Tenacious D facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tenacious D |
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Kyle Gass (left) and Jack Black in 2023
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| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1994–2024 (on hiatus) |
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Tenacious D is a comedy rock band from Los Angeles, USA. It was formed in 1994 by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Their music is known for Jack Black's fun singing style and Kyle Gass's acoustic guitar playing.
Before their first album came out in 2001, Tenacious D had a TV show on HBO. They became friends with musician Dave Grohl, who plays drums for the band Foo Fighters. This started a long friendship between their bands. In the late 1990s, Tenacious D opened for big rock bands like Weezer and Pearl Jam.
In 2000, they signed with Epic Records. The next year, they released their first album, Tenacious D, with a full band, including Dave Grohl. Their song "Tribute" became very popular, especially in the UK, Sweden, and Australia. In 2003, they released a concert DVD called The Complete Master Works, which sold a lot of copies.
In 2006, Jack Black and Kyle Gass starred in their own movie, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. They also released the movie's soundtrack as their second album. Even though the movie didn't do well at the box office, the tour for The Pick of Destiny was very successful. After playing at festivals for a few years, the band released their third album, Rize of the Fenix, in 2012. This album joked about their movie not being a big hit.
In 2013, Tenacious D hosted a comedy music festival called Festival Supreme in Los Angeles. In 2014, they won a Grammy Award for their cover of "The Last in Line" by Ronnie James Dio. In 2018, the band released an animated web series called Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto, along with an album of the same name.
Contents
- How Tenacious D Started
- TV Show and First Album (1997–2002)
- The Pick of Destiny Movie and Album (2003–2007)
- Rize of the Fenix (2008–2012)
- Post-Apocalypto (2012–2022)
- Recent Activities (2023–Present)
- Music Style and Impact
- Appearances in Film and TV
- Online Appearances
- Video Games
- Live Performances
- Other Projects
- Band Members
- Albums
- Images for kids
- See also
How Tenacious D Started
Meeting and Early Days
Jack Black and Kyle Gass first met in Los Angeles in 1986. They were both part of a theater group called the Actors' Gang. At first, they weren't close friends because Kyle was the main musician for the group, and he felt Jack might take his place.
In 1989, the Actors' Gang went to Scotland for a festival. During this trip, Jack and Kyle became friends. They bonded over music, and Kyle taught Jack how to play guitar. They often worked together on plays for the Actors' Gang.
Their first song was a serious one about Jack's girlfriend at the time. They later felt a bit embarrassed by it. Their second song came about when Jack heard the Metallica song "One" and said it was the "best song in the world." Kyle said they couldn't write the best song, but they could write a "tribute" to it. They spent three days writing "Tribute," and when they finished, they knew they had something special. This song helped them realize their talent for comedy music.
Becoming Popular
The band's first public show was at a coffee shop in Los Angeles. They called themselves The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon's Mischief. An actor named Harry Shearer, known for This is Spinal Tap and The Simpsons, was in the audience.
Their first real music show was in 1994 at a place called Al's Bar. They played "Tribute," which was their only song then. They asked the audience to vote for their band name. "Tenacious D" was a basketball term for strong defense, and even though it didn't get the most votes, Jack and Kyle decided to use it anyway.
David Cross, a comedian, saw them perform and invited them to open for his live comedy show, Mr. Show. Jack Black later got a role on Mr. Show in 1995. Tenacious D became well-known in the Los Angeles music scene. Other bands like Tool invited them to open their concerts. In 1996, they even had a small part in the movie Bio-Dome, where they performed their song "5 Needs." This was their first time appearing as Tenacious D on screen.
In 1997, Tenacious D was very popular in Los Angeles. A friend of Dave Grohl (from Foo Fighters) invited Dave to see them play. Dave Grohl loved their performance, and this started their friendship.
Tenacious D recorded some of their songs like "Tribute" and "Kyle Quit the Band" on a demo tape. They sent it to record companies, and HBO offered them a TV show based on their music and Jack Black's work on Mr. Show.
TV Show and First Album (1997–2002)
David Cross and his co-writer Bob Odenkirk helped create three half-hour TV shows for Tenacious D. The show, called Tenacious D, first aired on HBO in 1997. Only the first episode was shown that year; the other two aired in 2000. Kyle Gass said the show was canceled because HBO wanted ten more episodes, but they wouldn't let Jack and Kyle be in charge of the show's creative direction.
After the TV show, the band kept performing live. They met Dave Grohl again, and he was so impressed that he invited them to appear in the Foo Fighters' music video for "Learn to Fly." Tenacious D also started opening for famous bands like Beck and Pearl Jam.
In May 2000, Tenacious D signed with Epic Records. As Jack Black became more famous from movies like High Fidelity, the band recorded their first album, Tenacious D. It featured a full band, including Dave Grohl on drums, and other talented musicians. Jack Black said they wanted to use a full band because "no one's ever heard us with a band." Most of the songs on the album had been performed on their TV show.
The album Tenacious D reached number 33 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2001. It sold very well and was certified platinum in the US by 2005.
Their first song from the album, "Tribute", is about the "greatest song in the world" that Tenacious D claims they played to save themselves from a demon. The music video for "Tribute" was very popular. Their second song was "Wonderboy". The album also included "Dio," a song honoring rock singer Ronnie James Dio.
The Pick of Destiny Movie and Album (2003–2007)
Jack Black and Kyle Gass had always dreamed of making a Tenacious D movie. They had many ideas, and the first script draft was written in 2000. This early idea was based on songs from their first album and involved Jack becoming interested in Atlantis. They would meet Ronnie James Dio and go on a road trip. This idea was later changed.
In 2003, it was announced that the band would make a movie with New Line Cinema. Liam Lynch would direct, and Jack, Kyle, and Liam would write the script. Jack Black later announced the movie's title: Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny. The story would be about the band searching for a special guitar pick. Filming was delayed because Jack Black was busy with the movie King Kong. In 2004, Jack and Kyle performed songs from the upcoming movie soundtrack and said that Meat Loaf and Ronnie James Dio would appear in the film.
The movie premiered in London in November 2006. The soundtrack, also called The Pick of Destiny, was released on November 14, 2006.
The film was released worldwide on November 22, 2006. It didn't make much money at the box office, earning about $13.4 million worldwide against a budget of $20 million. The soundtrack, however, did well, reaching number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. The movie was released on DVD in February 2007. Jack Black later said that even though the movie didn't do well in theaters, it gained a loyal following through DVD sales.
To go along with the movie and album, Tenacious D went on The Pick of Destiny Tour. This was their first tour with a full band, including John Konesky on guitar, John Spiker on bass, and Brooks Wackerman on drums. The tour included their first show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Rize of the Fenix (2008–2012)
After The Pick of Destiny movie, Jack Black said he wanted to take a break from acting. But he also confirmed that Tenacious D would record a third album. He mentioned a new song called "Deth Star." In 2008, they announced they were working on the new album and a DVD called The Complete Masterworks Part 2. This DVD included a documentary about their tour after the movie.
Dave Grohl confirmed he would play drums on the new album, just like he did on their first two. In 2010, Jack Black said they were "about halfway through" writing the new album and hoped to release it by the end of 2011.
In 2011, Jack Black announced that three songs on the album would be called "Rize of the Fenix." In February 2012, the album title was confirmed as Rize of the Fenix, and it was released on May 15, 2012.
On March 26, 2012, Tenacious D uploaded a 6-minute video called 'Tenacious D - To Be the Best' to YouTube. This funny video showed the band's struggles after their movie didn't do well. It featured famous people like Val Kilmer and Dave Grohl. The video showed Jack and Kyle getting back together and making a new album.
The band released the entire album on their SoundCloud account on April 28, 2012. Rize of the Fenix officially came out on May 15, 2012, and received mostly good reviews from music critics.
Post-Apocalypto (2012–2022)
In June 2012, Jack Black said that instead of another movie, the band might make animated shorts for the internet. This idea became a reality when they were inspired to write a post-apocalyptic comedy in 2016.
In 2018, Tenacious D released Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto as six animated episodes on YouTube. They also released the album Post-Apocalypto at the same time.
On November 29, 2019, Tenacious D released a special 7-inch record called "Don't Blow It, Kage." In October 2020, they released a cover of "Time Warp" with a music video featuring many celebrity guests. This song helped encourage Americans to vote in the 2020 election. All money from the vinyl sales went to a group called Rock the Vote.
On July 1, 2021, Tenacious D released a tribute to the Beatles, covering two of their songs. The money from this release went to Doctors Without Borders. In September 2021, Jack Black said the band was working on their next album, which he called "a very big idea." He thought it might be released in 2024. In December 2021, Tenacious D announced a tour for Summer 2022 to celebrate 20 years since their first album.
Recent Activities (2023–Present)
On May 6, 2023, the band started The Spicy Meatball Tour and played a new song called "Video Games." The song's animated music video was released online on May 11. The tour continued into the fall and included their first shows in Australia and New Zealand in eleven years in July 2024. The band also announced a 'Rock D Vote' tour to play in five important states before the 2024 US elections.
However, Tenacious D later canceled their world tour, and Jack Black said their "creative plans are on hold."
Music Style and Impact
Tenacious D is a comedy rock band. Most of their songs are played on acoustic guitars, using strong power chords. Humor and jokes are a very important part of Tenacious D's song lyrics.
Appearances in Film and TV
Jack Black and Kyle Gass have appeared together in several movies, including Bio-Dome (1996), The Cable Guy (1996), and Saving Silverman (2001). In 2006, they starred in their own movie, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, where they try to become the greatest rock band by finding a magical guitar pick.
The duo also worked on the animated movie Kung Fu Panda, with Jack Black voicing the main character Po. Their cover of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" is played at the end of Kung Fu Panda 4.
Tenacious D has performed songs from their first album on TV shows like Crank Yankers and MADtv. They also appeared on Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Before their movie The Pick of Destiny came out, Tenacious D performed songs from it at the 2006 American Music Awards and on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. They were also musical guests on Saturday Night Live.
Online Appearances
Jack Black and Kyle Gass were interviewed by Tony Hawk in 2012 for an online show. They talked about comedy rock and other topics.
Video Games
The song "The Metal" can be played in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. "The Metal" and "Master Exploder" are also on the soundtrack of Brütal Legend. Jack Black voices the main character, Eddie Riggs, in Brütal Legend, and Kyle Gass voices Kage the Kannonier.
Live Performances
For the first twelve years, Tenacious D mostly played acoustic concerts, just Jack and Kyle with their guitars. They often felt nervous before shows. Jack Black once said, "It's a roaring crowd, and they may be roaring your approval, but it's still a scary, roaring crowd."
The band mostly played in Los Angeles for their first five years. In 1999, they went on their first tour. In 2001, they started playing at bigger venues, and many of their shows sold out. They toured with Weezer in 2001 and supported Kid Rock in 2002. They also performed in Europe and Australia.
In 2006, the band started their first big tour, The Pick of Destiny Tour, with a full backing band. This tour continued into 2007 across the US, Europe, and Australia.
After that tour, they played at big festivals like Reading and Leeds Festivals and Bonnaroo. In 2012, they launched their second major tour, Rize of the Fenix Tour. They performed in Germany for the first time, breaking their attendance records. They also toured Europe in October.
After the Rize of the Fenix Tour, the band did smaller acoustic tours in 2013 and 2015. In 2018, they launched their third major tour, Post-Apocalypto Tour, which became their biggest tour by 2019. In 2023, the band started their fourth major tour, the Spicy Meatball Tour.
Other Projects
In 2014, Tenacious D covered "The Last in Line" for a Ronnie James Dio tribute album. This recording won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
Tenacious D has appeared in music videos for other bands, including "Learn to Fly" by Foo Fighters and "Push" by Dio. Jack Black has also appeared in many music videos on his own, like "Low" by Foo Fighters and "Humility" by Gorillaz.
Jack and Kyle also sang backup vocals on albums for bands like Styx and The Vandals.
Trainwreck
When Jack Black became very busy with movies, Kyle Gass started his own band called Trainwreck. Kyle used the stage name "Klip Calhoun." The band also included JR Reed (who plays Lee in Tenacious D) and John Konesky. They released a live album and a studio album. Jack Black sometimes joined them on stage. Trainwreck broke up in 2010 but got back together in 2018.
Kyle Gass Band
After Trainwreck ended, Kyle Gass started a new band called Kyle Gass Band in 2011. They released their first album in 2013. The band's lead singer is Mike Bray, and John Konesky also plays electric guitar.
Guitarings
Kyle Gass and John Konesky had a YouTube show called Guitarings. It started in 2009 and continued in 2011 and 2012. The show offered guitar lessons for Tenacious D songs, interviews, and equipment reviews.
Band Members
- Jack Black – lead singer, rhythm guitar (1994–present)
- Kyle Gass – lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (1994–present)
Touring and Studio Musicians
- John Konesky – guitars, backing vocals (2005–present)
- John Spiker – bass, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2005–present)
- Scott Seiver – drums, percussion (2013–present)
Former Touring and Studio Musicians
- Brooks Wackerman – drums (2006–2015)
Albums
- Tenacious D (2001)
- The Pick of Destiny (2006)
- Rize of the Fenix (2012)
- Post-Apocalypto (2018)
Images for kids
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Kyle Gass (left) and Jack Black in 2023
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Tenacious D performing at the Leeds festival
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Tenacious D performing at Rock am Ring 2016
See also
In Spanish: Tenacious D para niños
