Flight Of The Conchords Taking Off

One of these most memorable performances for me at SXSW in 2006 came from the self-proclaimed 4th most popular folk comedy duo of their native New Zealand, Flight Of The Conchords. At the Sub Pop showcase that Friday night in Austin, the duo of Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie took to the stage to sit on their stools. As they fiddled on their acoustic guitars and said hello, I had no idea what I was in for. Thinking it was going to some of the blandest folk music imaginable, I was instead rolling on the floor and in tears by the end of their set. Songs like "Jenny" and "Business Time" reminded me of Tenacious D, but it wasn't about the rock and being all vulgar. This time it was about making sandwiches and having two minutes in Heaven.

Well, a year and some change later, the Flight is following the way of the D by getting their own show on HBO. Premiering June 17th, Flight Of The Conchords tells the story of these funny men as they try to make it big in the music biz (and with the ladies) while shacking up in New York City. Sub Pop is finally getting around to releasing some material by them is well. The Distant Future! EP will be on store shelves August 7th, featuring "Business Time," a pair of live tracks, and this number from the upcoming premiere episode:



The Flight will be playing a handful of dates coming up next week here in the States, as they make their way to Bonnaroo. They're also slated to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 11th. And better yet, if you can't wait to see the premiere of Flight Of The Conchords the show, HBO has built a MySpace for the show where you watch the episode, in its entirety, right now.

Tour Dates:
06/12 - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia
06/13 - The Gramercy Theater - New York
06/14 - The Gramercy Theater - New York
06/16 - Bonnaroo - Manchester
06/17 - Bonnaroo - Manchester
06/30 - McCaw Hall - Seattle
07/11 - El Rey - Los Angeles