Kyle Gass Brings The Laughs And The Charm To The Green Room

I didn't know what to expect from the show at The Green Room on Monday night, but it was somehow a beautiful surprise and exactly what I thought it would be all at the same time. I went to the show for the novelty of it. I mean, come on, one half (or two-thirds as he said at one point) of Tenacious D? Who was I to say no to seeing Kyle Gass in a super intimate venue? Instead of just seeing a portion of Tenacious D, I ended up seeing a guy who just straight-up loves music, and, although it kind of caught me off guard, it made the night absolutely amazing.

Okay, let's call out the elephant in the room. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Tenacious D and Kyle Gass in particular. Long story short, Kyle said something on stage that he probably shouldn't have, and was instantly cancelled because of it. Tenacious D partner Jack Black (yeah, Kung Fu Panda Jack Black) instantly cancelled the rest of the tour they were on after it was said, and Tenacious D quickly broke up. It's a bit unclear whether the band is really broken up or if they made amends, but it seems like Kyle Gass is taking the time to focus on his own stuff, and, truthfully, I'm here for it. Now, I do not condone what Kyle said (I'm also not going to repeat it-- you can look it up if you want), but I think everyone deserves a second chance, so I was more than willing to spend my night with this man and look past that one comment he made. Was this the right choice? I don't know, but I know I had a great time on Monday night, and I will not apologize for that.

Tenacious D is known for quirkiness. Although Jack Black definitely steals the spotlight throughout most of their movies and their original TV show, Kyle Gass never just stood in the background. He always had something to add, a tasty lick on the guitar to contribute, or a snippy joke to make you smile. There was something special about him claiming the spotlight mostly to himself on Monday night (more on that later as I explain the band that joined him). He not only came off as hilarious and quirky as one would expect, but he also came off as a true musician. From his guitar playing to his singing and all the way to his recorder playing, I stood there absolutely stunned by the sheer talent that I was witnessing. It was almost a bit hard to digest, just since Kyle is such a character, but there were moments when I forgot I was watching half of Tenacious D, and more, just felt like I was watching this amazing musician who happened to have a sense of humor.

Before I talk about the actual show and music, I have to mention just how down-to-earth Kyle came off as. I mean, at the end of the day, we are all human, so it makes sense, but I don't think I expected him to start the set off by walking through the audience or stepping off the stage after just a song or two to do it again and get nice and cozy with the crowd. Maybe I have a skewed thought as to how big Kyle Gass is or how big a reach Tenacious D had and still has, but I was just a bit surprised. I loved it. This show was already intimate with a far from sold-out audience (although Kyle mentioned this was his biggest crowd yet-- also only the second day of tour), and his taking time to truly be one with the fans was a heck of a way to kick things off.

The set started with a Kyle Gass Band original, "Gettin' the Band Back Together," before moving into a cluster of covers. Kyle and the amazing band behind him covered everyone from Bad Company ("Can't Get Enough") to Cyndi Lauper ("Time After Time"). There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the covers that were picked, but, at the same time, each one seemed to highlight a different side of Kyle Gass, which just added to the intimacy of this performance. All of the covers were great, but it was when Kyle and the band started playing Tenacious D songs that the crowd really came to life. Starting with "The Pick of Destiny" before moving into an epic medley that included "Kickapoo," "Baby," "The Metal," and more, there was just no ignoring the electricity in the room while everyone sang along to these classics. After the epic medley, it was back to a few covers before the show ended with two of the arguably best Tenacious D songs, "Tribute" and "Fuck Her Gently" (not a kid-safe song but an absolute banger). Although the audience definitely seemed to wake up a bit more for those Tenacious D hits, I loved the fact that everyone in the modest audience was engaged, regardless of the song that was being played.

Kyle was in the spotlight throughout the night, but this show would not have dazzled as much had it not been for the backing band. Before Kyle even stepped on stage, we were treated to about thirty minutes of pure bliss from Mt. Air. I don't know much about this band and, truthfully, I'm not finding much online, but I know that they are absolutely a band to check out. The vocal harmonies that this trio gave during their opening set were nothing short of goosebump-inducing. Their laid-back, folksy jam rock kind of vibe was the perfect sound to ease people out of a manic Monday mood and into the joy that comes with being at a live concert. Every song was played with a sense of perfection, but also came with a personality that can only be called Mt. Air. Get hooked by the vocals, stay for the warmth. Mt. Air is a force of a band and a perfect choice as the backdrop for Kyle, as they were able to hold their own behind the larger-than-life personality, while also giving him space.

It wasn't just Mt. Air that joined Kyle Gass on stage. There was an additional guitarist who came up on stage and absolutely shredded alongside Mt. Air and Kyle. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to snag a name, but I need to mention them because their talent was huge and it complemented everything else happening on stage so perfectly.

I went to The Green Room on Monday night to see Kyle Gass of Tenacious D. I ended up seeing Mt. Air (an absolutely stellar band), and Kyle Gass- a man who genuinely just loves music. I didn't know what this show was going to be like or what to expect, but I know that I enjoyed every second of it.