GWAR Goes Gosling with Cover of “I’m Just Ken”
The mighty GWAR is many things to many people. To politicians, they’re deviants; to fake blood suppliers, they’re insanely lucrative clients; and to bohabs everywhere, they’re their lords and masters. But if you haven’t been paying attention over the years, you may not know that they’re also massively successful cover artists.
For the first time in a few years, GWAR returned to the AV Club studio locked and loaded with what has to be the most unique cover of a song from last year’s hit movie Barbie. This time around, they took a blood-soaked axe to the Ryan Gosling track “I’m Just Ken.” Yet as the band is wont to do, they put their own spin on the track, instead calling it “We’re Just GWAR,” complete with reworked lyrics to fit their interstellar needs.
In regards to why the band chose “I’m Just Ken” from a rather long list of potential cover songs to make their own, BL0thR the Berserker said it really came down to being a fan of the man behind the movie’s plastic facade.
“We’ve been fans of Ryan Gosling since the Mickey Mouse Club days, and like most terrifying intergalactic heavy metal superstars, we simply adore musical theater. This just made sense.”
This isn’t the first time GWAR’s taken a track and made it their own for AV Club’s Undercover Series. In the past, they’ve performed their own renditions of “Carry On, Wayward Son,” “Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” “West End Girls,” “She Bop,” and “If You Want Blood“, though some of those covers included their original frontman, Oderus Urungus.
Speaking of GWAR’s return, Paste Media president Josh Jackson he couldn’t think of a better choice for the series’ revitalization.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to bring back AV Undercover than with the band responsible for one of my favorite episodes. GWAR once again knocked it out of the park, completely making a song from the Barbie movie all its own.”
Aside from performing this cover, the band has some tour dates coming up. You can find those dates below.
GWAR 2024 ‘The Age of Entitlement’ Tour
w/ Brujeria, BRAT, Cancer Christ
Sep 12 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
Sep 13 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Sep 14 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
Sep 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
Sep 17 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Sep 18 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
Sep 20 – Fayetteville, AR @ JJ’s Live
Festivals:
Sep 21 – Des Moines, IA @ Knotfest
Sep 22 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
GWAR 2024 ‘The Stoned Age’ Tour
w/ Dark Funeral, Squid Pisser
*Cancer Bats replace Dark Funeral
Oct 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Oct 18 – Tempe/Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theater
Oct 19 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Oct 20 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
Oct 22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
Oct 23 – Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
Oct 24 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Oct 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Oct 27 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
Oct 29 – Lincoln, NE @ The Bourbon Theatre
Oct 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
Oct 31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Nov 1 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
Nov 2 – Albany, NY @ Empire Live
Nov 3 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s
Nov 5 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Nov 6 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Nov 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall*
Nov 9 – Richmond, VA @ The National*
Nov 10 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz*
Nov 11 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel*
Nov 13 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
Nov 15 – Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
Nov 16 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center
Nov 17 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Nov 19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Nov 20 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
