Humor and rock ‘n' roll can make for a very potent combination: When properly done, the artist is distinguished from his peers, celebrated for both wit and musical proficiency. From Frank Zappa to Flight of the Conchords, "Weird Al" Yankovic to Ween, comedy rockers not only provide a musical gateway for fans of funny, but also bring a little levity to a genre prone to taking itself too seriously.
Among these artists is Trainwreck, a band of delightfully silly southern rockers comprised almost entirely of musicians who perform and record with Tenacious D. In the absence of Jack Black, they carve out their own niche in the genre, donning stage outfits and playing shows in character. Last Wednesday at Showcase Live, they proved themselves an entertaining, talented and vital group.
Initially, however, the concert gave all indications of being, well, a train wreck. For example, the band's website, ticket listings and advertisements all included the subscript "with Kyle Gass," as if those involved lacked confidence in the band's ability to draw an audience without a familiar name.
More unsettling than that insecurity was the actual venue, which rests in the looming shadow of an empty Gillette Stadium, 40 minutes outside of Boston in Foxboro, Mass. The concentration of cars outside the doors showed promise of a strong audience showing but was misleading; most of those patrons were at the movie theater next door. There were less than thirty concertgoers in a swanky 1,000−person−capacity room that featured a plethora of high−def televisions and a bar that spanned nearly the entire space. Worse still, most of the crowd was seated at the bar, in booths or at tables.
There was a palpable air of apprehension as Trainwreck took the stage, looking out on an empty floor, but the tension soon dissipated. Adorned with mullets, moustaches, leather vests and overalls, the band launched straight into "T.W. Theme," a rollicking bluegrass−tinged number that commanded the audience's full attention. Frontman Daryl Lee Donald (Jason Reed, or "Lee") and guitarist/vocalist Klip Calhoun (Gass) then bantered about the velvet ropes surrounding the floor, encouraging everyone to join them, front and center.
After gathering attendees together into a unified audience, Trainwreck followed up with "Runnin'." Here, the band's years of road−tested experience became immediately apparent: The frequent stops and starts, accompanied by freeze−frame poses, were fantastically tight and well−timed.
Each member had a chance to shine apart from the group. Klip, in addition to providing vocals and guitar, also busted out a flute on a good number of songs. Chief among them were Jethro Tull−esque "Rock Boulder Mountain" and "El Mustachio," a jazzy tune that would surely garner Ron Burgundy's approval. The rockabilly number "John Bartholomew Shredman" — named after the guitarist (John Konesky) — existed solely to allow band members to show off their skills in turn and inspired a genuine hootenanny in the audience as they stomped, clapped, linked arms and swung each other around to the music. Shredman lived up to his name, firing off speedy licks with finesse, while Boy Johnny (John Spiker) proved he could simultaneously walk the bass and do a jig. To cap it all off, Daryl got a washboard solo.
The humor, though much tamer and kinder than Tenacious D's, still relied on gleeful irreverence and occasional crudeness. One minute, Klip was informing the audience of their newly available vinyl records (a wonderful investment opportunity), while the next, Daryl, as animated and energetic as one could wish a front man, taught the audience how to "milk the cobra" during the boogie shuffle of the same name. Later, they acknowledged their young male−centric audience with "Brodeo," a pun−filled tribute to bros and their lifestyles everywhere (proclaiming, "We'll sing our manthem all across the lands").
At this point in the evening, Trainwreck had yet a few tricks up its sleeve, pulling out some interesting and adept covers. Johnny nailed "What a Feeling" from "Flashdance" (1983) with the pipes of a pop diva, and the final song, "Whole Lotta Rosie" by AC/DC, was given a country−fried makeover, complete with bluegrass−style backing vocals.
Directly following the show, the band adjourned to the merchandise booth to sign autographs and spend some time with the fans, who will never again doubt the power of Trainwreck.
