Dancing with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Chicago – It was Friday night. It was Pi day. It was the beginning of St. Patty’s Day weekend. (Yes, we celebrate ALL weekend here in Chicago!) All this set the stage for a perfect Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. dance party with Chad Valley. Everyone in the Metro was drinking, eating pizza pie, and shaking what their mammas gave ‘em at the sold out show. The quirky, indie-pop Detroit duo, known as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, have been relentlessly touring the U.S. in support of their second LP The Speed of Things (which we reviewed awhile back), along with Hugo Manuel, aka Chad Valley.Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott entered the dark stage, with their band, and broke into “Hiding,” while covered in blackness. They kept the lights low, slowly leaking light, eventually becoming visible to the packed house. Very clever, boys! This was just what I was looking for; having it been my fourth DEJRJR concert, I needed the boys to be extra witty and give me something new. The “new” came in the form of “I Think it’s Going to Rain Today,” a single off their new mixtape Produce Volume 1 and a Randy Newman cover.

Two songs in, Josh had to take a moment to collect himself. He gushed about how in awe he was to be performing on the same stage as Jeff Buckley. Having watched the Live in Chicago tape over and over as a kid, his mind was blown. You could see the shock in his face, as he tried to pull himself back in, lost in wonderment. However, the whole band seemed to be admiring the overflowing venue in what they said was the biggest show they ever played outside of Detroit.

The party really kicked off with “An Ugly Person On a Movie Screen.” The crowd cheered as the recognizable intro played. People began to sing, “Satisfaction guaranteed.” Everyone “nah, nah, nahed” along with Josh and swayed to the beat. Their signature JR JR signs lit up the stage, while other light bulbs blinked to the beats around the stage. The night continued with plenty of new songs, like “Don’t Tell Me,” “Mesopotamia,” and “Run.”

Of course, a DEJRJR show wouldn’t be complete without bubbles. Throughout the night bubbles filled the venue, and their most recent stage prop, a giant “bubble,” filled the stage with colorful videos. Tanks, submarines, and airplanes trekked across the big inflatable ball and swarms of soldiers marched during “War Zone.” Dancing skeletons twirled around and bopped to the beats of “Skeletons,” adding to the enjoyment of the delightful sing-a-long that Daniel declared as the loudest sing-a-long to date. The audience belted out “Doo wop ba ba” and danced wildly. Even people in the balconies could be seen dancing.

Stage props aside, what was most impressive about this Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. show was how much more enhanced their sound was. When Epstein and Zott brought in drummer Mike Higgins awhile back, their sound increased tremendously, but with their most recent addition of Jon Visger, they’ve reached a whole new level. Visger layers in guitar and keys, helping to create wonderful melodies. With Visger in the mix, Josh and Daniel can also stay put at times, playing the bass, guitar, or sax, while Visger comes center stage to add some extra beats with the smaller drum kit, complimenting Higgins, especially with songs like ”Skeletons” and “Vocal Chords.” Another exciting bonus to Visger’s addition is that it allows for Josh and Daniel to have a little more fun and get crazy on stage. At one point in the evening, Josh played the guitar with his teeth, making the crowd clamor, and Daniel was able to let his hair down, throw confetti, jump in the crowd, and dance with fans.

Before ending their set, Josh told the audience that he recently had his hair cut by a man who called himself Dozen Roses. He informed Epstein that he was way smarter than Urkel. This made Josh homesick, thinking about growing up outside of Detroit, watching TGIF, so as the band started to play “We Almost Lost Detroit,” he emotionally belted, “This song goes out to my home!” The crowd screamed and sang along to what has hands down become the band’s anthem. Shortly after exiting the stage, the boys and Josh’s dog Potato – their self-proclaimed “cheerleader” – returned for an encore. After DEJRJR played “A Haunting,” Daniel asked, “Y’all wanna dance some more?” A horde of “yeahs” filled the room and the band played “If You Didn’t See Me,” producing an epic jamboree.

Chad Valley, the solo project of Hugo Manuel, the Englishman better known as the front man for the indie group Jonquil, started the night off with his electro-pop, with his sidekick Pamela Martinez, from the art-rock group Teletextile. These two seemed a little nervous at first, but they quickly found their footing, and in turn, warmed up the dance floor. Chad Valley, who recently gained a larger following when “Shell Suite” was featured in the film Warm Bodies, mixes fun 80s synths with playful calypso infused beats: think Toto, Foreigner, and Tears for Fears without the guitars. Manuel played old tunes and new, including “Real Time.” Hugo’s neon lights and pleasing beats made Chad Valley the ideal opener for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

If you’re on the East Coast, you can catch Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Chad Valley for the remainder of the tour.

(All photos by Sarah Hess)

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.