Review: TBS' 'Wedding Band' rocks, but only occasionally laughs
Brian Austin Green fronts a likable but bumpy new comedy series
Peter Cambor, Derek Miller, Brian Austin Green and Harold Perrineau in "Wedding Band."
Credit: TBS
Of the many things TBS’ new one-hour comedy series “Wedding Band” (tonight at 10 p.m.) has on its plate, it gets the most important one right: the wedding band itself.
The group, a rock quartet called Mother of the Bride, performs both the wedding standards (but often with a twist, like a bluegrass version of “I Will Survive”) and more unexpected tunes (“Hollaback Girl,” “I Love College”) with enormous amounts of energy and charm. The series’ music producers are Steven Gold and Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger, each of whom have plenty of experience of making fake bands seem plausible. Their work, along with that of the show’s stars — notably star Brian Austin Green as the band’s lead singer Tommy — completely sell Mother of the Bride as a group that, while probably not good enough to make the big time, I’d be absolutely happy to have play the next wedding, bar mitzvah or retirement party I attend.
This is no small thing, even on a show with such modest aims and laid-back atmosphere as “Wedding Band,” which co-stars Peter Cambor as lead guitarist and bored suburban dad Eddie, Derek Miller as Eddie’s goofy drummer brother Barry, and Harold Perrineau as the band’s new bassist Stevie, a veteran session musician happy to be part of an ongoing thing. The challenge in any project about a fictional performer is making them seem as good or bad as the script demands them to be. The Schlesinger-penned title tune to “That Thing You Do!” is exactly as catchy as required; you believe that song could become instantly popular, and therefore you go along with the rest. On the flip side, you have the sketches on “Studio 60,” or Tom Hanks’ stand-up routine in “Punchline,” neither of which are funny and cause the story around them to fall apart.
“We are an indie wedding band!” an indignant Barry declares at one point, and he seems to be telling the truth.
Because I quickly came to like Mother of the Bride — and because Green has become a much more likable and confident actor since his “Beverly Hills 90210” days(*) — I was willing to forgive “Wedding Band” a lot, including the fact that there aren’t enough good jokes to support a half-hour version of the series, let alone an hour.
(*) It’s not hard to imagine “Wedding Band” as a stealth “90210” sequel (as opposed to what’s currently airing on the CW) where David Silver has fallen on hard times in his 30s, and evolved from his Color Me Badd-listening, hip-hop DJ-ing days to front a rock band. They just need to book Ian Ziering as a groom-to-be, and all will be right with the world.
Given the length, I’d be inclined to call this a dramedy, but there’s nothing that’s even attempting to be serious here. “Wedding Band” is a straight-up romp, full of comic misunderstandings — two of the three episodes TBS sent out for review feature men having to explain, in all sincerity, that it’s not what it looks like when they’re caught with their hands on a woman’s breasts — complicated schemes (Eddie wears a wire so the other guys can keep him from inadvertently offending his wife) and other wacky hijinx. Occasionally, the show strikes a rich comic vein, like Eddie teaching childless bachelor Tommy about the value of sanitary wipes, but most of the series feels more pleasant than funny. If anything, the most overtly comic moments are often the clunkiest, and made me wish the guys were back onstage somewhere, whether the full group, or some sub-section. (In one of the episodes, Stevie and Barry duet on “West End Girls” with a cello and glockenspiel.)
And yet there’s a likability to it that occasionally reminded me of another one-hour comedy that loved music, NBC’s “Ed,” and the varied nature of the parties the guys play evokes Starz’s late, lamented “Party Down.” (Though both thoses shows were much, much funnier.) Sometimes, charm is enough, especially on a Saturday night at 10 o’clock, and if it comes with good music along the way.
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupGlenn
November 10, 2012 at 3:50PM EST Reply to CommentBrian Austin Green was awesome on both Freddie and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, so I'm excited to check this out.
Col Bat Guano
November 10, 2012 at 4:10PM EST Reply to CommentWhere's Walt?
ireneinidaho He's hiding out in Charming, ready to take over the club when Jax and Tara split.
November 10, 2012 at 5:28PM ESTAmber Ha, I said the same thing this morning except I went with the dreaded "where's my boy?!" line
November 11, 2012 at 11:34AM ESTDJ Doena
November 11, 2012 at 7:51AM EST Reply to CommentI really, really enjoyed it.
I never watched the original 90210 even though I was in the correct age group (I was much more fascinated with Star Trek and Babylon 5 at that time).
But I've come to enjoy the actors of this time. BAG on Terminator: TSCC and his short stint on Smallville and James van der Beek as himself on Apartment 23.
DJ Doena
November 11, 2012 at 7:51AM EST Reply to CommentI really, really enjoyed it.
I never watched the original 90210 even though I was in the correct age group (I was much more fascinated with Star Trek and Babylon 5 at that time).
But I've come to enjoy the actors of this time. BAG on Terminator: TSCC and his short stint on Smallville and James van der Beek as himself on Apartment 23.
A Musician Who's Actually Played Weddings
November 11, 2012 at 3:53PM EST Reply to CommentMother of the Bride are likeable enough, I guess, but not really believable as an actual wedding band.
For one thing, most wedding clients are not interested in - and actually are put off by - the sort of musical "creativity" that leads to bluegrass versions of disco songs. What they want are only the most familiar, danceable songs, played as much like the original record as possible.
Also, an all-male, two-guitar lineup is not conducive to covering much of the music required for these sorts of gigs. In the real world, it's likely MOTB would need at least a female singer and a keyboard player to reproduce the range of songs their clients would want.
That's not to say that a band like this could never get a wedding gig, but they'd be a niche act at best in any city with a decent number of musicians. The groups that really do this sort of thing a lot tend to follow a familiar template, something the creators of this show either missed or just decided to ignore because they thought their idea would be more entertaining. "Wedding Band" could end up being a fun show, but as with most things on TV, it's not a realistic representation.
Chris We see BAG playing keyboards in rehearsals - presumably this is something he sometimes does in performance.
November 11, 2012 at 4:25PM ESTThe bluegrass version of I Will Survive is played at what appears to be a hoe down of some sort - clearly a crowd that might enjoy such a rendition.
I'm sure the show gets a few things wrong, but it doesn't feel like anything you point out is so egregious to blow up my suspension of disbelief for a comedy show.
Ted Schmoesby gotta go with Chris here. as someone who has been to a number of different types of weddings in different cities over the years, this band would more than pass and in many cases would be an improvement. your rant seems way off base and overly sensitive to your experience
November 12, 2012 at 12:35PM ESTjon88
November 11, 2012 at 4:34PM EST Reply to CommentMajor suspension of belief required, in that bands such as this get their booking months in advance, not week-of. But I otherwise liked it. (Are we allowed to talk about the unbilled actor who played the faux-British leader of the rival band?)
Kikishua
November 11, 2012 at 7:58PM EST Reply to CommentOk, you sold it to me. I'll give it a go.
Haynie
November 11, 2012 at 9:11PM EST Reply to CommentSurprised nobody else has mentioned the fact that the drummer is a grossly ripping off Jack Black's entire persona from Tenacious D and "School of Rock." It's like I'm watching an impersonation.
Ted Schmoesby I know right? everyone knows that Jackie B owns the patent on the overweight goofball ne-er-do-well dreaming music guy with a heart a' gold!....and I own the patent on sarcasm!
November 12, 2012 at 12:40PM ESTBen Kabak Ted's here all week, folks.
November 13, 2012 at 11:07AM ESTmrbilliam
November 11, 2012 at 9:43PM EST Reply to CommentIs music part of the reason that Ed has never been released on DVD? I should clarify that I've never actually watched Ed, but thought it might be a good show to look up.
Tom Armbruster
November 14, 2012 at 9:12AM EST Reply to CommentIf I got goosebumps from MotB's version of "Making Love (out of nothing at all), how many valuable style points do I lose? The wife and I enjoyed the show. It made the DVR cut.
Joe Same here. That was never a song that I thought about too much, but their take on it was really well done.
November 15, 2012 at 5:07PM ESTGazrac
January 20, 2013 at 9:08AM EST Reply to Commentalthough i agree it's not laugh out loud funny, the music and the way the cast play off each other really make up for it, plus the ongoing storyline of Tommy & Rachel's will they? - won't they? has me intrigued. Overall i really enjoy the show and can't wait for it's return.