Tenacious D Destroys Cedar Rapids

Posted on September 26, 2022 at 12:00 AM by The Biker Lawyers

Jack Black and Kyle Gass Rock the River

The greatest band of all time was not in Cedar Rapids at the McGrath Amphitheatre…no, it was just a tribute!

If you know Tenacious D, you probably get that reference, but if you don’t, then you’ll have to read on and discover one of the greatest bands of all time!
First I must point out that indeed I saw another concert at the McGrath Amphitheater! That is 3 concerts in one year at a venue I have never been to ONCE in my 6 years of living in Iowa, how random is that? To their credit though, they have been booking concerts that I have really been into, so I am sure that helps immensely. It was a nice sweaty night, nearing the high 80s on a clear night’s sky and I was ready to see what Tenacious D was bringing to Cedar Rapids that night.

If you didn’t know, Tenacious D is a rock band featuring the two frontmen Kyle Gass and Jack Black. Yes, you heard that right, THE Jack Black, THE ACTOR! The guy you saw in School of Rock, Jumanji, Nacho Libre, and countless other movies. Even if you don’t know who Jack Black is, I am SURE you will have seen at least one movie of his somehow.

These 2 actors/musicians have been rocking the music scene as Tenacious D for a number of years. It is pretty rare when they actually tour, likely due to Jack’s film schedule. Heck, Tenacious D has its own movie if that tells you anything.

A Monstrous Crowd at a Sold Out Show

Now that you know who THE D is let’s talk about the show. The show that was ENTIRELY sold out months in advance. When I walked in I saw the longest line for merch I have ever seen! It was split up into 3 lines so long that they bled outside the concert area. I was lucky enough to snag a spot in line so I could get my wife a shirt which was pretty cool.

An Opening Act like No Other

The first act up though was a comedy DJ named DJ Douggpound. He was one of the oddest openers I have ever seen at a concert before. He showed his sweet mixes and then would stop the set to tell some bad jokes. He had the ‘awkward opening guy’ thing going on.

Plenty of people around me wondered what the hell we were watching, but it was so ridiculous that I found myself getting into it. I love a good strange thing to watch and DJ Douggpound was easily that. Since he was a DJ, there was very little tear down after his set, so we were able to get on to Tenacious D pretty quickly.

Tenacious D Takes the Stage

Then it happened, the lights went down and out walked Kyle Gass and Jack Black. It was very exciting. I have seen SO many rock stars in my life, but I rarely get to see an actor in the flesh. To top that off, I had NEVER seen Tenacious D before! It’s pretty rare when I get to see a band that I have never seen, so that was exciting for me!

They played a lot of new stuff that I had no idea about, but when they started playing stuff like Kickapoo, Dude I Totally Miss You, The Metal, and Tribute…it all came flooding back. It was a blast! They had the crowd engaged from the moment they walked on stage to their very last song, which of course, was ‘Fuck Her Gently’ where the WHOLE crowd sang along!

More Than Just Music

It was a fun evening and a rare one. As far as I know, the FIRST TIME that Tenacious D was in Cedar Rapids. The concert wasn’t just the music, it was a show that kept us wonderfully entertained from the first song to their last. Something tells me that the D will make their way back to the CR in the future.

About The Biker’s Ambassador of Rock

If you live in the Cedar Valley in Iowa, you probably know Ned. If not, you surely know his voice! Ned, the Music Director at Rock 108, is known for his energetic personality, wild spirit, and love for all things Live rock. In an epic collaboration with Rock 108, Ned will be presenting excellent inside experiences to our motorcycle riding community exclusively here so subscribe to the blog and check back every week to see what Ned’s up to next!

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