Portland music news: December 19, 2008

And then some...

New England Music News

Class of the Titans

Clash of the Titans: Tenacious D vs. Spinal Tap at the Big Easy, December 17

Hypothesis: If a band perform a tribute to a parody musical act, does it create a meta-textual black hole from which no form of entertainment can escape? Answer: A surprising, resounding "no."

• Tenacious D
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• Spinal Tap
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• Spinal Tap
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Since debuting the weekly Clash of the Titans series in 2007, the Big Easy has found a way to elevate the so-called "tribute act" from dive bars and county fairs to a legitimate local phenomenon. The formula is simple: Take two similar artists, say, ABBA and the Bee Gees, assemble two bands, one for each artist, from the crème de la crème of the local music scene, then have them go song-for-song until a winner is declared by the audience. Originally slated as a summer-only series, the Clash has proven so successful that this year's was extended through the winter.

This week's Clash, in which joke-rockers Tenacious D took on fictional heavy metal legends Spinal Tap, was one for the ages. Led by possibly the world's greatest Jack Black impersonator, the would-be Tenacious D had their work cut out for them against the fright-wigged, bespandexed Spinal Tap simulacrum. Tenacious D emerged victorious, due in no small part to an underwear-clad acoustic version of crowd favorite "Fuck Her Gently." Goofy costumes, wild stunts, and local musicians pretending to be their favorite bands for a day: the Clash of the Titans in a nutshell.

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