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Tenacious D

This article is about the band. For their eponymous album, see Tenacious D (album).

Tenacious D
Tenacious D playing guitars onstage
Kyle Gass (left) and Jack Black (right) of Tenacious D performing at Rock am Ring in 2016
Background information
Also known as
  • The D
  • The Greatest Band in the World / on Earth
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1994–2024 (hiatus)[1]
Labels
Members
Websitetenaciousd.com

Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles in 1994 by the actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The name is derived from "tenacious defense", a phrase used by the NBA basketball sportscasters Walt Frazier and Marv Albert.[2] Their music showcases Black's theatrical vocal delivery and Gass' acoustic guitar playing.[3] Critics have described their fusion of vulgar absurdist comedy with rock music as "mock rock".[4][5] Their songs discuss the duo's purported musical and sexual prowess, their friendship and cannabis usage, in a style critics have compared with the storyteller-style lyrics of rock opera.[6][7]

Prior to the release of the 2001 debut album Tenacious D, the duo had a three-episode TV series released on HBO between 1997-2000. The series came about after the band met David Cross on the LA music scene and Black featured in episodes of Mr. Show with Bob and David.[clarification needed] The band befriended Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, which began a relationship between Foo Fighters and Tenacious D.[8] Towards the end of the 1990s, the duo supported large rock acts such as Weezer, Pearl Jam, Tool, and Beck.[4] In 2000, they signed with Epic Records and the year after they released Tenacious D, their debut album featuring a full band, including Grohl. Their second single, "Tribute", achieved cult status, contributing to their popularity in the UK, Sweden and Australia.[9] In 2003, the band released The Complete Master Works, a concert DVD, which was certified platinum.[10]

In 2006, the duo starred in a film, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, and released the soundtrack as their second album, The Pick of Destiny.[11] The film was a box office failure and received mixed reviews, but the Pick of Destiny tour was successful, with performances at venues including Madison Square Garden.[12] Following years of sporadic festival dates and special appearances, the band released their third album, Rize of the Fenix, in 2012, making light of The Pick of Destiny's commercial failure.[13] In 2013, Tenacious D hosted the comedy music festival Festival Supreme in LA. In 2014, they featured on Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life, a compilation album to raise funds for cancer. Their cover of "The Last in Line" won the Grammy Award for best heavy metal performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.[14] In 2018, the band began independently releasing an animatic hand-drawn web series, Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto, and released the album Post-Apocalypto.[15] In 2024, Tenacious D cancelled a tour and put their work on hold after Gass made a controversial joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

  1. ^ Sharf, Zack. "Jack Black Cancels Tenacious D Tour and 'All Future Creative Plans' After Kyle Gass' Remark on Trump Assassination Attempt: 'I Was Blindsided by What Was Said'". variety.com. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  2. ^ Bryan, Steve. "Black tells origin of 'Tenacious D'". Stltoday.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference dynamic duo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "AMG Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
  5. ^ Schaer, Cathrin (December 12, 2004). "Tenacious D: Mock'n'rollers". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2007.
  6. ^ Fry, Ted (November 22, 2006). "Sympathy for the devil: Rockers seek Satan's pick". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
  7. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (November 21, 2006). "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
  8. ^ "Dave Grohl interviews Tenacious D: Kerrang! November '06". Fooarchive.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  9. ^ Hung, Steffen. "australian-charts.com - Tenacious D - Tribute". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  10. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "Tenacious D tell us all about the Pick of Destiny". EW.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  12. ^ NME (December 2, 2006). "Tenacious D play in iconic New York venue". NME. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "Tenacious D Talks Comeback, the Death of Rock and How to Write the Best Song Ever (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  14. ^ "Tenacious D". GRAMMY.com. May 22, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (September 28, 2018). "Tenacious D on Their Wild New Animated Series 'Post-Apocalypto'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2018.

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