Listening to Dale Earnhardt
Jr. Jr.’s studio recordings, their songs are carefully crafted pop tunes full
of traditional harmonies but with quirky electronics and fuzzy guitars thrown
in for fun. In live performance however,
the band puts the emphasis on the fun as those elements rise to the forefront
along with classic concert experiences like multiple lighting cues, costume
changes and bubble machines. This duo
from Detroit, Daniel Zott and Josh Epstein, provide all this without losing
site of who they are – two wacky musical dudes from Motor City. At the Bowery Ballroom September 24, they
shared lead vocals, instruments and commanding positions on stage to bring
their music to life for their fans. As
their lyrics pronounce, “Life’s too short to play it safe.” When Zott calls out “Come on, let’s dance,”
he doesn’t exclude himself as he leaped around the stage, shaking his hips and playing
guitar. And Epstein could still sing out
while hopping along with the crowd without missing a beat. Drummer Michael Higgins provided the high-energy
backbone required throughout the night.
Epstein and Zott entered
proudly wearing baseball jackets of the first place Detroit Tigers, not the NASCAR
jumpsuits the band has been sporting onstage during previous gigs. Motioning to their fans to get their hands up
and smiling to each other, they began with the steadfast melody of “Morning
Thought.” By the third song the jackets
were off, revealing matching short-sleeved shirts with bowties. “Hello NYC,” Epstein said, introducing the
band. He then launched a discussion of
things Detroit shares with New York, which mainly included basketball stars
such as Isiah Thomas, Allan Houston and Chauncey Billups. The band then offered “When I Open My Eyes,”
with Epstein banging on a big drum downstage along with other surfaces found
nearby. Later, he began the opening
lines of LCD Soundsystem’s “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,”
to huge cheers. This heartfelt rendition
was a nice nod to the city.
The band then continued their
own compositions, including a new song “Don’t Tell Me” which was written during
a week-long break at home. The ending of
their single, “Simple Girl,” became a full-blown explosion of sound,
disintegrating to a halt. Another cover,
“We Almost Lost Detroit,” by Gil Scott-Heron, became an impassioned plea for
their hometown while rocking out the chorus.
For the encore, the pair returned sporting their neon checked jackets
from the photo above to bring the 80s hit “I Wanna Dance With Somebody
(Who Loves Me)” back to life as the venue became one big dance party. The night ended past midnight with the
more-measured “Nothing But Our Love,” and the lyrics “I get more then I
deserve.” This band is getting
everything they deserve and more. Ending
a week that began at the Austin City Limits festival with stops in
Charlottesville, Virginia, D.C. and Philly, there was also time for a quick
call to chat with me via PopMatters. Full write up with interview here.
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| Onstage with bubbles!!!!!!! |
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| Introducing myself to Josh Epstein before the show... |
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| for a quick photo op with another interview subject! |
