The artist Jack Black said will be here “in a hundred years”
He might be a jokester famed for his unique brand of comedy, but beyond the red-speedo-clad, water-drenched antics he entertained us with during the lockdown, Jack Black is, above all else, a music lover. As the frontman of Tenacious D, the star of School of Rock, and the sneering musical elitist Barry Judd in High Fidelity, compelling music has always been intrinsic to his career.
To assume the role of the unforgettable Barry Judd for a second, the musical layman among us might only know Jack Black for his roles in the Kung Fu Panda films, The Holiday, Jumanji, and most recently, his acclaimed appearance as the villain Bowser in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, a role he was destined for. However, Black is a multi-faceted character with many strings to his bow, and these titles only paint a one-dimensional picture of his broad scope.
Black formed Tenacious D in 1994 alongside longtime friend and guitarist Kyle Gass. They had met at their teacher’s house years prior, as both were members of the experimental drama troupe, The Actors’ Gang, demonstrating just how symbiotic his career’s musical and dramatic elements are.
Furthermore, given his age and the period in which he was developing his craft as a creative, Jack Black witnessed many culturally significant artists rise to prominence and shape the direction of popular culture. This includes grunge icons Nirvana, whom he has been a fan of since their 1989 debut Bleach. He was even fortunate enough to see them live during their peak in 1991, shortly after the release of their era-defining sophomore album, Nevermind.
On the 20th anniversary of the release of the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ record, Black recalled: “I was there for Bleach. Someone turned me on to that album, and I was just like, ‘Who are these guys that are changing music?’ Yeah, that was one of the times when it was like I had never heard anything like it before, and it was so compelling. It must have been similar to what it was like when people first heard Led Zeppelin or The Beatles.”
Black knows what he’s talking about regarding music. While it is easy to pigeonhole his work with Tenacious D due to their frequent use of prominent acoustic guitars, heavy metal textures, comedic lyrics and bombastic delivery, his taste as a consumer stretches far outside of this realm, as his list of covers over the years might suggest.
Unsurprisingly, given the nature of his musical efforts with Gass, Black is a lifelong fan of singer-songwriters who bring authenticity to the form, including Tom Waits. A fellow Californian who’s excelled at focusing on the intricacies of human nature, warts and all, brought to life with his trademark whiskey-soaked voice, he has made quite the impression on Black, despite their differing musical styles. The Tenacious D man also believes that the power of the Pomona native’s work will withstand the passage of time.
In light of the cultural significance and critical influence of releases such as 1975’s Nighthawks at the Diner and 1983’s Swordfishtrombones, it’s easy to agree with Black’s assertion. However, in proper form, he stretched the traditional conversation surrounding Waits. Offering the scope of his knowledge regarding his oeuvre, he used the 2011 album Bad as Me as the example of how the musician will remain in the conversation “in a hundred years”.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2012, Black said: “Those first three tracks are worth the price of admission. He’s so real; he’s gonna be here in a hundred years. Don’t you feel it? Objectively speaking, can’t you look at some people and go, ‘Hundred years — still gonna be here’?”