Tour Diaries: Bret McKenzie

Flight of the Conchord's Bret Mckenzie played his first of two NYC shows, at Music Hall of Williamsburg, for his solo album Songs Without Jokes.

Photo: Claudia Rader

Award-winning songwriter and composer Bret McKenzie made a stop at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Born in New Zealand, McKenzie got his first introduction into music from his mother, Deirdre Tarrant, who was a dance, choreographer, and educator. In college, he joined a band called The Blue Samanthas, and went on to be a regional winner at the Smokefree Rockquest, a highly competitive competition for high-school bands.

McKenzie was also an actor for a brief stint in his career, appearing in two Lord of the Rings films. He also continued to do music, and wrote several songs for episodes of The Simpsons. It. was in 2011 when McKenzie was recruited to write music for the reboot of the acclaimed film, The Muppets. His song "Man or Muppet" went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. McKenzie also wrote music for 2014's Muppets Most Wanted; 2012's The Pirates! Band of Misfits; and 2019's Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

Most recently, McKenzie has focused on writing his own music, projects that are not attached to a specific narrative or punch lines. Set to create his own solo album, Bret McKenzie released his first LP titled "Songs Without Jokes" in August of 2022. MUD was present at Bret McKenzie's New York stop at Music Hall of Williamsburg for his "Songs Without Jokes" North American tour.

See the photos by Claudia Rader from Bret Mckenzie's Brooklyn show below.

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