Tenacious D are another one of those bands that I never familiarized myself with, despite countless people suggesting that I rectify that. I know the premise—it’s a comedy duo who play clever and catchy songs. I’m a fan of Jack Black’s movies, especially High Fidelity, but know nothing about nothing about Kyle Gass or the rest of the band.

This DVD collects a live set in London from June 2023, plus their animated film Post Apocalypto, and some music videos, too. It seemed like a thorough starting point for someone like myself.

“Kickapoo” opens things up with Gass and Black’s acoustic guitars before hard rock ideas enter, and it isn’t long until the folk-rock presence of “Wonderboy” arrives and makes great use of Scott Seiver’s drumming. Deeper into the set, “Sax-a-Boom/Max-a-Boom” showcases Black’s impressive range and playful storytelling in a harder hitting setting that’s not without melody, too.

Close to the end of the night, “The Spicy Meatball Theme Song” is an a cappella and vocally harmonic moment that segues into the romantic and bare “Fuck Her Gently.”

The Post-Apocalypto songs include the cautious “Hope,” where strings enter the powerful delivery that welcomes Dave Grohl’s vocals, and the elegant yet gritty storytelling of “Robot,” which is quite dreamy.

The music videos are highly interesting. They cover Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” note for note while frolicking at the beach in their underwear, and “...Baby One More Time” places Black’s deep pipes into the Britney Spears classic. “Time Warp” exits this portion with a rowdy, bouncy and animated take on the Rocky Horror Picture Show tune.

Black is a great singer with a booming and impressive range. The songs are more... graphic than I anticipated, which isn’t a bad thing, and it’s pretty easy to see why Tenacious D have a devoted following. I could definitely see myself enjoying their live show and will be watching this DVD again.

Rating: B+

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