Tenacious D might be the greatest band in the world. It's
certainly the funniest.
By Mikael Wood
Tenacious D is, by its own estimation, the greatest band in the
world. An acoustic duo featuring actors
Jack Black and Kyle Gass,
the D began their campaign for greatness with a short-lived HBO
series in 1999 that became a cult favorite among fans of sketch
comedy and
heavy metal (a potentially fertile combination, as This
Is Spinal Tap proved over two decades ago).
Since then, the D have released a self-titled CD (with Foo Fighters
front man
Dave Grohl on drums), toured the world, and, most
recently, starred in their own big-budget movie, Tenacious D in the
Pick of Destiny, which retells the tale of the D's ascension with
special effects and cameos by
Meat Loaf and
Ben Stiller. There's
also a soundtrack disc featuring gems like "Dude (I Totally Miss
You)." We got Black and Gass on the phone and had them rap about
their rock.
The Pick of Destiny has
taken a long road to movie theaters. You guys have been talking
about the film for two or three years.
Jack Black: There was a danger that there would never be
a Tenacious D movie. But now here we are.
What goes into a process that long?
JB: A lot of sitting in silence with your
head in your
hands, squeezing the brain juice to get that perfect idea. A lot of
that.
The Pick of Destiny is
just one side of Tenacious D. There are also albums, TV shows,
music videos, and live shows. Which one best represents the band's
aesthetic?
Kyle Gass: I think the live show.