Tonight (Saturday), the Token Lounge hosts the delicious double bill of country rocker JoCaine and sleaze-sters the Dirty Americans. While the two acts take differing approaches to the genre, both play high-energy hard rock that fits comfortably alongside each other. It promises to be a very special night indeed.
JoCaine (like Alice Cooper, the singer and the band share the same name) was born here in Detroit but is now based in Nashville, a move that he hoped would enhance his country credentials. He’s since embarked on a number of high-profile tours and his reputation is blossoming.
The Dirty Americans formed earlier in the decade and quickly signed to Roadrunner Records. The label helped them tour worldwide and saw them emerge as Detroit’s premier sleaze rock band. They’re looking for a label again, but that isn’t stopping them working.
MMX caught up with JoCain and the Dirty Americans’ Myron (real name Matt K) to get the lowdown on the showdown…
JoCaine, tell us a little bit about your background…
JoCaine: I’ve been playing my whole life. I’ve always been music and I’ve been taking seriously since I was about 15 years old. I’ve just been working at it, taking in the Detroit style with the rapping and the rocking, plus I’ve always had a country background. This solo project has been taking everything that I’ve got and putting it into one to come up with my sound.
I think in that sense, we’re kind of unique. I’ve been at it for a long time, doing stuff with Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock to doing something with all the big country guys like Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley, and shows with people like (Poison’s) Bret Michaels. We’ve done tones of shows with all those bigwigs.
Myron, how and when did the Dirty Americans form?
Myron: We formed at the end of 2001. We wrote a bunch of songs and we ended up with a deal with Roadrunner Records. They were fantastic for pushing us overseas. That first album came out in 2003. We played a lot in Europe and Japan. We did all the big festivals, and the Download Festival in the UK was amazing.
We grew up around Detroit. Our sound has got that ratty, nasty Detroit vibe. You can hear it now in bands like the White Stripes. They do their own version, but it’s definitely not clean.
JoCaine, you live in Nashville now but how do you view Detroit?
J: I moved down there to try to get my jump start in music. Everybody told me that if I wanted to get into country music, Nashville’s the place to be. I think you can be anywhere you want as long as you write a hit song. The music will stand on its own two feet. I miss Detroit. It’s my home. There’s nothing like being in Detroit and seeing everybody every day. Around here, you’re a little local celebrity. Everybody knows who you are. You get the props from just knowing everybody in restaurants and bars. You get to see your family and friends all the time, so it’s kind of cool.
Everybody in Nashville is there for the music. The cab driver, the pizza delivery guy – everybody is there to be a star. I guess the cream of the crop rises to the top so it’s really no big deal. I like Detroit better, just because it’s my home.
Myron, are you proud to come from here?
M: Definitely. I grew up listening to Alice Cooper and the Stooges in my dad’s garage, drinking beer.
What are your proudest career moments to date?
J: I’d say having our song on the show "CSI." We played on six episodes and I was running around the house.
M: It had to be the crowds that we were drawing in Tokyo. We had a pretty successful single over there, with a top 10 video and all that kind of stuff. Selling out the Astro Hall on our first time there was awesome. The Japanese don’t speak much English, but they knew every word to every song. We played with the Go-Go’s there too, to tens of thousands of people. I got pretty drunk with Belinda Carlisle one night. I’m telling you, she’s still hot. I don’t even know how old she is, but she’s definitely still hot.
Do you have new albums on the horizon?
J: We’re working on one right now. We’re working with some big people between Nashville and here in Michigan. We want to do some radio-friendly songs so that we can take off. We want to make some home-cooking music.
Myron: Yeah. We’re trying to do it a little odd. We’re recording in batches of five songs while we try to get another record deal. We’re putting 5-song EPs on iTunes for our fanbase. I’m not sure which songs will end up on an album.
What do you know about each other?
J: The Dirty Americans are my boys. They’re the typical rock band. They dress the role, sound the role, look the role – I mean, they’re buddies of mine and they totally rock. It should be a great time. We did an Uncle Kracker show with them in Traverse City and it was an awesome time. They put on a great show and they kick ass.
M: I met JoCaine up at Uncle Kracker’s house actually. He showed up at some shows and had a good time with him so it’s going to be a party.
Do you have anything special planned for the show at the Token Lounge?
J: It’ll be the typical show. We always switch things up. We’ll be without our backup singer because her baby’s due, but still we’ll turn it up a notch and have a good time.
M: Yeah. We don’t get to play that area of Metro Detroit that much. It’s kind of a void. We’re always up in Mt. Clemens or somewhere like that. We can get down there and some of our fans won’t have to drive so far to see us. We’ll probably do an Alice Cooper song that night.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
J: We want to make an album that we love, a record that will kick ass. We want to go on tour with somebody big too. On December 5, I’m playing a Toys For Tots show at the Hayloft in Mt. Clemens. That will be a good time.
M: We’ve definitely got to record some more tunes, and there are some bigger shows in the works right now. We want to sell as many of the 5-song EPs before we release another full length. We’re not a band that likes to sit still for too long.
