Issue Date: August 26, 2001
Thanking God it's Friday
Twin heartthrobs Evan and Jaron honor their Jewish faith, even when it means refusing a big-name summer tour.
By Michele Hatty
It's 3 o'clock on a Friday afternoon. The sun is blazing down on the Potomac in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. On the riverbank, staffers from a radio station are busily readying for a 5 p.m. free concert by identical twin pop stars Evan and Jaron Lowenstein, 27, whose first single, "Crazy for This Girl", saturated the airwaves last year.
Double take: Jaron, left, and Evan Lowenstein, 27, are more than just identically pretty faces.
Photo by Ben Whatts
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The early start time is more than just a gimmick to lure the happy-hour crowd from the surrounding outdoor bars: Once the sun goes down, the brothers will head back to their respective Watergate hotel rooms to rest and observe the Sabbath.
Yes, the Sabbath. In addition to fronting a band and flashing their matching good looks across America, Evan and Jaron (professionally, they dropped the Lowenstein), are observant Jews. And that means from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday they are out of the rock-star game.
"It definitely hurts us," admits Jaron, his lanky body sprawled out on a couch in his hotel room during a rare moment of pre-gig downtime. "We had to turn down a tour with Stevie Nicks this summer because we couldn't play Friday nights."
But at the same time, both see their "day of rest" as non-negotiable. "I look at it as a chance for me to step away from everything else that's going on in my life and focus on other things," Evan explains. "It's an opportunity for me to step down off my stage and pay homage to somebody, something greater than myself."
That all sounds very serious, but in person, the guys are anything but. This afternoon they're both dragging from a whirlwind week in Los Angeles, followed by an all-night flight to the East Coast. But neither can sit still during this interview. Jaron meanders from the couch to the window. Evan, wearing a baseball cap that reads "The Talented One," jumps up from his chair to emphasize his points. They talk fast and tease each other, finishing each other's sentences, clarifying each other's thoughts and more than occasionally disagreeing.
"We fight about everything," Jaron says with a laugh. "But that's probably because we spend so much time together."
"People think twins are supposed to be identical in every way," Evan adds. "That is so not the case."
Maybe not, but they do have a lot in common.A decade ago, both were considering careers as professional baseball players. Then Evan picked up a guitar and found his passion for music. Jaron followed, and soon the brothers were bypassing college to play gigs all over their native Atlanta. After a record deal with one label fizzled, the guys headed to Los Angeles, where they now live, to try again. Another label picked them up, and they've been touring ever since. But it was the rise of boy bands and the popularity of shows such as MTV's teen-scene gushfest Total Request Live that finally vaulted the brothers onto the national scene.
"In a lot of ways, MTV put us a step backward," Jaron says ruefully. "Don't get me wrong - we appreciate the exposure - but we are not a boy band. We play our own instruments. We write our own songs. Before "TRL", most of our fans were more or less our age."
Now their fans are largely of the teenage-girl variety. At 5:45 p.m., when the twins finally take the stage in Washington, gaggles of girls holding up signs with messages such as "Evan and Jaron are hot" and "We love you" already have braved the 90-degree heat for a few hours just to gaze adoringly up at Evan, who married 22-year-old Kassini Cohen last November, and Jaron, who is currently trying (and failing) to recover from the breakup of his relationship with his most recent girlfriend ("I haven't slept in three weeks," he admits).
Teenage girls aren't the only ones who see the guys' talent, however. One of their biggest supporters is Jimmy Buffett, a musician who is known for having famously loyal fans. Buffett saw Evan and Jaron perform in Atlanta a few years ago. Since then, he has helped them navigate the world of big-time music promotion - and even has shared a stage with them.
"They have the potential for a long career," Buffett says. "I love the way they sound. They sing these amazing harmonies without looking at each other. They remind me of the Everly Brothers. And they know how to really connect with their audience, charm them."
For their part, Evan and Jaron are all about longevity. "We're serious about making music," Jaron says. "At the end of the day, if our looks get people to check out our music, that's fine. Because ultimately our music speaks for itself."
Keeping kosher on the road
It isn't easy. The brothers don't have the luxury of traveling with a private chef, so they've learned to scout out good kosher restaurants all over
the country. Their favorites:
 Irv's Market in Overland Park, Kan.
Kosher Cajun Deli in Metairie, La.
Shallots in Chicago
Great American Health Bar in New York
Metro Glatt in Los Angeles
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