Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr at Brooklyn Bowl and Bowery Ballroom ...

It’s true. I managed to see the last two shows before the band goes back into the studio to record their second full-length album. Does that make me cool? Yes.

I went Saturday night because I know Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr from a while back, and had figured that a $12 show at Brooklyn Bowl would probably be cool. I was right.

The dynamic of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein onstage, the bubbles, the super engaging light show complete with “J” and “R” wooden letter blocks lined withlight bulbs, and topped off by the dance-friendly venue, got the crowd all crazy-like. While the Bowery Ballroom set was a tad calmer in respects to the fans, my response was the same. These guys really do know how to entertain. I think past commentary I’ve read paints them in a light that their kitschy onstage antics perhaps distracts from their true potential. Or something.

Personally, I love the silliness. The bow ties and fluorescent blazers. The old-school phone mic. Even the choice in covers. Highlight of Saturday? Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Highlight of Sunday? Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love.”

Any potential cheesiness aside, the music is all business. A child of a romantic relationship between The Kooks and fun., there’s no easy way to describe it. Hints of hip-hop, folk, pop, and indie rock seamlessly fuse together to create a sound worth jumping to. It’s impossibly hard not to like the folky sound of “Silly Girl” with hints of Simon and Garfunkel. Or the dreamy, synth-infused beat of “Morning Thought.” They change it up. Keep things interesting. And if it says anything at all, I can’t remember the last time I saw a band two nights in a row.

Shots

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