【Friend Wife】

The Friend Wifefirst thing you notice behind the scenes with "Can It Kirkland" is that there is genuine fun happening. Unlike much of TikTok, it doesn't feel manufactured, cringe, or like fun that seems designed for engagement.

Real friends having real fun. What a concept.

"Can It Kirkland" is a TikTok series where a group of pals — who form the band Never Ending Fall — drink Costco-branded booze and name-brand booze and see if they can tell the difference. Thus, we get the name and concept: Can the Kirkland brand replace the booze you know by name?

The group filmed an episode at Mashable's New York City office, and the fun was one of, if not the primary, takeaway from the session: The band is having a blast making these TikToks.

"We frequently don't maintain our composure," said host and bassist John Hohman, in an email exchange with Mashable. "Sometimes we get completely off-topic and mess with each other. Filming 'Can it Kirkland' is always fun... After all, it's about hanging out and drinking with your friends."

If you spend significant time on TikTok, you've likely seen an episode of "Can It Kirkland." Some videos rack up millions of views, such as a recent one comparing gins and featuring minor MTV celebs. (By the way, it could Kirkland.)

It's a simple concept: bassist and host John Hohman dons a floral apron and tiny sunglasses and then hilariously shouts into the camera. The band's catchy "Can It Kirkland" tune plays. They pound shots or drinks and laugh. Whether or not "it Kirklands" feels immaterial. All that's changed from the first episode is they added a drinking disclaimer and stopped saying the name-brand beverage's name to avoid TikTok's censors.

It's a simple concept. Seeing a group of 20-something, creative folks drink and hang out makes for enjoyable content.

"We came up with 'Can It Kirkland' after we saw how cheap the alcohol at Costco was," wrote Tommy StClair, the drummer of Never Ending Fall. "We had just moved to LA in June of 2022 and were looking to save money, so we all got a membership together. After we saw the alcohol section at Costco, we jokingly talked about how 'I bet you wouldn't be able to tell the difference' and that 'we should do a taste test.' We had just made a band TikTok, so we decided to diversify our posts and make a taste-test video."

The first post did relatively well, but the band was seeing millions of views by the fourth in the series. More than a year later, they're on Season 3 of the series and grabbing celebrity cameos. They even sell "CIK" gear. Of course, it's definitely in service of furthering the band's goals.

"It has helped our band," said Hohman. "'CIK' helped us leverage a ton of fans across the U.S., got us in the eyes of talent agencies and record labels, helped us go on tour, and boosted our Spotify streams."

The band has over 50,000 monthly listeners on the platform and plays guitar-heavy alternative music. Some of the songs are chill, some rock, some vibey. They're a good listen. But right now, it stands to reason their most-listened-to song is the "CIK" jingle. It just goes to show having fun on the internet can be rewarding.

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Though, of course, it's not all fun and games. OK, it is all fun and games, but sometimes the alcohol consumption looks painful.

"The worst was probably Prosecco. I almost drowned," joked Jack Miller, the band's vocalist and guitarist.

And the best alcohol?

"The most surprising has been spiced rum. It tastes exactly like Captain; you can't tell the difference," said guitarist Pearce Eisenhardt in an email.

Drink some booze, hang with your friends, upload the evidence online, and it's almost like you're doing a public service. There are certainly worse ways to promote your band.