Kyle Gass

Kyle Gass

Kyle Gass performing live, 2006
Born Kyle Richard Gass
(1960-07-14) July 14, 1960
Walnut Creek, California, US
Other names KG, Kage, Rage Kage, Klip Calhoun (Trainwreck).
Occupation Guitarist, songwriter, actor
Years active 1993–present

Musical career

Genres Comedy rock, heavy metal, hard rock, acoustic rock
Instruments Guitar, vocals, flute, recorder
Associated acts Tenacious D, Kyle Gass Band, Trainwreck, Piper Green, Wank, Whiskernuts, Freeloaders
Website www.tenaciousd.com, www.thekylegassband.com
Notable instruments
Martin Guitar, Gibson Guitars, B.C. Rich, Taylor Guitars

Kyle Richard Gass (born July 14, 1960),[1] also known as KG,[2] is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is a member of the comedy rock band Tenacious D, winner of a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance,[3] alongside longtime friend Jack Black. He also has his own supergroup called Kyle Gass Band which he formed after the break-up of his first side-project, Trainwreck in 2011. In Tenacious D, Gass plays lead guitar and sings backup vocals, and also plays the role of Black's comic foil in most of their comedy routines. He is the godfather of Black's son.[4][5]

Early life

Kyle Gass was born in Walnut Creek, California, and has a brother, Matt.[1] He attended Las Lomas High School, where he played flute in the marching band.[1]

Acting career

Gass was featured in several episodes of the television show Fear of a Punk Planet, which has since been released on DVD. He has also made an appearance as a lawyer in the Good Charlotte video for "Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous". Along with Black, Gass made a comedic appearance as a hapless airplane mechanic in the Foo Fighters' 1999 video "Learn to Fly."

Gass acted in the feature film Jacob's Ladder which stars Tim Robbins. Gass made a cameo appearance with Michael Richards in the Seinfeld episode, "The Abstinence". Gass appeared in the comedy Elf as an inept author of children's books. He has played small roles in many of Black's films (Year One, Kung Fu Panda, Shallow Hal, Saving Silverman, The Cable Guy, etc.). Gass appeared in season 9 of Friends as a mugger, as the porn director in the 2008 teen film Extreme Movie, Walrus Boy in Wieners, and as the dirty trucker in the men's room in the 2008 film Sex Drive. He starred in the movie Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, alongside Jack Black. Gass had a cameo role as a singing karaoke cowboy in the 2007 movie Wild Hogs. In October 2008, Gass appeared as the character Decatur Doublewide in the film Lower Learning.[6]

He auditioned for a role as a demon in the pilot episode of Reaper, directed by Kevin Smith, but he wasn't hired, to Smith's disappointment.[7] He also appeared in the 22nd episode of 2nd season of 2 Broke Girls as the special effects guy (Also known as 'Cookie Guy').

Music career

While appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on November 15, 2006,[8] Gass claimed to have been the youngest graduate of the Juilliard School of Music with a degree in classical guitar studies at the age of 13. It should be pointed out that Juilliard did not have a guitar program in 1973, but began its graduate level guitar program in 1989 under Sharon Isbin, and its undergraduate program in 2007. Earlier, in an article in the Sunday Times on October 29, 2006, Black stated that Gass was the youngest graduate of Juilliard.[9] On May 13, 2008, Gass was a phone in guest on the Adam Carolla Show. When Adam Carolla asked him "... And did you go to Juilliard?" Kyle replied "I didn't. I—you know, I made that up as a joke," he continued, "and I thought it would be hilarious, and then I've been hearing about it ever since. Apologies to Juilliard."[10]

Gass is featured as a minor character in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend (of which Jack Black plays the lead role), in which he portrays Kage the Kannonier, a self-pitying giant in charge of a mortar cannon.

Gass stars in a web show, Guitarings, with John Konesky.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1990 Brain Dead Anaesthetist
1990 Jacob's Ladder Tony
1993 Mike the Detective Phil
1995 The Barefoot Executive Joe
1996 Bio-Dome KG
1996 The Cable Guy Couch Potato
1997 Bongwater Guitarist
1999 Idle Hands Burger Jungle Guy
1999 Cradle Will Rock Larry
2000 Almost Famous Quince Allen
2001 Saving Silverman Bar Dude
2001 The Zeros Reed / David
2001 Evolution Officer Drake
2001 Shallow Hal Artie
2002 The New Guy Mr. Luberoff
2003 Elf Eugene
2006 Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny KG
2007 Wild Hogs Lead Singer
2007 Monkeys Uncredited
2008 Kung Fu Panda KG Shaw
2008 Wieners Walrus Boy
2008 Dead and Gone Reverend Grass
2008 Lower Learning Decatur Doublewide
2008 Sex Drive Trucker
2008 Extreme Movie Director
2009 Year One Zaftig the Eunuch
2010 Barry Munday Jerry Sherman
2011 High Road Winter Wierdo
2012 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! Lester
2014 Book of Fire Sal
2015 Circus Circus

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Seinfeld Smoker Episode: "The Abstinence"
1997 Tenacious D Himself All
1999 Fear of a Punk Planet Fire Marshal
2000 Manhattan, AZ Merv Episode: "Lt. Colonel's Boy"
2001-2002 Undeclared Eugene Episodes: "Eric Visits Again" "Eric's POV"
2001 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Episode: "Sweet for Brak"
2002–2003 Fillmore! Mr. Collingwood (voice) 2 episodes
2003 Friends Lowell Episode: "The One with the Mugging "
2003 Player$ Himself Episode: "Tenacious D a la Mode"
2004 Cracking Up Naked Man Episode: "Panic House"
2004 Tom Goes to the Mayor Trapper Kyle Episode: "Beat Traps"
2005 Living with Fran Rocker Dude Episode: "The Concerts"
2006 The Jake Effect Ceissner Recurring
2007 The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show Himself Episode: "Break Up"
2011 FCU: Fact Checkers Unit Himself Episode: "Excessive Gass "
2012 Femme Fatales Willoughby Flagler Episode: "Gun Twisted"
2013 2 Broke Girls Buzz Episode: "And the Extra Work"
2013 Ghost Ghirls Hawk Olsen Episode: "Spirits of '76: Part 1 & 2"
2014 The Birthday Boys John Allison Episode: "Freshy's"
2015 Drunk History Fred Eaton Episode: "Los Angeles"

Music videos

Year Video Role Label
2001 Tenacious D - Tribute KG Epic Records
2001 Tenacious D - Wonderboy KG Epic Records
2001 Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently KG Epic Records
2001 Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous Lawyer Epic Records
2006 Tenacious D - POD KG Epic Records
2006 Tenacious D - Classico KG Epic Records
2009 Trainwreck - Tim Blankenship Klip Calhoun Jo Jo Entertainment
2010 Trainwreck - Brodeo Klip Calhoun Jo Jo Entertainment
2012 Tenacious D - To Be The Best KG Columbia Records
2012 Tenacious D - Low Hangin' Fruit KG Columbia Records
2012 Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix KG Columbia Records
2012 Tenacious D - Roadie KG Columbia Records
2012 Tenacious D - Rock Is Dead KG Columbia Records
2015 Kyle Gass Band - Our Job To Rock KG Space Horse Records

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kyle Gass AKA Kyle Richard Gass". NNDB. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Biography". The Kyle Gass Band official website. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  4. ↑ Johnston, Neala (January 11, 2007). "Tenacious and talented". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  5. ↑ "Profile: Jack Black". Metro. November 2, 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  6. ↑ "Kyle Gass – Actor, producer, Screenplay – Variety Profiles". Variety. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  7. ↑ SModcast #8
  8. ↑ "Episode 15 November 2006 of Late Night with Conan O'Brien". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  9. ↑ Rees, Jasper (August 29, 2006). "Dude, where's my guitar?". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  10. ↑ "Podcast of interview with Kyle Gass". The Adam Carolla Show. 97.1 FreeFM. May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
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