A review of The Wedding Band, television's latest offering of a musical comedy

The Wedding Band is TBS's latest offering to the world of television sitcoms. An entertaining mix of slapstick, subtle humor and drama directed by Bryan Gordon, it is a refreshing change from sitcoms with direct or stock-in-trade humor. Add music to the mix and you get quite a a watch worthy Dramedy. Centering around an Indie Wedding Band trying to establish themselves in the music league, its combination of interesting and comical characters has made the pilot episode quite a fun watch.

• His father was a professional drummer who did studio work for Frank Sinatra and toured with Glen Campbell.
• His parents added Austin to his name when he was 9 because there was another Brian Green in the Screen Actors Guild.
• He became famous playing Donna Mills' son on Knots Landing from 1986 to 1989.
• His character on Beverly Hills, 90210, David Silver, made his way among the cooler kids on the show through his involvement in music.
• Green turned to music in his own life.
• He released a critically panned rap album, One Stop Carnival, in 1996.
• He began a music-production company called Shen Productions.
• He also playedDerek Reese on the 2008-He 09 TV sci-fi drama, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as his work on Smallville, playing Metallo, a role he took on in 2009.
• He is currently married to Megan Fox.

Brian Austin Green stars as a perennial bachelor, Tommy, the band's rhythm guitarist and lead singer who has difficulty making a commitment to any woman he dates. The series aptly opens with his ex-girlfriend, Sarah, inviting his band to play at her wedding.The first episode is given a funny boost by the embarrassing fiasco he almost gets into because he previously could not commit to their relationship. Austin Green eases his character into the series by playing him in a cool, yet comical manner.

The lead guitarist of the band, Eddie, is played in an attractively goofy way by Peter Cambor. He is a father of two who tries vainly to balance his commitment to the band with family interests. In a sub plot, his frustrated wife, Ingrid, is introduced in a comical incident when she has to bail the band out after they get into a fight with another band who mocks at them. Eddy tries to come up with subtly funny excuses to play at Sarah's wedding so that the band can impress the wedding's planner, Roxie Rutherford and get her to hire them for more gigs.

Stevie, who plays bass in the band, is the New Guy in the band with an eye for women. He ends up being involved with Roxie Rutherford at the end of the first episode. Harold Perrineau plays him with a natural, comic edge.

Derek Miller plays Barry,Eddie's rock obsessed brother and the band's drummer. We will have to hear more from him as his character was not so well developed in this pilot episode. But an opening sequence with him doing a little storytelling and boring some children lent the episode a little subtle humor.

The team of actors do give the show a comic edge with their neatly-weaved-in humor. Hopefully, it will be sustained through the rest of the episodes.

• He is known for his role as Michael Dawson on the series Lost
• He was born on August 7. 1963
• He first gained prominence on the drama I'll Fly Away
• He took on a role in Flirt, Smoke which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
• He was ship operator link in the final two matrix films.
• He was in the ABC Crime Drama, The Unusuals, as Det. Banks.

The Story

Episode 1, of course, introduces us to the concept of Tommy's band, an indie music group that plays at weddings and events. They get arrested for getting into a fight with another band that provokes them with taunts about their lack of talent and the lead singer's pretentious accent.

An amusing subplot is weaved in when guitarist Eddie's wife is forced to bail the entire group out of jail.

While performing community service, Tommy runs into his ex-girlfriend, Sarah, who invites him to play for her wedding. We are introduced to a few funnily flawed, over-the-top characters like Roxie Rutherford (Melora Hardin) the owner of Rutherford's, a wedding planning agency. Rachel, her subordinate,played by Jenny Wade, is an overly anxious wedding planner trying to give her career a boost. She later becomes Tommy's love interest.

We find that Tommy and Sarah still have unresolved feelings and are still attracted to each other. Tommy tries to distance himself from her but she develops cold feet on her wedding day when Tommy sends her flowers with a personal message. She insists on seeing him about them, but he manages to help her over her jitters. A hilarious moment then occurs when he pops a bottle of champagne and the cork hits and damages her newly fitted breast implants. This incurs the wrath of Sarah's father-in-law, the plastic surgeon who fitted them. A brawl between Tommy and him occurs. Sarah's father-in-law has to plug it quickly while the rest of the wedding guests wait anxiously. The rest of the band, being rockers, is trying vainly to supply church music to a rather bored audience.

Meanwhile, the subplot also develops. Eddie's wife, Ingrid, asks him to take care of their two children while she takes a day off to have a massage. This happens on the very day Sarah gets married, so Eddy is forced to lie to his wife. Unfortunately,he is photographed by one of her disgruntled friends, who messages her the photo. Ingrid then arrives at the wedding in a huff. Using the art of gentle persuasion, Eddy manages to soothe her and gets her to stay and watch them perform.

The band performs Air Supply's Making Love Out Of Nothing At All to an excited crowd and good acclaim. The episode ends on a funny note with Stevie, the bassist, getting involved with the over-the-top Roxie Rutherford.

An evaluation

All in all, the storyline of the Wedding Band is realistic and funny, though the somewhat dampened by a few dramatic and serious moments (like Eddy telling his best friend, Tommy off for not making a commitment). It is watchable for those looking for a few lighthearted moments doused with a bit of seriousness.

Comic Irony

The story may seem a little ordinary and a bit dry, but it comes with a few amusing moments. Some amusement can already be derived from the irony of Tommy's situation. The irony that he is playing at the wedding of his ex-girlfriend puts some potholes on the ground and gives potential for a little comic disaster. Chaos indeed ensues when he and Sarah try to sort out unresolved relationship issues and he unintentionally ends up bursting her implants with a champagne cork.

Subtle humor

The use of a little subtle humor does arouse some laughs. When Tommy, vocalist and band leader, tries to explain to the others what the role of a wedding band is, he draws attention to a few hilarious instances.

He stresses the importance of "the golden rule", that of a successful band needing to make sure that the wedding bouquet gets thrown in the direction of the wedding VIP, who is in most circumstances not so attractive and in a rush to get married. The slapstick scrambling for the bouquet and resulting excitement creates a little humor.

To deal with attention seeking men "likely to be named Derek" and "not likely to hook up", Tommy suggests making him an honorary band member. The attention-seeking behavior of the men in his examples is quite comical.

The band sometimes has to perform songs per request and according to the themes of weddings, which provide a few laughs as well. At a western themed wedding, they perform the song "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, using violins and cellos. The combination has its comic moments. The playing of the song at a wedding is also ironically humorous.

The band, essentially grounded in rock, tries to perform church music to a rather bored audience. Barry (Derek Miller) makes the attempt quite funny, with his attempt at playing percussion on the xylophone.

The wedding band's humor is present, though diluted by a few dry moments.

The music presented in the wedding band is best described as retro chic cover versions of love songs. A very listenable version of Air Supply's Making Love Out Of Nothing At All is played at the end of Episode 1, notable for its well-weaved, gentle harmony. I also like this version of the song because of the gentler build up in the verse. The riffs of the lead guitar was played with finesse and were a pleasure to listen to as well.

The western version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive was quite tickling and pleasant as well, made especially so when the band tries to give attention to the lady who sings the loudest.

An all male version of Gwen Stefani's Holloback Girl was also quite refreshing to hear. It still retains its catchy, foot stomping beat.

Musically, the show has many good moments for fans of a little retro chic.