Dexter lost his pick one night at the Uptown Lounge in Athens (1986?). He was frantically searching his pockets and looking on the floor. I reached in my pocket and handed him one of mine. He kissed me on the cheek and kept rockin'. I'll never forget that sweaty, stale-beer aroma.
One thing I like about the Flat Duo Jets is they give this feeling which is like "This music is still out there and we're supporting it and few people our age care about it but we like it so we're going to play it anyway". They also give off a "Haunted Jukebox In An Empty Dance Hall" Sound in some of their recordings which is amplified by the fact they were usually a two piece band and not many people their age really liked their music.
Only when you mentioned it. I tend to ignore Jack White. He's a shadow of Dex. Mostly just copied Dex. But I will give Jack credit for at least acknowledging Dex
I used to see them all the time back when it was just Dex and the drummer (Dex still playing his Silvertone he fixed with matchbook covers) in Chapel Hill and Raliegh. Amazing shows. No recording or even video can do it justice. There was a Mexican restaurant/bar in Chapel Hill that had a piano as more or less a decoration and now and then, Dex would show up and just start playing the piano. Long ago....
👍First band I remember seeing in Chapel Hill in 1988. It's 1 reason I moved to the triangle permanently in 1990. The music scene incredible. Chris "Crow" was really the only drummer that could keep up with Dex. Dex's sister RIP Sara Romwber was the only other drummer that came close after the FDJ broke up. I prefer to see Dex solo now. He's better solo that way than with a lame drummer.
Saw them for the first time at the Wrocklage in Lex , KY '92 Dex flipped and fired the bassist right on the spot, then played on, followed them for years so fucking incredible and Crow and Dex were really cool to talk to. Keep Rockin Dex.
I'm just getting into the Flat Duo Jets, On the subject of this video I was surprised to see Neko Case commenting on them. I knew Jack White is a big fan but I had no idea that Neko likes them! Too bad I can't see the whole original Letterman video here but its nice to hear the commentary.
I offered to tune Dexter's guitar at a show in Chapel Hill. He was not appreciative. I can't recall if he was playing a duo jet, but it was definitely flat.
@duojeter could you upload this somewhere like a torrent site or fileserver so the rest of us flat duo jets fans can get ahold of it i would love to see it!
It was a requirement on Late Night at that time. Every act played with the house band. Dex was into it, and actually gave Paul Shaffer a solo during the song.
I always hated when they included Paul Schaefer's crew with the musical guest, especially a band like this. Are Sid and Anton even playing anything here? Even if they were, what could it possibly add? FDJ are on a completely different wavelength from Paul and Co.
Every act played w. Paul and the band during that era. Kinda cool. Dex was into it, as I recall, and they actually gave Paul Shaffer a solo during Wild Wild Lover.
Fuck all pretense I new Dexter pretty fucking well... boy had spirits all over him. Just fucking possessed, as was Crow. You had to be there day one. Just fucking unreal. Maybe like Hazel a bit too. Just pure. Swamp gas, ball lightning, geezer butler you rang? The history of their tour with the Cramps ha! Unwritten. What a shit show.
So you find music that plays these "blues riff patterns" boring? That cuts out a lot good music. Are you saying they plagiarized a particular song or artist? EVERYONE builds on what came before.
This is the last band you want to judge by one song. There are plenty of songs I don't like from my very favorite bands. This band did every sub-genre of rockabilly, convincingly imo. They played many covers, but always(or nearly) with their own distinct stamp. He revered his heroes. And also had quite a few originals that are quite good. But to think of this band as a player of songs is in a way to miss the point. Some artists are more than performers of sound, the song is a tool, a vehicle of the real art, similar, I think, to Neil Young imo. Flat Duo Jets(Dex Romweber) is one of those.
