Mudvayne ‘Perform’ At the Academy Awards in Surreal Fan Video Creation
TV viewers probably don’t remember Mudvayne’s surprising performance during the 2021 Oscars that aired live from Los Angeles on Sunday (April 25) — and that’s because it didn’t happen. But in the mind of YouTuber Thomas Wykes, it totally did.
It’s only been three days since those 93rd Academy Awards took place and just over a week since the influential “Dig” rockers led by Hellyeah’s Chad Gray announced their long-awaited reunion. Wykes took a cue from each event, splicing an old live video of Mudvayne with footage of past Oscars ceremonies and their many celebrity attendees. The result, if one suspends their disbelief, makes it look like the band is performing for an audience full of Hollywood actors.
Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.
“Welcome the unstoppable Mudvayne,” Hunger Games‘ Jennifer Lawrence appears to say by way of introduction at the start of the clip. (It’s enough to make one wonder if the actress listens to Mudvayne in real life.) From there, Gray and co. blast through a blistering performance of “Dig” while it looks as if Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Lady Gaga and other big stars look on.
Wykes is quite the “Dig” connoisseur — he has several other clips lampooning the song. When he’s not editing videos that could make a metalhead holler “brbr deng,” however, he’s a cartoonist with illustrations available to view and purchase on his website.
This fall, Mudvayne will entertain rock festival audiences across the U.S. at Ohio’s Inkcarceration Festival on September 11, Kentucky’s Louder Than Life later that same month, California’s Aftershock Festival in October and Florida’s Welcome to Rockville in November.