‘Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll’ Premieres With A Catchy Soundtrack and Intriguing Plot

FX’s new comedy series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll premiered on Thursday, July 16 with Denis Leary (Rescue Me) making his triumphant return to the network. Leary plays washed up rocker Johnny Rock, former lead singer of The Heathens, as he tries to get the fame he always wanted when the daughter he never knew he had, Gigi (Elizabeth Gillies) shows up and offers him money to make her famous. Elaine Hendrix, John Corbett, John Ales, and Robert Kelly round-up the cast.

I was very anxious to see the show since it seems like I’ve been writing about it forever and I laughed at every promo video released. I was hoping the show would hold up and I think it did. Below is a breakdown of some components of SDRR.

The Story: For the title of the series to be Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll they lacked the sex. Granted it was episode one, I guess they still have time to dive into the sex rock and roll lifestyle, but I was anticipating for it to be all in my face, especially for a FX show. “Don’t Wanna Die Anonymous” was the title of the pilot episode and it lightly dealt with the state of fame these days versus the way it was for The Heathens. The stabs at pop culture staples like: Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian West were dated a bit. Message boards I read found the writers were out of touch because of the way the examples I just mentioned were used, i.e Gaga was portrayed as a giant, green pyramid and Kim K’s sex tape was mentioned, but I found the use of them funny.

The plot of the show will follow Gigi chasing fame and how her dad and The Heathens will help get her there. I think this story line could span over the course of many seasons. The industry is constantly changing and this new group will have to change with it, so this story could last and I’m here for it.

Photo: FX Networks

The Cast: The thing that makes this show so great to me is the cast! The main cast is stellar with comedic timing that makes it seem like you’re not watching a TV show but being a voyeur overhearing a hilarious conversation. Even the contributing cast like Gigi’s friend Becky (Sainty Nelsen) and Heathen back up singer Micki (Kate Hodge) have great one liners in the show. The episodes are only a half hour so there wasn’t much time to get any character development to pick a favorite, but my bias opinion is leaning towards Gigi.

The Music: The original music of SDRR is one to rival its music industry show counterparts in that many of the talent performing the songs actually have a background in music and the vocals were performed live. In episode one, we hear the title track from the show and “Animal” which Liz Gillies gives a hair-raising performance. The only thing better than “Animal” on the show is the full track now available for download. From these two tracks alone, I know I have to clear up storage on my packed iPhone to make sure I get the soundtrack on. The songs are catchy and guaranteed to get stuck in your head. Even if you don’t like them at first, you’ll find yourself humming them, like I did with the title track. One song I am anticipating is “Sinner Baby.” The song is sung by The Heathens and was released on YouTube in promotion for the show. It’s the essence of rock and roll, a hilarious depiction of the failed group, and I need it on my iPod. Yes, SDRR has struck gold with its soundtrack.

Watch Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll Thursdays at 10pm on FX.  Did you catch the season premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Photo: FX Networks