The internet is great for turning random people into momentary stars, then allowing them to fade out into nothingness. But don't you wonder what ever became of all those strange characters you see in funny YouTube clips? Sure you do! Usually you're only left with your own conspiracy theories. But one person at MetaFilter came up with a crazy idea: call somebody! That's how he helped solve the mystery of Sonseed, the totally captivating Christian ska band whose Christ-tastic "Jesus Is My Friend" recently became a viral YouTube hit, only to be accused of being a fraud. Oh, they're only too real: MetaFilter user nickskye actually looked up the lead singer of Sonseed, Sal Polichetti, and called him up. They are no hoax, says Sal (who also sent Idolator a kind of nasty letter saying the same thing earlier this month):

The band got together around 1979/1980, kind of an accident through a friend, Joseph, connected with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, they all met, played for Pentecost Sunday. They kept in touch, met, prayed for an hour, all Catholic. It was quite innovative at that time, no Catholic rock music then. How he wrote the songs, the band members took hymnals, added guitar solos and drum solos, ended up doing local concerts at churches and schools, never took a dime. 18 to 20 rotating performers at one time.

This is a heartening story of a viral hit that turns out to be not viral, but real. And about Jesus! Watch it in wonderment once again:

[Metafilter]