8/13/2019 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

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 15 Fr iday, May 27, 2 011  venue MUSIC

By Tom Travin

Of the Journal

Detroit may be the Motor City,

but it’s not exactly a hotbedof NASCAR.

Auto racing is of coursebeloved across the country, but thosestock cars — and their drivers —slathered in corporate logos achievedeity status in the South, where aSunday afternoon at the oval trackcan be a religious experience.

So it might seem odd that a bandnamed after a top NASCAR driverwould come from Motown instead

of, say, Tuscaloosa, and instead ofSouthern boogie would create smart,well-crafted indie pop.

But then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. isabout defying expectations.

“I think that when we were namingthe band, we didn’t really ever planon playing shows or putting out arecord,” Josh Epstein, who is one-half of Jr. Jr., along with Daniel Zott,said by phone from Detroit. “Thiswas just a recording project. Wejust wanted to name it something so

ridiculous that if you heard it, youwouldn’t necessarily be able to forman opinion, a preconceived notionof what you would think the bandshould sound like.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. has been abuzz band for nearly a year, partiallybecause of the attention-grabbingname and the guys’ attendantshtick — they dress in race-driverjumpsuits — but mostly because ofthe songs. The EP “Horse Power,”

released last summer, contains threeoriginal tunes and a dreamy cover ofthe Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.”It quickly caught fire on the Web.

Epstein and Zott both beganplaying in bands as teenagers inand around Detroit but didn’t knoweach other until the former heard analbum the latter had made and cold-called him about getting together.Both “Horse Power” and the band’sfull-length debut, “It’s a CorporateWorld,” due June 7, have been a

learning process, but it’s safe to saythat they clicked from the start.

They both love to mess around inthe studio, and “Horse Power,” in theclassic rock ’n’ roll tradition, wasrecorded in the basement.

“Both Daniel and I produce otherbands in Detroit, and we both workout of other studios and stuff,”Epstein said. “We know our wayaround the studio, and we know ourway around the mixing of stuff.”

For two guys born in the’80s, Epstein and Zott have anappreciation of classic music andaren’t shy about showing theirinfluences. The songs on “It’s aCorporate World,” though thoroughlymodern, are exhibit A that would

convict them of rooting around theirparents’ record collections.

“My earliest memories of musicare actually of a Fisher-Price recordplayer and playing my parents’records,” Epstein said. “My dad was

a Deadhead, he used to follow theGrateful Dead around, and he had areally good record collection. … Andmy mom was a big Led Zeppelin andStones fan, and we had all the Beatlesrecords and Michael Jackson and allthe Motown stuff.

“I do listen to current music and Ilove it; I love everything that’s goingon that’s contemporary. …

“The songwriting … is probablya bit of a throwback to older, moreclassic stuff, but the production and

instrumentation and stuff is moremodern.”

The band recently hit the road,opening its tour in the Southeastbefore heading west. Epstein saidthat while touring is quite thedifferent aesthetic from recording, heloves seeing the country and playingfor fans.

“I think you have to look at it likea different extension of your creativebeing,” he said. “… It’s really neatto be in a part of a room wherethere’s this energy that’s the sumof everyone inside the room. And Ithink that too many bands forget thatthe audience is the most essentialpart of the show and they kind of playfor themselves.”

As kitschy and fun as the band’sname is, and as well as it has servedthem, Epstein said there may comea time when it has outlived itsusefulness.

“I think at some point we’reprobably going to change it, andbe done with it,” he said. “… Ithink creatively we want to beable to constantly keep people ontheir toes, and it seems like thismight be heading in a directionthat irreversible if we don’t do

something.”In the meantime, look past the

name and the jumpsuits and judgethe music on its own merits.

“I think our music is fairlyuniversal,” Epstein said. “I’ve heardparents of my friends loving it, andlittle sisters loving it, so that’s reallycool. I think that there’s somethingin it for everyone, hopefully, so it’snot like if you’re just like a fan ofa certain kind of music you can’t

find something about it that you canrelate to, I hope.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 31.

Doors open at 6WHERE: Sol Santa Fe,27 Fire Place, Santa Fe

HOW MUCH: $10. For tickets, visitwww.solsantafelive.com

Daniel Zott, left, and Josh Epstein named their band, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.,after a famous NASCAR driver and perform in jumpsuits.

Yes, it’s a silly name. Now listen anyway

PLANNING AHEADTickets for the following events are

available at Ticketmaster, unless oth-erwise noted. Ticketmaster prices donot include Ticketmaster convenience

charges. Get tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, or call800-745-3000.

*Marks new listing.

JUNE

3 l Bill Staines, 7:30 p.m., TheCooperage, $15 advance, $20 day

of show. Call 800-838-3006 or visitwww.ampconcerts.org

4 l Trailer Park Boys, 8 p.m., JamesA. Little Theatre, Santa Fe, $43

5 l Luis Miguel, 8 p.m., Sandia Casi-no Amphitheater, $64, $75, $86

12 l Mötley Crüe with Poison andspecial guests The New York Dolls, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Casino Albu-querque presents the Pavilion, $26-$10, four-pack of lawn tickets $78

23 l Clint Black, 8 p.m., Inn of the

Mountain Gods Resort & Casino,Mescalero, $31.75, $46.75, $66.75,$81.75, $106.75

24 l Alan Jackson with Kip Moore, 7:30 p.m., Santa Ana Star Center,$35.50, $55.50, $68.50. Call888-694-4849 or online at www.comcasttix.com

25 l Kid Cudi with Chip Tha Rip-per, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Casinopresents the Pavilion. Lawn tickets$25, reserved tickets $25, $45.50 and

$55.50. Limited number of generaladmission pit tickets $55.50, and four-pack lawn tickets $75

25 l The Doobie Brothers,

 7 p.m.,Sky City Casino, $40.60, $45.60,$57.65

26 l Maraca, 7 p.m., Villa Hispanaat Expo New Mexico, $27, $30 adults,$7 kids. Call 800-838-3006 or visitwww.ampconcerts.org

See PLANNING on PAGE 25