Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. has decided to shorten its name to Jr. Jr.—not that Dale Earnhardt Jr., the driver, had anything to do with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., the band, altering its moniker.
“I was not quite sure what had prompted you to choose the name Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jr,” the NASCAR driver wrote the indie band, “but I thought it was clever and I personally have no problem with your band’s name. You will not hear from any lawyers on our end should you choose to keep the name.”
But the rock duo opted to ditch their peculiar-familiar name for reasons explained in a lengthy message to fans:
as things have grown, so has the amount of confusion caused by the name Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Some of it is no big deal and easily cleared up. But sometimes we get sad and bizarre requests sent to our social media sites or emailed to people we work with. We’ve had people drive long distances to shows only to be disappointed when they realize it’s a neurotic Jew and wild haired gentile from Detroit they’ve paid to see. A number of times now we’ve received hope filled inquiries from people who have dying relatives that only want to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr (the driver) before they pass. Those sorts of interactions feel a little voyeuristic and eerie, and even attempting to simply clarify the situation means you’ve added a moment of embarrassment to someone’s day when they’re already going through a lot.
Perhaps the pair sensed an enterprising musical act might glom on to their success by naming their outfit Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Jr. With subsequent name parasites (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. and so forth) likely, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. decided to quit the name while it was ahead.
Like NASCAR, popular music involves a lot of follow the leader. The world awaits the sonic offerings of Rustier Wallace and Jamie McMcMcMurray.
Until then, fans looking to satiate their cravings for bands named after race-car drivers must content themselves on the music of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (or Jr. Jr.), which sounds like something no one will ever hear (cool kids are big on irony) blasting in the parking lot outside of Daytona Motor Speedway. It’s neither very Molly Hatchet nor quite Blake Shelton. We may meet Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans and we may meet Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. fans, but never the twain shall meet.
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