Ninja Sex Party (often abbreviated as NSP) is an American musical comedy duo consisting of singer Dan Avidan and keyboardist Brian Wecht.[2] They formed in 2009 in New York City and are currently based in Los Angeles. They are also known as two thirds of the more rap-based musical trio Starbomb, together with frequent collaborator Arin Hanson.
The work of Ninja Sex Party typically consists of rock or synth-pop-oriented humorous songs, frequently on the topics of sex, seduction, love or fantasy, with Avidan and Wecht respectively portraying the characters of Danny Sexbang; an idiotic, exuberant, hypersexual Jewish man who constantly yet with varying degrees of success tries to hit on women, and Ninja Brian; a non-verbal, extremely homicidal ninja with whom Danny is best friends. However, their Under the Coverscover album series that began in 2016 saw them take on a non-comedic approach to music for the first time, covering various songs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
To date, NSP has released nine studio albums (six consisting of original material, and three cover albums), in addition to four albums as a part of Starbomb. Wecht initially acted as record producer and performed all instrumentation on their early albums, until they started working with producer Jim Arsenault (and later Jim Roach) and backing bandTWRP in 2015. Wecht and Avidan have appeared in TWRP's own works, either as individuals or as Ninja Sex Party. Since May 2018, Wecht also portrays Ninja Brian on his own live comedy show titled Ninja Brian's All-Star Variety Luau Spectacular. Every non-cover album that the group has released has reached #1 on the Comedy Albums chart, and their highest-peaking album on the Billboard 200 chart was #17 despite being independent.
Career
Formation and early career (2009–2012)
Avidan performing with his previous band Skyhill in 2008
Avidan, who previously sang in bands such as The Northern Hues and Skyhill, initially conceptualized the band.[3] In need of a band member, Avidan was introduced to Wecht, who was the musical director of a comedy troupe in New York,[4] by a mutual friend at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Julie Katz, a member of Wecht's comedy troupe (who would later be featured in their music video "The Decision"), to whom Avidan had asked if she knew any musicians.[5][6] The band was formed in February/March 2009[7] with Avidan going by his stage-name/character "Danny Sexbang" and Wecht going by "Ninja Brian".[6] However, the character "Danny Sexbang" was originally named "Danny Sweetnuts" before being changed to "Sexbang" as Avidan felt the name seemed "stronger."[8]
Inspired by The Lonely Island and Flight of the Conchords, Ninja Sex Party was about "a Jewish superhero who wears a unitard, with his best friend who's a ninja, and together they sing songs about dicks, and try to hit [unsuccessfully] on women."[5]
They began performing together that summer, appearing in various film festivals, including SXSW, Dragon Con, and the LACS.[9][10][11] They were awarded the "Trophy of Awesomeness" on Vimeo's video website.[12] They won "Best Comedy Video Short" and "Best Comedy Song" in Improvisation News' 2010 INNY Awards.[13] Their video "Sex Training" also appeared on the Comedy page of The Huffington Post.[14] All their early music videos were directed, shot, and edited by Jim Turner, who was the only person paid for his involvement; all other people participating were friends working for free.[6]
In 2011, they released their first album NSFW,[15] on iTunes, which contained both original songs, and all of their previously released songs on YouTube.
Filming of the music video for "Next to You" in 2012
Commercial success and side projects (2013–2015)
The band released their second album, Strawberries and Cream, in April 2013. On the week of May 4, 2013, the album debuted at #9 on Billboard's Comedy Albums charts.[16]
In July the band released the single "Party of Three", off their third album. The song featured an appearance by animator and Internet personality Arin Hanson.
In late 2013, Avidan, Wecht, and Hanson teamed up to create a side project band named Starbomb, with Avidan as the lead singer-songwriter.[18] The band writes parody songs about video games, bringing together the sexually provocative music stylings of Ninja Sex Party and the video game-based humor of Hanson.
On the week of February 15, 2014, Starbomb, the group's eponymous album, would hold the #1 spot in Comedy Albums for 4 consecutive weeks.[19]Starbomb also reached #1 on the BillboardTop Heatseekers charts for 2 consecutive weeks, starting with the week of January 4, 2014.[20] In July 2014, Ninja Sex Party performed a concert for San Diego Comic-Con at Petco Park. They also released the music video for "Why I Cry" during the concert.[21][22]
TWRP (from left to right: band members Doctor Sung, Commander Meouch and Lord Phobos) became Ninja Sex Party's backup band in 2015.
In 2015, two singles were released by the band TWRP, collaborating with Ninja Sex Party, titled "The Hit" and "Baby, NYC"; from that point on, TWRP became NSP's backing band on both live shows and studio releases, while also serving as their opening act on live shows.[23][24]
Their third album, Attitude City, released on July 17, 2015. It was one of the top 20 best-selling albums on Amazon, and peaked at #1 on Billboard's US Comedy Albums chart.[25]
On August 3, 2015, Ninja Sex Party performed with Steel Panther at their House of Blues venue, singing "Party All Day."[26] The bands have collaborated on multiple occasions, with Steel Panther making a cameo in the band's "Road Trip" music video, singer Michael Starr providing vocals for "6969", and Satchel performing guitars on "Limelight".[27][28]
On October 7, 2015, Avidan released the single "Firefly" with Peter Lennox.[29] The two had previously worked together as the atmospheric band Skyhill from 2006 to 2007.[30]
Under the Covers albums and Cool Patrol (2016–2019)
On February 23, 2016, a music video was released for their cover of "Take On Me"; the video for their cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was released one week later, on March 1, 2016. On March 4, 2016, Under the Covers was released to the public. The album features guests appearances by TWRP and Super Guitar Bros.[31] The album debuted on the Billboard charts at #9 in Top Album Sales, #2 in Independent Albums, #3 in Rock Albums, and #17 in the Top 200 Albums.[32][33][34][35]
Ninja Sex Party performing in Dallas in August 2018, as a part of their "Tour de Force" tour.
In May 2018, Wecht debuted Ninja Brian's All-Star Variety Luau Spectacular, his own recurring live musical comedy show in which he portrays his Ninja Brian character, minus Avidan.[36] The band also started a new tour, titled Tour de Force, concurrently with the release of the new album.[37]
On June 25, 2018, the band released the music video for the song "Danny Don't You Know", along with the official release date of Cool Patrol, August 17. The video featured actor Finn Wolfhard, a friend of Avidan since he had appeared on Game Grumps in January 2017 and a fan of the band, as a younger Danny Sexbang.[38] The band called "Danny Don't You Know" their "favorite-ever song", both musically and as a video.[39]Cool Patrol was released on August 17, 2018, and reached #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart.[40]
On September 17, 2018, Ninja Sex Party, along with TWRP, performed a censored version of "Danny Don't You Know" on the late-night talk showConan as a musical guest, making their live television debut.[42][43] This censored version, which replaced the word "fuck" with "heck" and "hell," was released on Spotify on September 21 under the title "Danny Don't You Know (Cool as Heck Version)".[44]
In December 2018, the band was selected by Billboard as the #1 Comedy Album Artist of the year, with Cool Patrol being selected as the #1 comedy album of the year.[45][46]
On August 1, 2019, German YouTube personality and musician Flula Borg released the song "Self-Care Sunday", featuring Ninja Sex Party.[47] In November 2019, the band released Under the Covers, Vol. III.[15]
The Prophecy and Level Up (2019–2021)
On November 25, 2019, the band premiered a new original song, "The Mystic Crystal", their longest song yet at almost 12 minutes.[48] The video was subsequently released on June 9, 2021.
On December 14, 2019, the band released "The Decision Part 2: Ten Years Later", a music video celebrating the band's 10 year anniversary and acting as a sequel to "The Decision", Ninja Sex Party's second-ever song originally released on December 14, 2009; the video also revealed the title of their next original album, The Prophecy.[49][50]
On April 1, 2020, they released the music video for "I Don't Know What We're Talking About".[51]
The album Level Up was released on October 22, 2021, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart.[53]
These Nuts(2023–2024)
On February 17, 2023, the band announced the title for These Nuts alongside the music video for "I Own A Car".[54] They would then release two more music videos, "Let's Save The Earth" on October 23, 2023,[55] and "Galaxy Hamster", on January 26, 2024.[56]
On March 8, 2024, the band's studio album These Nuts was officially released.
On May 28, 2024, the band posted on their social media, with the title "You are CORDIALLY invited to "NSP's 15 Year Anniversary: A Digital Concert Experience"!!!". Tickets for the event were for their Patreon subscribers only, including their free and paid subscribers. The extras that fans could purchase were tickets to their Q&A session after the performance, and a signed CD and LP of their upcoming "Masterstrokes" album.[57]
Public image
Wecht manages all Ninja Sex Party social media accounts, as well as Starbomb's and formerly Game Grumps.[58]
The mobile game Shooting Stars features a boss named Grump Dan, who is a reference to Danny Sexbang.[59]
Members
Ninja Sex Party performing with TWRP in Nashville in 2017. From left to right: Doctor Sung, Avidan, Wecht, and Lord Phobos, with Havve Hogan on drums in the background.
Band members
Dan Avidan (Danny Sexbang)– lead vocals (2009–present)
Brian Wecht (Ninja Brian)– keyboards, programming, spoken word, backing vocals (2009–present)
Session and touring musicians
Arin Hanson– spoken word, backing vocals (2011–present; also performs Starbomb songs at NSP live shows)
The Very, Very, Very, Very Classy Acoustic Album (2021)
Compilation
Masterstrokes: 15 Years of Elegance (2024)
Related Research Articles
NSFW is the debut studio album by the American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party, released on September 29, 2011. It is a collection of all the songs that the duo released as music videos from October 22, 2009 to August 17, 2011, alongside new tracks. The song "Dinosaur Laser Fight" was the only single released from the album, and has a music video partially animated by Arin Hanson, also known as Egoraptor. Every song on the album has a music video except for "Introduction", "Accept My Shaft", and "Outroduction". The album was released on CD in 2015, and charted modestly well in the US.
Strawberries and Cream is the second studio album by the American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. The album was released on April 15, 2013. Three tracks from the album, "FYI I Wanna F Your A", "Next to You", and "Unicorn Wizard", were released as singles prior to the album's release. The album was a modest success worldwide.
Starbomb is the eponymous debut studio album by American comedy supergroup Starbomb, composed of Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht of American comedy rock duo Ninja Sex Party and Flash animator and Internet personality Arin Hanson. Starbomb brings together the mostly sexually provocative musical stylings of Ninja Sex Party and the video game-based humor of Hanson. The album was released on December 17, 2013. Starbomb later collaborated on a second album, Player Select, released on December 16, 2014.
Arin Joseph Hanson, also known by the pseudonym Egoraptor, is an American YouTuber, actor, rapper, and animator. He is well known for his Flash cartoons, as well as being the co-founder and co-star of the popular YouTube Let's Play series Game Grumps.
Brian Alexander Wecht, also known by his character name Ninja Brian, is an American musician, Internet personality, podcaster, and theoretical physicist. He is best known as a member of comedy musical duo Ninja Sex Party and video game-based comedy music trio Starbomb. He has also been a past member of the affiliated Let's Play webseries Game Grumps, all three alongside Dan Avidan.
Leigh Daniel Avidan, also known by his stage name Danny Sexbang, is an American musician, internet personality, comedian, and actor. He is one half of the musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party with Brian Wecht, as well as the co-host of the Let's Play webseries Game Grumps with Arin Hanson. He is also part of the more rap-based comedy music trio Starbomb with Hanson and Wecht, and the vocalist for the rock duo Shadow Academy, known for its inspiration from classic novels, alongside Jim Roach. As of October 2023, Avidan also performs vocals for the electronic music duo Skyhill, originally formed in 2007.
"Dinosaur Laser Fight" is the debut single by American comedy rock duo Ninja Sex Party, released on August 17, 2011. The song is included as a track on the band's debut studio album NSFW.
"Dragon Slayer" is a song written and performed by American comedy rock band Ninja Sex Party. The song was originally recorded for the band's third studio album Attitude City. The track was released as the band's sixth single on February 19, 2014, becoming the second single to be released in promotion of Attitude City.
Player Select is the second studio album by American comedy supergroup Starbomb, composed of Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht of American comedy duo Ninja Sex Party and Flash animator and Internet personality Arin Hanson. The album was released December 16, 2014 on iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify and CDBaby. Following in the direction of the previous album, Player Select is mostly a video game parody album featuring the often-provocative adult comedy of Ninja Sex Party and incorporating the video-game humor of Hanson.
Attitude City is the third studio album by the American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. The album was released on July 17, 2015. Six tracks from the album, "Party of Three", "Dragon Slayer", "Attitude City", "Why I Cry", "Peppermint Creams", and "Road Trip" were all released as singles on their YouTube channel prior to its release. It was a commercial success, especially in the comedy music sector.
Under the Covers is the fourth studio album by American comedy duo Ninja Sex Party, and their first cover album. The concept for the album and title were revealed on July 28, 2015, and the album released on March 4, 2016. Unlike their previous albums, Under the Covers is composed only of covers of songs from the 1970s and 1980s and strays from the duo's traditional comedic style.
Starbomb is an American musical comedy group composed of Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht of musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party together with Flash animator and Internet personality Arin Hanson and "space rock masters" TWRP, a Canadian music group known for collaborations with NSP. The songs of Starbomb consist of video game parodies; Avidan provides sung vocals, Hanson provides rapping vocals, and Wecht performs instruments. All three are also known as a part of YouTube Let's Play web series Game Grumps.
"6969" is a song written and performed by the American comedy rock band Ninja Sex Party, from their album Attitude City. Heavily inspired by the song "2112" by Canadian rock band Rush, the song contains vocals by Steel Panther singer Michael Starr, and references Steel Panther's song "In the Future" from their album Balls Out.
"Unicorn Wizard" is a song written and performed by American comedy rock band Ninja Sex Party. The song was released as the band's fourth single on October 25, 2012, and was included as a track on the band's second studio album Strawberries and Cream.
Under the Covers, Vol. II is the fifth studio album by American comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. It is their second cover album and a follow-up to their previous album Under the Covers. It follows the same musical orientation, consisting of covers of songs from the 1970s and 1980s and straying from the duo's usual comedic style. The album was released on October 27, 2017, to positive reviews.
TWRP, formerly known as Tupper Ware Remix Party, is a Canadian rock band originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Initially founded in 2007, the band moved to Toronto in 2011 with a change in members and musical direction. Their current lineup consists of keyboardist and vocalist Doctor Sung, guitarist Lord Phobos, bassist Commander Meouch, and drummer Havve Hogan.
Cool Patrol is the sixth studio album by American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party, released on August 17, 2018. Following two cover albums, it marks their return to original and comedy-oriented material since Attitude City in 2015.
"Danny Don't You Know" is a song by American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. It was released as a single along with a music video on June 25, 2018, and was later featured on their sixth studio album Cool Patrol, released on August 17, 2018.
"Cool Patrol" is a song by American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. It was released as a single along with a music video on October 18, 2016, and is the first single from their sixth studio album, released on August 17, 2018.
Under the Covers, Vol. III is the seventh studio album by the American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party, originally released on November 15, 2019. It is the third cover album released by the duo, following Under the Covers (2016) and Under the Covers, Vol. II (2017). Like its predecessors, it features renditions of pop and rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s.
↑ Augustborn, Nicolas (January 9, 2013). "Ninja Sex Party Interview". Nicolas Augustborn. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via YouTube.
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