For decades filmmakers have used the buffoonish rock world as the frame for comedy.
The list is long, from “Spinal Tap,” “Wayne’s World” to old Beatles’ movies starring the fab four, the genre and the premise usually worked well.
Still does for IFC, which has mined that high octane, long-haired metal milieu in their latest TV series about paying the bills and rocking.
“Z Rock” introduces us to three real musicians in a smallscreen Roman à clef, where by day the dudes rock it as the Z Brothers for the kiddies, by night they morph into rocking sex gods of Z02 who occasionally score with the tykes’ moms.
Z Rock Episode 8 Paulie Z, Joey, and David Z on stage. Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/IFC
The guys are a real band. The trio consists of brothers (and “Kotter” Epstein lookalike) Paulie Z, brother David Z and the Italian Joey Cassata. They play Brooklyn bars at night and pay the bills by moonlighting at kids' birthday parties during the day.
The new 10-episode, half-scripted, half-improvised sitcom premieres Sunday at 11:30 pm on IFC, and takes us on tour with the Brooklyn hard-rock band ZO2 working by day as the Z Brothers playing kids' parties.
This is part of their plan to make it big in the real rock world.
Z02's debut, "Tuesdays & Thursdays" won the band critical acclaim and opening act placement for Kiss and Poison on their entire 40 city national, VH1 sponsored "Rock the Nation" tour.
The tour and CD also caught the attention of "Hit Parader" as ZO2 was the only unsigned band to be included in the magazine’s "Year in Metal" issue.
Z Rock Joey, Paulie Z, Lynne Koplitz and David Z Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/IFC
Statuesque and comely comedian Lynne Koplitz has snagged a great role as the guys’ manager Dina, a self-described “whore for their career” who strategically networks in Synagogues. “I'm not Jewish, but I'm a good manager; I go to temple for the connections," Dina tells us off-camera in the show.
Koplitz has the part fashioned similar to “Spinal Tap’s” Bobbi Fleckman (Fran Drescher). Koplitz plays Dina as a Bobbie meets Martha Stewart type; just like the guys’ real manager, Dina comes with pearls and a swinging pair and knows how to work it for her “boys”, the men of "Z Rock."
“These guys believe in their music,” Koplitz tells me at the recent TCAs. “They’re like Aerosmith or Van Halen in their prime, and they bring out my horrible cougar tendencies (laughs) and my maternal side comes out too, ‘Dina’ wants to nurture them.”
“It’s like ‘Curb Your Entourage,’ “ Koplitz adds. “Z Rock, the guys, their chemistry just meshes, and to get the opportunity to work with Joan Rivers, please!
Z Rock Episode 1 David Z, Paulie Z and Joey meet Joan Rivers Photo Credit: Scott Pasfield/IFC
The lineup of guest stars includes Joan Rivers (as Dina's aunt JoJo), John Popper of Blues Traveler, Gilbert Gottfried, Dave Navarro, Sebastian Bach and Dee Snider.
Z Rock Episode 6 Joey, David Z, Dave Navarro and Paulie Z Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/IFC
Koplitz shared her ‘nervousness” carried over to meeting guest star, Dave Navarro. “He was totally cool, kind and very sweet. I am really fortunate to be part of this ensemble and supportive cast.”
Z Rock Episode 3 John Popper, Lynne Koplitz, Joey, and Paulie Z. Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/IFC
Through a haze of hangovers and bad coupling decisions, the guys use their years of experience establishing their name on the New York children's party scene that pits the “Led Zeppelin-esque” Z Brothers against the “REO Speedwagon” of kiddie bands, “Kidtastic (played by IFC stars, “Whitest Kids You Know”).
The premiere features an apoplectic Greg Giraldo as Harry Braunstein, a music mogul who nearly aneurysms on the spot when the guys show up to his kid’s party late.
In one funny scene he leans over the bar and asks his female bartender, "He's a good lookin' guy, right? If you were a dude, would you be into him?" “If I were a DUDE?” the faceless bartendress replies.
Koplitz revels in the semi-improvisational series, and noted that her stand up experience and on-the-spot fearlessness made her scenes more impactful. Even filming under the weather, Lynne rose to the occasion and made a second episode scene fly when her character Dina comes in and orders a hangover cure.
"Dina says 'I should drink a Bloody Mary with an egg in it.' Which disgusted the guys, but when you are in the scene, you just get in that zone," she shared.
Unlike HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords” which got a bit too wrapped up in its own cuteness, this show has heart, is genuinely hilarious and has an improv freeness that allows the talent in the show to run with the bulls. A no miss recommend from me.
Caveat: Not for kids or delicate flowers.
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