When you think of Barbie the last image to come to mind would still be lightyears away from an image of GWAR. Yet, the metal mercenaries say that covering Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” solo from the Barbie movie, “Just made sense.”
The Barbie movie soundtrack made waves last summer, and the quintessential standout track amongst it was “I’m Just Ken” performed by Gosling. If you didn’t already know, the song is inherently rock-rooted, featuring a solo from legendary guitarist and performer Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, and more). The GWAR gang built on those rock roots, amplifying them to bring out the power behind the ballad.
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What’s even cooler about this cover, is GWAR’s lyrics, which juxtapose the original while paying homage to it. In the opening verse, vocalist The Berserker Blóthar sings, “Doesn’t seem to matter what we do/We’re still the band that spews/Too gross, too much for most/Fuck you/Boring metal, it’s just all the same/We’d rather entertain/Than pose around and mope.” GWAR is seizing an opportunity to own its odd and visually striking nature and call out “boring metal” for conforming to a stagnant, depressed image to fit in.
“We’re Just GWAR” is a tactful and sonically epic play on the deeper meanings associated with the “I’m Just Ken” song. Check out GWAR covering “I’m Just Ken” (from Barbie The Album) by Ryan Gosling, live at The A.V. Club below.
If you’re tired of “Boring Metal” and wanna rock out with GWAR on tour, you can get tickets to their upcoming fall shows here, and check out their tour dates below.
Tour Dates:
- Sept. 12—Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
- Sept. 13—Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
- Sept. 14—Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
- Sept. 16—Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre, Funhouse & Cafe
- Sept. 17—St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
- Sept. 18—Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
- Sept. 20—Bridgeview, IL @ Riot Fest
- Sept. 21—Des Moines, IA @ Knotfest Iowa 2024
- Oct. 17—Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Bues Las Vegas
- Oct. 18—Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
- Oct. 19—Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
- Oct. 20—San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
- Oct. 22—Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
- Oct. 23—Garden City, 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 @ Bourbon Theatre
- Oct. 30—Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
- Oct. 31—Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club
- Nov. 1—Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater & Ballroom
- Nov. 2—Albany, NY @ Empire Live
- Nov. 3—Hampton, NH @ Wally’s Pub
- Nov. 5—Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
- Nov. 6—Brooklyn, 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 @ The 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 Midtown
- Nov. 19—Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
- Nov. 20—Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
