Photos by Justin Lawes
As fans waited anxiously for the show to begin, two expressionless girls entered the stage with white tribal face paint, handing out little white flags. For the rest of their set, these girls would dance their hearts out, backing up front man Tunde Olaniran with plenty of support from the crowd. The band reminded me very much of their hometown, Flint, MI. They seemed to blend the city’s urban grittiness with their heavy hip hop, giving their sound a sort of raw character.
Not surprisingly, particularly given their latest release, the Patterns EP, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr’s set was more or less a giant dance party. Daniel and Josh sang the heart-warming harmonies like always, but this time they were backed by thicker synths, beats, and a plethora of seamless visuals. Pieces of their last tour still remained: bubble machines and some giant, bulb-illuminated letters spelling ’JR JR’ — words the audience would later chant for an encore. This time, though, courtesy of the Michigan Motion Buds, there was an enormous, projection-mapped sphere that became everything from a happy singing head to a disco ball that joined the real one on the ceiling. With hand’s waving and bodies bouncing, the night’s highlight was “We Almost Lost Detroit”, which was fittingly dedicated to the city and anyone who calls it their hometown. This was only the band’s second show of the tour, the first being Detroit, so be sure to catch them while they’re out!