[Note: This post will be updated with pictures at a later time. For the time being, I felt it was more important to get the text up before the show becomes ancient history.]
How far Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have come. What began as a side project for Detroit natives Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott has blown up into a full-scale national tour, both in support of other bands and as headliners, and a near-endless stream of rave reviews for both their debut record, It's A Corporate World, and their live sets.
Despite my somewhat mixed feelings for It's A Corporate World - and make no mistake, I warm up to it with each successive listen and begin to see the band as its own entity instead of a side project - never let it be said that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. don't give it their all on stage. They're living proof that a good work ethic pays off, and even if they gave half of the effort they did for their homecoming show in Detroit, capping off a long national tour, anyone who's seen them live can attest to their electrifying performances.
The Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. I saw on Saturday was a completely different band from when I saw them in their infancy, playing locally around Detroit. With two great musicians at the helm, they've always been a great live act, but the level of showmanship they now display rivals bands with considerably bigger profiles (and financial backing).
The St. Andrew's homecoming show marked the first time DEJJ had ever played the historic venue, and a milestone for their careers. With numerous other Detroit musicians in attendance, including Alan James and Augie & Korin Visocchi of The Hard Lessons, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. put on a show to remember after their friends from Prussia and rapper Danny Brown provided brief opening sets.
Shedding the traditional racecar driver coveralls for suitcoats and ties to signify their new status "corporate men," Josh and Daniel were all smiles as they played in front of their hometown friends and fans for the first time in many months.
The album opener, "Morning Thought", opened the show, followed by "Simple Girl", which flowed seamlessly into a quality performance of "Vocal Chords". Bubbles blew out over the audience and baloons were batted around as wooden JR. JR. cutouts lit up, reminiscent of a Flaming Lips show.
Epstein slid over from behind his keyboard and samplers to bang a single drum while Zott took load vocal on "When I Open My Eyes". "If It Wasn't You" followed, with an extended ending that incorporated a verse and the chorus from Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", famously covered by Whitney Houston for the film The Bodyguard. Despite being two of my least favorite tracks on the album, the live performances gain so much from the extended guitar runs, Zott's excited sung/shouted vocals, and clever additions like this.
Epstein then took a moment to address the crowd, thanking everyone for welcoming them home and stating how glad they were to be playing back home for the first time in a long time. "Seriously, we wouldn't be here without you," he said before they jumped into their cover of Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows", rededicated to Detroit.
Epstein then removed his suitcoat and took center stage while Zott took over on the keyboards for the title track, "It's A Corporate World". With Josh leaping around during the chorus as lights flashed in time with the beat, it was an mesmerizing performance, and Epstein even greeted the crowd by the barrier, exchanging hugs with fans (and most likely friends).
Josh took another moment to speak, this time to defend his hometown: "The first question we get asked when people hear we're from Detroit is, 'What's it like to be from such a wasteland?' And that's fucking bullshit, and we know it, because it's not!" After inviting the Skeleton Choir on stage, a group of fans and friends who sing backing vocals while donning skeleton masks, Epstein continued, "Some cities aren't as respectful as you guys and they stole some of our skeleton masks, so there's a few pandas up here, which is way less fucking scary. But it's way cuter, which still defeats the purpose, I guess," he joked. Appropriately, the performances that followed were "Skeletons" and the utterly unforgettable "An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen", with the crowd joining in on the infectious "na na na na" chant.
Thanking the crowd once again, Epstein said he knows that soon something is going to be built in Detroit that will blow everyone away and dedicated the final performance of their main set to the man who originally recorded it, the late Gil Scott Heron. Though "Almost Lost Detroit" is already one of the album's strongest tracks, the live version is doubly intense, especially when joined by local rapper Self Says for a verse before the final chorus.
Leaving the stage to chants, the band didn't stay away long before returning. "We hope you like to dance," Josh said before they performed a brilliant cover of Steve Winwood's 80's hit "Higher Love".
Expectedly, the final performance of the evening was none other than "Nothing But Our Love", the leadoff single that gained the band so much attention early on. As usual, the ending was extended with Zott shouting the final words between bouts of deafening music as more balloons were unleashed on the crowd from above, before the performers took a bow and left for good.
There's no doubt in my mind that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are at their best when they're on stage. Their music may be quaint and catchy on record, but live they put on an expertly crafted show. The addition of live drums and stronger reliance on guitars enhances their music without losing the vintage electronics that make it so unique.
In over 130 lifetime concerts, I can honestly say this was one of my favorites. Much like leaving a Flaming Lips show, I was all smiles and warm fuzzies as I exited out onto the streets of Detroit. Perhaps the only smiles wider than the crowd's belonged to Josh and Danny as they watched the crowd dance and sing along to their newly released record. It's obvious they felt the love from the crowd, just as we felt the love radiating from the stage, like proud fathers watching their sons achieve their dream. Truly, it was a special night, and I would do terrible, unspeakable things - things no man should do - to get a recording of it. Failing that, however, I'll always have my memories and so will the rest of those who witnessed it, I'm sure.
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