An odd, but surprisingly cohesive touring package made their way to Deep Ellum Art Co. last night. Grunge/indie band Daddy Issues, joined indie-rock co-headliners Foxing and Now, Now. Initially I wasn’t sure how well Foxing would mesh with Now, Now, but nevertheless I was excited to see two extremely talented bands co-headlining. I have been looking forward to this show since the day it was announced – and for good reason, this show was pretty incredible.
First up to the stage was all female three-piece, Daddy Issues. This is their first tour with their new line-up, having a replacement bassist. I saw Daddy Issues in November of last year and I have to say that I enjoyed this new line-up more than I did the previous one. Their chemistry as a band seems better and they seem a bit more confident on stage than before. I’m not too familiar with their music, but I think they played a similar setlist from the last show I saw. Regardless, they sounded really good and I hope that they gained a few fans from this crowd so they can continue to grow.
Sandwiched in the middle was the indie/alt rock band, Foxing. They are without a doubt one of my favorite bands to see live. I also saw them at the end of last year and even though I already knew what to expect, I was still blown away. Their sound is absolutely perfect, their stage presence is so full of passion, and they always have killer light design. Frontman Conor Murphy and guitarist Eric Hudson are particularly exciting to watch perform. Conor is one of the most passionate vocalists I have seen live. It’s like he feels every single note in his soul and projects it outward to the crowd flawlessly. Eric is also one of the most entertaining people to watch on stage. His energy is boisterous and unpredictable. Last night, he even sent his guitar out in the audience to be passed around. Foxing is seriously one of the best live bands out there, if you haven’t already seen them, definitely don’t miss out on their next tour.
Last up for the night was indie-pop sensation Now, Now. To say the least, they undoubtedly blew my mind. As if their recorded songs weren’t good enough, seeing them live is pretty impeccable. I’ve never see them live before and I’m not sure if every crowd is like the one in Dallas, but we were here for Now, Now. I thought the crowd for Foxing was passionate, but little did I know that was actually tame compared for how much the crowd came alive for Now, Now. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a more genuine performer than frontwoman Cacie Dalager. It’s as if the Dallas crowd wowed her after singing every single lyric of each song back to her. She was so clearly genuinely happy to hear the crowd singing back and see how much of an impact her music has on all of us.
The Dallas crowd even showed their love for drummer Brad Hale by starting a “Brad! Brad! Brad,” chant for almost no reason at all. This was such an entertaining set to watch due to the amount of passion on stage. Cacie made time to have a special moment with nearly everyone in the front row, singing directly to them or holding their hand. At one point, she even jumped into the crowd and sang right in the middle, making sure everyone knew how closely they were connected through her music. If you have never listened to or seen Now, Now live, then you are definitely missing out. Each song has a special way of sticking in your brain due to the catchy hooks and memorable choruses. Now, Now is definitely a band you don’t want to sleep on!
– Lauren Frederick
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