Jack Black on the show that changed his life: “Genius”
Rock and roll isn’t necessarily meant to exist in a digital space. Even though half of the population sees their favourite music as something that lives inside of their speakers on their computer or inside their phone whenever they pass the aux cord, there’s a magic that comes from that music coming alive onstage that goes beyond just a catchy tune. It’s a communal experience at that point, and Jack Black knew that he was seeing something extraordinary once he saw Elliott Smith play in his prime.
Granted, someone like Smith wasn’t really known as David Lee Roth when it came to stage presence. He put on many great shows during the late 1990s, but it was always about trying to make something that was a lot more personal for both him and the audience to share.
Just look at the construction of half the songs on Either/Or. There’s the occasional lift in the track, but the appeal of it is being able to see Smith for the real person he is without the guitar in his hand half the time. Even when writing songs like ‘Between the Bars’ for big blockbusters such as Good Will Hunting, it always felt like you were being invited into his little world whenever he strapped on his guitar.
Although Black’s stage presence in Tenacious D feels like the polar opposite of what Smith was able to do onstage, he still couldn’t deny the power of hearing him play, remarking, “I saw Elliott Smith at a little club called Largo. I’m not exaggerating; it was the most life-changing moment. You could hear a pin drop and he was playing that song, whatever it is, that waltz one [‘Waltz #2’], and I swear I felt tears welling up. I was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s a genius.’”
While it’s hard to really say that Smith had any major impact on a band meant to be a joke, Black actually might have pulled some more from Smith in the way he controls his voice. Whereas Smith’s breathy tone is meant to bring out the intimacy of every one of his songs, Black’s commanding voice makes you honestly believe that you are listening to one of the greatest bands to have ever graced the planet.
And it’s not like Black couldn’t do Smith’s songs justice, either. Despite not remembering some of the lines, he ended up going back to Largo after Smith’s passing to do a performance of ‘Say Yes’ with Jon Brion on piano, which is probably one of the most sincere vocal showcases that he has ever given.
Whereas Black feels more at home in a band like Tenacious D, his mentality behind getting the audience’s attention might be on the same level as the folk singer-songwriter. They may approach their craft from two completely different angles, but both men know the power behind making a song work with just an acoustic guitar. Black might get people to pay attention almost by force, but Smith was one of those gifted songwriters who was able to pull you in subtly with every single word he said.
