Tenacious D & Supafloss

Supafloss, a “white boy” rap duo discovered by The D, opened the show, sounding something like early Beastie Boys. Seasoned actors Michael Rivkin (Grotzy Redoodyhouse) and Kirk Ward (Mister Twister), took turns stomping all over the stage. Rivkin, who met Black in college, kept the beat strong while Ward, donning a pink tie and matching pink socks, pounded out tough lyrics with a serious rant.

Next came Neil Hamburger, a retro-looking, dive comic with a greased comb-over, big glasses and an arm full of cocktails. Hamburger’s jokes were raunchy and vile, eliciting more contempt from the crowd than applause (save for the numerous times when he tried to rescue the act by pretending to introduce the The D, presumably waiting on deck).

The stage darkened and opened in a living room set, decorated like an apartment I once rented in Isla Vista: old couches with torn upholstery, a fridge covered with bumper stickers, a poster of old-school metaler’s, Dio, and a keg. With a rustle under the blanket covering the couch, out popped Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who picked up their acoustic guitars and started the show.

Black’s ability to communicate the emotions behind his irreverent, colloquial lyrics is evidently bolstered by his seasoned history as an actor. The stage was definitely his living room (no pun intended). He and Kyle busted out song after crowd-pleasing song into what turned into more of a heavy metal, rock opera than a traditional concert.

After the all-acoustic act one, Kyle was handed a mock “electric” guitar with a toilet seat as the body and strung with an orange, electrical extension cord. Jack plugged Kyle in, creating a theatrical short-out of the entire theatre, electrifying the two and sending them straight to hell. When the lights came back on, they were in Hades, clad with erupting volcanoes, molten lava and Satan himself (played by JR Reed). The rest of the band joined in, dressed as odd characters: John Konesky on lead electric guitar as the Anti-Christ, Brooks Wackerman on drums as Colonel Sanders, John Spiker on bass as Charlie Chaplin.

Reed came out portraying several crazy characters during the show, and the band rocked out to such favorites as Double Team, Flash, Sasquatch, Tribute, and #%&@ Her Gently. In act three, the show was closed with a medley from the musical Tommy. Kyle belted out Townsend’s powerful strum of Pinball Wizard while Jack sung a fine tribute to Daltry; the performance ended with a slick cover of See Me Feel Me.