Festival Supreme: Tenacious D returns with a Stunning Tsunami of Comedy and Music

Jonny Whiteside

The second edition of Festival Supreme, mutant brainchild of Tenacious D’s Jack Black and Kyle Gass roars into the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center with a kaleidoscopic array of diverse performers and the promise that this year’s edition  “will leave all other comedy and music festivals crying in the dust.”

A highly unusual and ambitious whirlwind of talent, ranging from comedy and music to magic and DJs, it is certain to provide a dizzying, non-stop course of riffs, hocks, and plenty of surprises. While the lineup bristles with an army of well-regarded comics/actors like Jerrod Carmichael, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Ron Lynch, Margaret Cho, and plenty of rock and roll, courtesy of Tenacious D, the freewheeling desert stoner sound of Eagles of Death Metal and a rare appearance by the Cartoon Network Adult Swim’s spawned phenomenon Dethklok Metalocalypse, the Festival Supreme is nothing if not a wide-open, an all comers welcome brawl.

The deliberately unpredictable format welcomes all manner of performers from offbeat trash-surf stink stirrers of Tulsa Skull Swingers to a rare visit from the brilliantly powered wigged top masters of effete rock satire, the Upper Crust, and the well regarded close harmony country-Americana vocal, Haden Triplets, a trio with a unique pedigree.

The Hadens, Tanya, Petra, and Rachel, are the triplet daughters of the late great jazz bassist Charlie Haden. Born in a life of music that naturally spanned both the deep artistry of their father and the traditional hillbilly of their rural family background, each of the musical Haden offspring have, in various permutations, worked with the stellar likes of Weezer, Foo Fighters, Green Day, and Beck. Their current debut album, The Haden Triplets is a collection of old school folk, honky tonk, and country tunes produced by the esteemed veteran roots overlord Ry Cooder.

But their inclusion at Festival Supreme has a certain ties-that-bind inevitability to it. “The fact that Jack [Black] and Tanya are married,” Rachel Haden recently told EV, “has nothing to do with our being on the bill!”

“But, it really is a family affair, with Jack putting it together. He was always a fan of ours, he used to come to our shows long before he and Tanya were married.” She said. “We all went to high school together, and he used to come out and support whenever we played and well, I guess, he fell in love with Tanya and they got married. And when he suggested that we play it this year and how could we not do it?

“It really is sort of unusual, a music and comedy festival, but definitely with the emphasis on comedy. Everyone on it is really talented so it will be great. I sang with Neil Hamburger on it last year and it was wonderful. So now we’re trying to figure out exactly what we should do. We haven’t discussed and any specific material but, it is close to Halloween, so we’re thinking maybe Triplet Zombies? I don’t know.

“Tanya is really funny and she doesn’t even realize it herself, so who knows? Maybe she’ll bring some of her puppets onstage, maybe she’ll bring her kids out. We’ve got to figure out something but right now I don’t even know how long our set is!

“With all these fantastic people, I mean–Cheech and Chong? And Fred Armisen, he is an old friend of all of us. And Dr. Demento! I used to listen to his radio show late at night, in bed, when I was a kid. I loved him.” She said. “I am really looking forward to that, the whole thing is going to be great. And it does all feel very familial, like the old ‘let’s put on a show!’ thing. I can’t wait.”

Festival Supreme will be held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo center on Saturday October 25. Tickets are available here.