When I mention to someone that I’m from Missouri, more often than not I get a response involving either The Arch or Chappell Roan. If it’s the former, I jokingly reply that it’s a handle for God to grab if he ever wanted to rip St. Louis out of the earth and throw it into the stratosphere before conceding that it is a nice city to visit for a few days at a time. If it’s the latter, I have to remind them that while her music puts the Midwest in a much brighter spotlight than I certainly would, Chappell hails from a completely different area of Missouri than the one I grew up in. However, one of the more recent sources of pride for this St. Louisian-turned-New Yorker is the success story of hometown heroes Foxing. On October 29th, 2024, I finally had the chance to catch them live, and it was an eye-opening experience of what makes these musical artists so captivating.
Hot off the heels of their fantastic self-titled record released in September, Foxing arrived at Racket in Manhattan, NY with a vengeance. The false start of “Secret History” teased a false sense of security for those who had not heard the record yet, as the band plunged headfirst into a screamo state of catharsis at the two-minute mark. To those of you worried that their live performance might not match the insanity of the studio recording, fear not, as the band succeeded in providing a loud and clear demonstration of what makes at least nine of their latest thirteen tracks so riveting. There's something very raw about being face-to-face with the architects of these tracks, as with any form of live music, but with messages from tracks such as “Hell 99” and “Hall of Frozen Heads” ferociously emanating mere feet from your vessel, these moments begin to take on a new meaning. While the nature of the noise may be ephemeral, the emotions that come with the moments linger for much longer.
While the setlist predominantly revolved around their excellent self-titled record, there were a handful of moments that showcased their previous albums. After the first two tracks introduced the uninitiated to Foxing’s newest brand of musicality, the group broke out “Grand Paradise” from their 2018 record Nearer My God. In any other setting, this indie-rock cut would be an energetic pick-me-up for the crowd to start jumping to, but in between the abrasive “Spit” and the auditory odyssey of “Greyhound,” it felt more like a cooldown.
Foxing tended to stick with the hits from their back catalog, playing only “Eiffel” and “Beacons” from Dealer and Draw Down The Moon respectively. Coming from someone who (clearly) enjoys their more recent work, I didn't see this as an issue, but I could see this choice potentially turning off longtime Foxing fans who may have been craving a more holistic setlist, especially considering the band did an anniversary tour of their debut album The Albatross a little less than a year ago at this same venue. However, I would argue that the moments where the crowd truly went the hardest came during cuts from the self-titled, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Towards the end of the set, vocalist Conor Murphy explained how happy it made him to watch fans sing the lyrics and keep an active mosh pit going during songs from an album they self-released, self-produced, and self-designed. It’s an encouraging aspect of touring a new record, especially one as personal as Foxing. I’m not a touring artist, but it must be somewhat unnerving to position a tour surrounding mainly newer tracks and get little to no real reaction from them other than the obligatory “Woo!” at the mention of a new song and the lukewarm applause that follows. Thankfully, the acclaim isn’t just coming from bloggers and critics on the internet: it’s coming from the fans too.
Foxing
Preceding Foxing was the act From Indian Lakes, a more indie-rock focused project promoting their newest full length titled Head Void. I’m always intrigued to see how shoegaze-centric bands translate their work to the live setting, as sometimes they lose the atmospheric edge that makes the project so compelling to begin with. I found their drums a bit too loud in the mix, which isn’t necessarily a criticism of anyone involved, but it certainly took away from the guitar-centric nature of the original music. I found myself wanting to feel more of the power that vocalist and guitarist Joey Vannuchi’s 9-pedal board was pushing. That said, they more than lived up to the promise of live performance in offering an immersive experience with their songs as an entry point to their work, and especially considering the impressive songwriting, From Indian Lakes delivered on this promise.
While I’m not as familiar with the work of From Indian Lakes as I am with Foxing, they certainly gave enough in their performance that I’m going to be on the lookout for live shows and music in the future. Joey Vannuchi and company have a wonderful knack of writing songs that cement a vibe and don’t overstay their welcome, which in the presence of the tight time constraints of New York curfews is a strategic move. I only hope it takes them less than five years to return to the city.
From Indian Lakes
What I found to be the most unique and arguably most exciting aspect of Foxing’s Fall Tour, at least from an organizational standpoint, was the tour’s attention to local bands. A few weeks before the tour started, Foxing sent out a submission link for bands who wanted to play their show, and they went through the taxing yet ever-so-rewarding process of handpicking one act for each show of their tour, totalling 34 acts out of nearly 800 submissions. I recognized a number on the poster such as pulses., A Place For Owls, Birthday Dad, Gollylagging to name a few, all great picks. However, I was somehow unfamiliar with Flycatcher, the opener for New York’s show. The New Jersey based quartet’s blend of indie and emo undertones flew under my radar for a little too long, and I hope it doesn’t stay that way for you if you aren’t already familiar.
Flycatcher took the stage to about two thirds of Racket’s room, which for some might serve as a hindrance to a successful 30-minute slot, but their stage presence made it feel like the room was full, giving the band an opportunity to flex their muscles as songwriters and performers. Their opening slot at Racket served as a release show for their sentimental new track, “Brother,” which dropped the previous day. The quartet focused on tracks from their EP Stunt, which came out last year, along with playing an unreleased song known as “Dissolve.” Flycatcher will be going on a tour with the fellow New York bred emo mastermind Jade Lilitri and his project Oso Oso, as well as the fantastic up-and-coming pop-punk band Riley! If you’re anywhere near the Northeast country, I strongly recommend catching this show. Full dates and ticket links can be found here.
Flycatcher
While Foxing’s headlining tour may be drawing to a close within the next week as of this writing, the life of this record is just beginning. It’s going to be interesting to see how time treats this record both in terms of live production but also within the realms of what stands out in Foxing’s not-so-secret history (I had to, it was right there). Could Foxing become a figurehead in the genres it dabbles in like The Albatross has done with emo and post-rock? While we might not have the answers just yet, this visceral yet beautiful record is an accomplishment all on its own. Not only that, but the display to which almost an entire project can evolve through a singular performance is a testament to the artistry that Foxing possesses, a crucial aspect to their work we shouldn’t take for granted.
You can stream Foxing’s self-titled record on Spotify or Apple Music. A complete list of Foxing’s upcoming tour dates can be found here.
FOXING SETLIST
Secret History
Spit
Grand Paradise
Greyhound
Gratitude
Eiffel
Hell 99
Looks Like Nothing
Beacons
Barking
The Medic
Nearer My God
Hall of Frozen Heads
Cry Baby
Rory
FROM INDIAN LAKES SETLIST
Water
Holy
The Flow
The Lines
The Wilderness
Breaking My Bones
Label This Love
No One Else
Blank Tapes
Spilling Over
FLYCATCHER SETLIST
Games
Torn
Dissolve
Rust
Quitter
Brother
Sodas in the Freezer
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