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Comedian Jack Black ‘deadly terrified of’ NK

December 2, 2014

Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass, left, and Jack Black (Courtesy of Private Curve)

By Lee Ji-hye

Actor and musician Jack Black brings his band Tenacious D to Seoul this weekend, but a performance in Pyongyang looks unlikely anytime soon.

In an email interview ahead of his group’s maiden performance in the South Korean capital, the 45-year-old actor, best known for his roles in comedies “School of Rock” and “Shallow Hal,” gave his thoughts on his visit to the divided peninsula.

“We are deadly terrified of the North, but we can’t wait to visit the South.”

“We know that the nation is split in two, the North and the South, just like the yin and the yang,” he wrote.

Expressing his excitement towards visiting “the most technologically advanced country in the world,” Black asked, “Will there be robots?”

The band will perform at Jamsil Olympic Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

Black met band mate Kyle Gass and formed their duo when they starred together in the television series, “Tenacious D: The Greatest Band on Earth.”

The band released its first album with the eponymous title in 2001, which was followed by two others.

“We’ve heard so much about Korean BBQ _ we hear it’s the best!” Black said, adding that the duo were eager to try out some bibimbap.

“We heard there was a popular dish where you mix rice, vegetables, meat, where you mix everything then add some hot paste to it,” he explained.

For their Seoul concerts, Black revealed that three additional musicians will be joining them on stage, calling themselves the “Furious 5.”

“We will be like the meat, and they will be like the delicious sauce that goes with it,” he explained.

“We will be performing our particular brand of rock ‘n roll and pretty much share with Korea our story through our songs,” Black said, “We are going to give Korea the full force of our sonic power.”

After the release of their most recent album in 2012, “Rize of the Fenix,” Black said that there will be a follow-up album to come, along with a new movie starring the duo.

“We’ve only just begun,” he said, adding that there will be a web series as well.
Their Seoul gig is their fourth stop following concerts in Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan.

“We are going to bring to Korea what Korea has never seen before,” he said.

“We have heard the cries of the Koreans.” Black said. “They need our rock ‘n roll to save them, and we are coming.”