I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: November 8, 2018] Tenacious D

I loved the first Tenacious D record and enjoyed the goofy film The Pick of Destiny.  It amuses me to no end that kid-favorite Jack Black is in one of the most vulgar comedy-metal bands ever.  I could barely find 30 seconds of curse-free material to show my kids.

I also didn’t realize that the band toured at all.  This is mostly just an oversight on my part, because it’s obvious that they do and have toured several times as a duo and a full band.

Well, S. and I were super excited to see them, even if I haven’t listened to their more recent stuff and she apparently only knew “Tribute.”  But hey it’s Jables and Rage Kage!

The crowd was very male (S. noted) and very tall.  We arrived later than we wanted to and were a little further back than was practical for people of our heights.  We probably should have moved to the side, especially when a group of really loud people moved in around us.  But we stuck it out and waited for the show to begin.

Opening act Wynchester told us we’ve never seen a show like this.  And they were right.

Tenacious D recently released a new album and an accompanying YouTube series called Post-Apocalypto.  I’m not really sure what the story is about (if it matters), but basically the D save the world from trump Jr and the KKK after having sex with martian dogs or something.  It doesn’t really matter.

I haven’t watched the series yet, and I was glad I didn’t watch it before the show because the band played clips of Post-Apocalypto as part of the story.

The stage was set up with a gauzy screen.  They projected the stills from the movie onto the screen.  I’m fairly certain Jack and the others were reciting their dialogue live.  When the narration was done, the visuals disappeared and you could see the band through the gauzy curtain.  It was simultaneously hilarious and cool and a little disappointing that they were behind a gauzy curtain.

What was also fun was that the sides of the stage were used for projections as well. So during certain songs, there was stuff going on at the edges of the stage too.

The movie started and it was incredibly, hilariously vulgar.  Cartoon penises and vaginas everywhere.  And preposterously hilarious lyrics to go along with it.

At some point Jack goes off into space without Kyle.  Jack was in a rocket window several feet off the ground–“Fuck Yo-Yo Ma“. I wonder if he was standing on a ladder or what they rigged up.

Later there is a Terminator-type robot (with Jack doing a humorously bad German accent).  They are sent on a quest to get a glowing green orb of power (which they had on stage!).

Jack also meets his own son (who is now an old man).  He’s a dick, it turns out.

It also turns out that trump Jr is using this orb to control the world using his laser beam eyes.  Kyle played a lovely flute solo during this song (“Colors”).

Somewhere along the line (spoiler alert), they save the world.  And as they saved the world, the curtain was pulled aside and you could see the whole band clearly.

Jack explained that they weren’t divas, they helped the roadies to clear the stage (pointing and saying, “yea, grab that there”).

And then they told us that unlike other bands, they were going to devote the second half of the concert to their greatest hits (how novel!).  And yes Jack is hilarious pretty much all the time.

They played a few songs from each of their albums.  Three songs from Rize of the Fenix.  “Rize of the Fenix” mentions the D tattoo that fans might have gotten rid of after the failure of The Pick of Destiny.  This crowd was so into it that I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them had D tattoos.  “Low Hangin’ Fruit” made good use of the sides and top of the stage for animation while the song was going on.

Jack even played the Saxaboom” which was pretty awesome.  The band rocked out this plastic toy massively.  Then they dedicated the next song to the hard-working roadies.

They moved on to The Pick of Destiny.  And this is where I started to really know the songs.  Unfortunately, the guy behind me knew the words and asides to every single song.  Mad respect, but he didn’t have to sing everything loudly, including the spoken word parts, right into my ear.  It was very frustrating.

But he couldn’t overpower the D when they played “Kickapoo.”

Then a red light shone on John Konesky as Jack and Kyle moved stage left to whisper to each other.  Had they noticed that something odd seemed to happen to John?  They had.  And that’s when he revealed that he was possessed.  And lo, he battled the D in a rock off which was totally awesome.  It was very heavy, with Konesky doing some great devil lead vocals and lead guitar shredding.

There was some dedication to “The Metal” as it kicked the asses of other kinds of music, followed by a loving tribute to “Dio.”

Then they played five songs from the debut.  And they were glorious.  The gets-stuck-in-your-head-but-you-can’t-sing-it-in-public “Kielbasa” was super fun.

But it was the live version of “Tribute” that was spectacular.

That seemed like a show-ender to me, but they added on a fun version of “Double Team” with Jack reciting the spoken word part of Van Halen’s “Panama” and then giving a tribute to local dudes Hall and Oates by singing some of “You Make My Dreams Come True.”

They left the stage for an encore break and then came back out and did a fun picture/ad for the internet.  I wonder if it will ever get used.  I am quite certain we were too short to be in it.

Jack said they never ask for song requests but they were going to tonight.  The guy behind me shouted “Wonderboy” which made me laugh because that’s what they normally play in that slot (according to setlists).  But instead, they played a surprise of “Jesus Ranch.”  Jack said people are going to have no idea what this song is.  It was great to hear it and hilarious at the end when Jack said “we need to practice the deep cuts, dude.”

I was a little bummed that they didn’t throw in “Wonderboy” after that, because it is a great song.  But they ended with a hilarious take on “Fuck Her Gently” which the entire crowd sang along to (a crazy thing to witness).

It was a petty incredible show.  Just don’t get in front of a guy who knows all the words and whose mouth is the same height as your ear.

1. Part 1:
2. POST-APOCALYPTO THEME
   (song played on tape alongside opening credits)
3. Film: “Chapter 1 – Hope” (snippet)
4. HOPE
5. Film: “Chapter 2 – Cave” (snippet)
6. MAKING LOVE
7. Film: “Chapter 2 – Cave” / Film: “Chapter 3 – Scientists” (snippets)
8. TAKE US INTO SPACE
9. Film: “Chapter 3 – Scientists” (snippet)
10. FUCK YO-YO MA
11. Film: “Chapter 3 – Scientists” / “Chapter 4 – Robot” (snippets)
12. DADDY DING DONG
13. Film: “Chapter 4 – Robot” (snippet)
14. ROBOT
15. Film: “Chapter 4 – Robot” / “Chapter 5 – Donald” (snippets)
16. COLORS
17. Film: “Chapter 5 – Donald” / “Chapter 6 – Home” (snippets)
18. JB JR RAP
19. WOMAN TIME
20. SAVE THE WORLD
21. POST-APOCALYPTO THEME (REPRISE)
22. Part 2:
23. Rize of the Fenix
24. Low Hangin’ Fruit
25. Saxaboom
26. Roadie
27. Kickapoo
28. Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) (with John Konesky as Satan)
29. The Metal
30. Dio
31. Kielbasa
32. Tribute
33. Double Team (with Black performing parts of “Panama” by Van Halen and “You Make My Dreams” by Daryl Hall & John Oates)
34. Encore:
35. Jesus Ranch
    (First time with full band since 2009)
36. Fuck Her Gently