Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol’s film, unrelated to the iconic grunge band, blends the spirit of “Jackass” with the temporal hijinks of “Back to the Future.” The creators share insights into the challenges of capturing extreme silliness on film and how their approach has evolved since their daring 2007 web series.
If fictional bands were to be inducted into a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, legendary acts like Spinal Tap and The Rutles would undoubtedly be honored. However, the future of the duo conceived by Toronto friends Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol in their 2007-08 mockumentary web series, “Nirvana the Band the Show,” remains less certain. This series was later adapted for two seasons by Vice TV.
Johnson and McCarrol portray the incorrigible, down-on-their-luck characters of “Nirvana the Band” – a group with absolutely no connection to Kurt Cobain’s grunge pioneers. Their sole ambition is to secure a performance at Toronto’s Rivoli club. Despite lacking any actual songs, they embark on a series of outlandish stunts, many of which are captured amidst unsuspecting members of the public, all in an effort to promote their yet-to-materialize show. Their methods are extreme, ranging from smashing a display case at the Royal Ontario Museum and evading security guards to jumping onto the tracks of the Toronto subway. They are willing to go to any lengths, it seems, except for the straightforward act of asking the venue for a gig. Yet, practicality is hardly their strong suit. Upon receiving a cease-and-desist letter regarding their band name, they react with disbelief, questioning, “There’s already a band called the Band?”