Texas all we have is dirt and high rises and steel!” – and discussing the reason he wanted to become a YouTube star; they get paid money to stay inside and be introverts. I’m an introvert, he exclaims, yet I’m here on this stage. What am I doing? Cozart is self-deprecating in his jokes and storytelling but also makes some surprisingly poignant points, especially when he explains his motivation in creating the After Ever After series; having achieved his dream of becoming a YouTube star with his viral hit Harry Potter in 99 Seconds, he went on to college and had to become a grown up, supposedly leaving that dream behind. In the series, he theorises about what became of the Disney princesses after all their dreams came true, and none of their endings are happy; a fantastic blend of vocal talent and creativity.

As well as performing some of his parody songs, from Disney and Harry Potter to a parody of boy bands in collaboration with Peter Hollend, Cozart also premieres some fantastic new material in his show. Here he displays his musical talent beyond singing, playing both the ukulele and the piano in a song about YouTube culture and another from his as yet unfinished musical about The Hunger Games. Cozart’s talents lie not just in parodies and poking fun at himself, and the YouTube culture he is part of, however, but in writing more serious artistic material as well, as seen in the song he wrote for his girlfriend about her break-up. The song itself is beautifully crafted and a poignant moment amidst the fun of the rest of the show but, in typical Cozart fashion, it is prefaced and followed up by amusing anecdotes.

Charming and humble, thanking his audience for their applause after every song and even hosting a small Q&A session, Jon Cozart delights with his witty, heartfelt music, and a blend of light humour and storytelling that’s entertaining for everyone, YouTube savvy or otherwise. Here’s wishing him a happy ever after for the rest of his time here in Edinburgh!