NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The second time on The Farm felt infinitely different than the first for The Foxies.
The Nashville-based band took to the Who Stage at Bonnaroo Thursday night, rolling with the punches and having a great time despite audio issues that plagued their set.
Prior to their performance, the band told News 2 they were thrilled to be back on The Farm under different circumstances from their first appearance.
"The first time we were here, we won a contest to perform," lead singer Julia Bullock said. "Now, this is the year that we were asked to come back, so it's like a homecoming in a way. It's really nice to be here, be at the Who Stage, and see people that we know."
The fact that they were asked really adds gravitas to their approach to the set, because it was a signal to the bandmates that they were "doing the right things," according to Bullock.
You may think the band would bring some country sound to Bonnaroo, given they're based in Nashville, but The Foxies look at genres the way you might look at street signs in your own neighborhood: they can be helpful, but they're not strictly necessary.
"We certainly have a couple of genres," guitarist Jake Ohlbaum said. "I don't feel like we're a pop-punk band or a post-grunge band. We've got many different little colors that we play with."
The genre-bending feels "liberating" and "very natural" when performing at a place like Bonnaroo, which books bands and artists of all different genres each year, catering to a diverse group of music lovers. It's also something the group has done as a band throughout its existence.
"It's nice to know that people like it," Bullock told News 2. "It's a really nice and validating thing. We come here, we play, and it's like, 'Hell yeah! Let's make as many friends as we can and let's continue this. Let's keep going.' And Nashville is such a great melting pot as it is. We we first started out, the pop scene was really strong, then COVID happened. Now I think it's been more accessible to genre bend, honestly. Everything is genre-bending now."
Drummer Rob Bodley agreed, saying the music they were making was more of a celebration of the kinds of music they all heard growing up, when pop radio stations felt more diverse with the kind of music they played.
"You'd hear so much of not one type of genre on the pop radio stations back then, and that was really fun," he said. "I think we're heading back to that world of, 'Is it a good song?' If it has something that moves me, it doesn't matter what genre is it. It's, 'Is it meaningful?'"
"People don't care anymore [about genres]. They just want to feel something," Bullock said.
"We're not trying to channel something that is either current or retro, but we are trying to celebrate stuff that we love," Ohlbaum said. "I just think that's always been something that we do, is just to celebrate the stuff that we like and to it with our fans."
Performing for a festival crowd also comes with a different feeling of connection, particularly at a festival like Bonnaroo. Because there are so many different kinds of music to take in, attendees have an opportunity not only to see their favorite artists perform live; they also have a chance to discover something they may not have sought out at home. And that exploration is something The Foxies welcomed for the Bonnaroo performance.
"We have such an inclusive type sound, where anybody can like it; anybody is welcome, and there's something for everyone," Bullock said. "If you hear a lyric that you can connect to, come on over. You hear a dope guitar line, come on over. More importantly, [it's] a place to come to if they've kind of been wandering and they've lost themselves in a way."
Of course, festival performances are wildly different than standard stage shows in Nashville or on tour, according to Bodley.
"In a logistics standpoint, it's get on really quickly and expect good sound and excellence in a very short period of time," he told News 2. "There's just so much happening that you don't get a legitimate sound check. But we did everything we could to prepare for this day. We got a really nice front-of-house engineer and did a bunch of rehearsals with the same gear. You've just got to go up there and do your thing."
"We're here to do our set, not necessarily our show," Ohlbaum added. "The crowd is the difference. The Bonnaroo crowd is its own thing, as opposed to a Foxies show."
"Festival crowds just really want to have fun and listen to music," Bullock said. "Everybody is embracing you with arms wide open. Festival crowds are different and unlike any other. They're so receptive and so forgiving and excited that you are there. We're just as excited to see them."
"It feels like serendipity, but it can't be, because when you look at it, we were a completely different band back then," Ohlbaum said of their return to The Farm. "We were completely different people. We had completely different skill sets and interests. We know so much better as people and as artists what kind of band we're in."
Ultimately, the return to Bonnaroo was a sign from the world that all the work they've put into the band for the last six years (and three Bonnaroos) has been all worth it.
"We have been grinding and working very hard and we can actually say that it is deserved, I do believe. We've had time to settle into our skin a little bit more," Bullock said.
The Foxies will next perform at Cannery Ballroom on Saturday, June 22, for Eden Nashville. Tickets are available online here.
from WKRN News 2 https://ift.tt/45RExMu
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