Joe McDermott stops by the Lounge to talk about his new children's music CD "Everybody Plays Air Guitar." He even plays us a couple of songs on his acoustic guitar. Always good to have one of our very favorite kids musicians in the house. DadLabs Ep. 90 The Lounge.

Daddy Clay: Hey, welcome to the DadLab Lounge. We’re very excited today because here in the studio we have an honest to god rock star. That’s right – singer, songwriter Joe McDermott joins us here in the DadLab Lounge. Joe, thank you so much for coming in.

Joe: You’re so welcome.

Daddy Clay: I’ve got to start with one question – does your management team know you’re here?

Joe: No, absolutely not.

Daddy Clay: Because that would, that would probably upset them.

Joe: Especially since I’m mostly managed by women. No, no, they have no idea that I’m here.

Daddy Clay: Yeah, they would not be in favor of the DadLabs deal. But seriously, I’m real excited. You’ve got a new CD coming out. Here’s what I want to know – what are the big perks of being a rock star? Like, you know – there’s got to be some huge perks of, um…Oh, I should probably mention that most of Joes audience is sort of height challenged. Right?

Joe: Severely height challenged.

Daddy Clay: Yeah. So actually you’re a kid’s rock star?

Joe: Yeah.

Daddy Clay: So what are the perks of that? Like birthday cake or…

Joe: No, I’ve had enough birthday cakes and hot dogs to last me a lifetime.

Daddy Clay: Hotdogs…

Joe: Uh, yeah. The perks are mainly just a great audience all the time. Just honest and open and…it’s just beautiful.

Daddy Clay: Yeah, well – all the time, though? I mean, do you get heckled sometimes?

Joe: Oh, I get heckled every show, sure. But it’s clean heckling.

Daddy Clay: So how do you manage – how does a rock star manage a house full of like five year olds or eight year olds? I mean, that’s got to be a real performance…what’s the key to dealing with the sawed off heckler?

Joe: I think the key is you have to part of their team. There’s a big organization out in front of you that can really get out of hand if you’re not careful, so you just have to be one of them and they understand that. They think that’s funny when an adult is being one of them so…

Daddy Clay: Wow, so you like, you know – misbehave too? I mean, uh…

Joe: Sure. Oh, I pretend to forget lines and act goofy and…

Daddy Clay: Yeah, poop jokes?

Joe: No poop jokes.

Daddy Clay: Oh, man…

Joe: Sorry.

Daddy Clay: Cuz those are funny.

Joe: It’s an easy laugh.

Daddy Clay: Yeah. I guess so. But there is a real pleasure in performing for kids.

Joe: Sure.

Daddy Clay: I mean performing for kids is great; a great audience. How do you know when you’ve really got the audience in the palm of your hand? What’s the sign when you look out there and the kids are really into the music?

Joe: The general sign is when the kids are only looking at me and they’re not looking at each other. And then the other thing that I kind of usually know I’m in the pocket is when the adults around them are laughing. That’s usually it because the kids are very sophisticated and they understand that, but when I get the adults going then I kind of know I’ve got everybody there.

Daddy Clay: When things go bad do you get like fights – like the adults fighting? Like at a sports game, you know, when the parents get out of control.

Joe: Well I have to rough people up every once in a while if they’re an adult, you know, and they get out of line.

Daddy Clay: Yeah. You get to see a lot of parent-kid interaction. Does it make you feel positive about the state of parenting in America or do you have some concerns?

Joe: You mean the state of parenting in humanity.

Daddy Clay: Yes, yes – exactly. How do you feel about humanity? You watch these people bring their kids in, you’re in front of them every day, do we have something to worry about here?

Joe: Absolutely! It’s never worked right.

Daddy Clay: That’s what I thought. Well, the CD is Joe McDermott, Everybody Plays Air Guitar. And I was hoping Joe you might play us something from the CD. Would you mind?

Joe: Sure – I’ll play the title cut.

Daddy Clay: That’d be great. Joe – take it away.


*** Joe plays his song ***


Daddy Clay: Joe, you’re terrific. That’s so much fun. Has anyone ever told you your songs are funny sometime?

Joe: No. I didn’t realize that…

Daddy Clay: Yeah, well, it struck me because I was listening to that song and….. So when you were growing up, when you were a kid, what kind of music were you listening to? What was great when you were a kid?

Joe: All the top 40 pop music – The Beatles and The Monkeys, and Dave Clark Five. All that stuff.

Daddy Clay: Do you ever feel any Monkeys coming out in the songs you are writing, ever see the….

Joe: Every day.

Daddy Clay: …Monkeys there?

Joe: Yeah, every day.

Daddy Clay: That’s fantastic.

Joe: And when I was very young I was just obsessed with music, like from very, very, very young. So it’s funny to me, sometimes I’ll walk into my studio and I look around and say – this is what I always wanted from the time I was little, tiny.

Daddy Clay: Yeah. We don’t – we don’t really get that.

Joe: No, well, but you can always say this is what I always wanted from when I was a young teenage boy.

Daddy Clay: Maybe…. So I’ve got a question for you. So we’ve been hearing a lot about these hipster dads that are getting their little kid in the room and playing Modest Mouse or Pixies. The hipster dads really want their kids to be into that. What do you think of that? Do you believe in playing serious adult rock music for kids or…what’s your opinion on that?

Joe: I don’t have an opinion of that. I love the Pixies.

Daddy Clay: So that’s good, just whatever rocks on down its okay to rock with the kids too?

Joe: Yeah. I think when I was younger I would have had a different opinion and you know maybe thought that wasn’t the best thing for your kids. But the older I get the more I realize that music is just music and especially rock music – it’s just fun. You know? Nobody really listens to lyrics that much anyway so…

Daddy Clay: Well, we listen to your lyrics.

Joe: Thank you.

Daddy Clay: We listen to them very carefully because they’re funny. By the way, Joe’s going to be playing right here in Austin, Texas on Mother’s Day at, uh – remind me where the gig is.

Joe: Rudamia.

Daddy Clay: Rudamia, so if you like what you hear tonight grab the kids, dad give mom the morning off, take them out to see Joe. He’ll be playing songs from his new CD Everybody Loves Ari Guitar. We love this CD; hope you guys will pick up a copy. You can get your own copy at joemcdermottmusic.com and if I keep plugging any more they’re going to throw me off the interweb.

Joe: Okay.

Daddy Clay: So Joe, you’re just going to have to play us another song and let that be it. We really appreciate you coming into the DadLabs today.

Joe: Thanks for having me.

Daddy Clay: It’s been very fun having you here.

Joe: Thank you very much.

Daddy Clay: Joe McDermott ladies and gentlemen.