Two of comedy’s most recognizable faces and voices, Ken Marino (‘Party Down’, ‘The Other Two’) and David Wain (‘Wet Hot American Summer’), have been close friends and collaborators since their college days at NYU’s film school. It only makes sense then, that both Marino and Wain share the music of their youth with each other, and lately, the twosome began playing rock and roll together.
And of course, the jams are flavored by their absurdist, non-sequitur brand of comedy.
Middle Aged Dad Jam Band was born, and now, Marino, Wain and special comedy guests—Weird Al Yankovich has showed up on more than one occasion— are on its first-ever tour with a July 20 stop at Ardmore Music Hall.
“David and I have always enjoyed going to see our friends who actually play music for a living,” said Marino during an interview from New York City. “David, too, has been playing drums his whole life. Once he and I and some other comic friends began doing jam sessions in David’s garage for fun, something clicked. I saw that as an opportunity to live out my lead singer fantasy.”
Along with mentioning how the greatest of drummers from rock and roll legends such as The Rolling Stones (Charlie Watts) and The Police (Steward Copeland), and “of course, Keith Moon,” have forever been his inspiration, Wain is quick to remind Metro that all of Middle Aged Dad Jam Band’s live material is spiked with laughs.
“Being on stage like this allows us to inject each set with humor… a lot of funny stuff,” he said. “But mostly, this is a chance to show off the music that we love in the realest way that we know.”
Wain is quick to remind Metro that one of the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band’s pals, an occasional contributor, is Craig Wedren, the beloved guitarist and composer for Showtime’s frightening ‘Yellowjackets’ series. Wedren and Wain grew up together in Cleveland and together made the trek to NYU as teens.
“We met Ken on our first day in college, and immediately recognized a kindred spirit,” said the drummer-director. “We started collaborating there-and-then, and haven’t slowed or stopped for the last 35+ years.”
Does the occasion of playing garage rock change when someone known for major league rock outs joins the fun of Middle Aged Dad Jam Band?
“That is the joy behind all of this,” said Wain, whose favored mode of playing is 1980’s alt rock and new wave (Marino is fond of New Orleans R&B and 60s soul hits). “It’s like going to Rock and Roll fantasy camp and being able to play among the pros… But 100-percent do I see the connection between being on stage doing music and doing comedy.
“I love—we love—being able to make people laugh. There is a different high and a different form of fulfillment from each of those things, but they both involve having a short hand with the people you are working with. In both respects, we are putting on a show as Middle Aged Dad Jam Band with entertaining audiences as we have for decades.”
For more information and tickets, visit ardmoremusichall.com
