It’s commonly believed that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there’s also a strong case to be made that parody is a sure sign of admiration and respect, since you’ve got to know something pretty intimately to poke fun at it effectively. In that case, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who loves country music more than D. Striker, who’s been lovingly cracking wise about it for nearly 20 years. Every Friday the 13th, he publishes a new edition of his hand-drawn zine RR and celebrates its release with a live performance of songs like “Three Dudes in an Office,” a smart dig at lazy songwriters on which Striker sings, “I’m not saying I’m more country / That’s not the question I raised / I’m just saying / There’s more to it / Than your tired clichés.” Striker will party down with help from a backing band that includes members of Ole Mossy Face, plus swampy, dark-tinted pop from Tommy and the Ohs and a set of Tom Petty tunes by a group called The Criminal Kind (featuring members of The Carter Administration and Doghound). STEPHEN TRAGESER
