Alternative rock band, The Nixons, returned to Dallas on Friday night to a raucous crowd looking to relive the 90’s hey day of the band, but the guys provided much more than what was anticipated and announced that they are working on a new studio album. Vocalist Zac Maloy told the story of how the beginnings of band are entwined with the Dallas music scene and more specifically, Deep Ellum. It was at Trees in the early days of the band that they formed much of the material and gained the experience to break the ceiling with their later music.
The band that performed Friday is the classic Foma era lineup of Maloy on vocals, Jesse Davis on guitar, Ricky Brooks on bass, and John Humphrey on drums and they have not lost a step in the ensuing years since their breakup in 2002. The band on stage performed expertly and sounded just as I remember from years ago, filled with Generation X angst and attitude.
The crowd was what you would expect, 30 to 50 somethings seeing a band that was part of the formative years. They provided the crowd in attendance everything they expected moving through hit after hit and the news that new tunes are being made and released soon was very well received. There was not a weak song in their set and a few surprises thrown in, like a cover of Elton John’s “Rocketman,” but the emphasis was on songs like “Blind,” “Sister,” and “Happy Song.” Overall, this was an amazing show that combined 90’s nostalgia with four guys that seemingly are still at the top of their game on stage.
– Robb Miller
