Tenacious d lyrics and Tenacious d guitar tabs, Tenacious d pictures and biography

Rightfully hailed as the greatest band on Earth, the super-sized acoustic
metal/comedy duo Tenacious D was an unlikely success story. Actually,
Tenacious D was probably so successful precisely because they were so
unlikely: few people would imagine that two chunky guys bashing on acoustic
guitars, singing songs like a tribute to the greatest song in the world
(because
they forgot how the greatest song in the world went after conquering the Devil
with it) became one of the biggest cult bands of the late '90s and 2000s. But
the sheer charisma, humor, and energy -- not to mention inspired songwriting
-- of singers/guitarists/actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass
(aka JB, Jables, KG,
and Kage, among other aliases) took them from L.A.'s underground comedy
scene to their own series on HBO and a major-label album deal.
The crazed, wide-ranging sense of humor and intensity that Black brought to
Tenacious D also made him a sought-after character actor, appearing in films
like Bob Roberts, The Cable Guy, and Saving Silverman; Gass' film career
includes supporting roles in Jacob's Ladder, Idle Hands, and Evolution. Similarly,
the D's act showcased Black's theatrical, versatile vocals and Gass' deft support
on the guitar in seemingly stream-of-consciousness songs about smoking pot,
the duo's musical and sexual prowess, and subjects straight out of Dungeons
Dragons, as well as in equally absurd and inventive sketches.
The duo met at an acting class and began playing together in 1994, making
their live debut later that year at Al's Bar, playing just one number, the
aforementioned homage to the world's greatest song, Tribute. In the audience
that night was comedian/actor David Cross, who invited Black and Gass to
appear with him and other like-minded performers such as Ben Stiller and Janeane
Garofalo in a series of alternative comedy shows. The D soon headlined shows
at venues like Pedro's and Largo, planting the seeds of a die-hard cult following;
not even their inauspicious film debut in 1996's Bio-Dome slowed their momentum.
The following year, their appearances on Bob Odenkirk and Cross' brilliant HBO
sketch comedy program Mr. Show With Bob and David and a 1998 performance
of Sex Supreme -- which sang the praises of a minage ` trois with KG and JB --
on Saturday Night Live hinted at the duo's just-beneath-the surface popularity,
which began to rise into the mainstream with the group's 1999 HBO series.
Though it lasted just three episodes, Tenacious D included, among other
adventures, the group's search for Inspirato, the cosmic creative force; the love
triangle between Black, Gass, and a heavily pierced, Satanic clog dancer who
threatened to destroy the group; and the discovery of Lee, Tenacious D's biggest
fan. More of the D's brilliantly dumb songs debuted on the show, and fans began
trading and auctioning video and audiotapes of Tenacious D. The duo also played
opening gigs for friends like Beck, Pearl Jam, and the Foo Fighters and embarked
on their first full-fledged tour; Epic won a bidding war to sign the group. In 2000,
Black's popularity and prominence as an actor grew with roles in films like
Jesus' Son and, especially, High Fidelity, where his turn as the larger-than-life
record store clerk Barry made him a bona-fide star. Meanwhile, the group worked
on a self-titled debut album with the Dust Brothers, Dave Grohl, Phish's Page
McConnell, Redd Kross' Steve McDonald, and other friends.
In 2001, the D's momentum hit critical mass: The group set out on their second
nationwide tour, playing significantly larger venues than before and selling out
many of their dates. And, despite an attempt to recall Tenacious D at the last
moment because of its back cover, which depicted two babies chained to an altar,
their debut entered the charts at a surprisingly strong number 33. Meanwhile,
Spumco, the production company of Ren Stimpy mastermind John K., crafted
an appropriately witty and raunchy video for the single Fuck Her Gently, and,
last but not least, the duo continued work on a Tenacious D movie.