“We’re Gonna Come Back”: Kyle Gass Talks 2024 Trump Joke Fallout and Jack Black Friendship
Looking back, 2024 was a fever dream for everyone, but for the guys in Tenacious D, it was a straight-up nightmare. If you need a refresher on how to derail a legendary rock comedy career in under ten seconds, ask Kyle Gass. One minute you’re on stage in Sydney, Australia, celebrating your 64th birthday, and the next, you’re the subject of international headlines, deportation calls, and a very public breakup with your bestest friend, Jack Black.
An Ill-Fated Birthday Wish
It’s been a while since the incident, and Gass is finally opening up about the “tsunami of sh*t” that went down after his ill-fated birthday wish involving Donald Trump. The interview drops some serious truth bombs about his relationship with longtime partner Jack Black, the panic behind the scenes, and why the D isn’t dead just yet.
Kyle Gass’s Bad Joke That Almost Ended Tenacious D
Context is everything, but timing is the only thing that matters in comedy. Gass learned that the hard way. During that fateful show in Australia, just hours after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, musician Black brought out a birthday cake. When asked to make a wish, Gass improvised: “Don’t miss Trump next time.” Yikes.
In a recent chat with Rolling Stone, Gass admitted that his internal monologue at the moment was way off. He thought he was being edgy, maybe even ahead of the curve. Instead, he walked right off a cliff. “I’m human, I made a mistake,” Gass confessed, acknowledging that if there was ever a “too soon” moment in history, that was surely it.
The fallout was nuclear. We aren’t just talking about angry tweets; we’re talking about Australian senators demanding the band be kicked out of the country and Black issuing a statement saying he was “blindsided.” The tour was immediately canceled, the creative plans were shelved, and for a minute there, it looked like the Greatest Band in the World was history.
Why Jack Black Had to Walk Away
Here is where the internet scrutiny got fairly intense. When Black announced he was canceling the tour and putting the band on hold, fans were divided. Did Black throw his rocker buddy under the bus to save his family-friendly movie career?
According to Gass, it’s not that black and white. There’s no bad blood there. Gass admits that the situation hit “Defcon 2” immediately. There were genuine safety concerns for the band and their families. When actual threats start rolling in, the joke stops being funny.
“He had to protect himself from his loose-cannon partner,” Gass said, showing a surprising amount of empathy for Black’s position. They are on different paths – Black is a massive movie star with an entire empire to protect, while Gass is the rock-and-roll wild card. Gass didn’t begrudge Black for doing what he had to do to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t a betrayal; it was actually damage control.
Kyle Gass’s Apology (and Why It Failed)
The aftermath was messy. Gass posted an apology on Instagram, which he wrote himself, trying to quell the rage. Then, in a move that confused everyone, he deleted it days later. Why? Because it felt like a “dead fish” just sitting there. He realized the apology wasn’t fixing anything, and keeping it up just felt… all kinds of wrong.
To add insult to injury, Gass’s agent dropped him the next day. Gass threw a little shade in his recent interview, suggesting the agent was just looking for an excuse to cut ties after years of Gass turning down projects. Talk about kicking a man when he’s down.
Is Tenacious D Coming Back?
Despite the chaos, the canceled gigs, and the political firestorm, the friendship at the core of the band survived. Gass compares his relationship with friend Black to a 40-year marriage. You fight, you separate, you cool off, and you come back together.
“Jack and I are all good,” Gass confirmed. They’ve hashed it out. The dust has settled. In fact, they even quietly released a cover of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You” for a charity album recently, proving the musical chemistry is still there.
So, what’s the verdict on a full-blown reunion? Gass isn’t just hopeful; he’s making big promises. He claims Tenacious D will return, and when they do, “it’s gonna be bigger than Oasis,” he told Rolling Stone. That is a tall order, but if anyone can turn a political scandal into a rock opera comeback, it’s these two.
