FOXYGEN – Botanique, Brussels – Friday 24 February 2017

After touring their rock opera inspired double LP ‘…And Star Power’ back in 2014/2015, Sam France (frontman/singer) and Jonathan Rado (multi-instrumentalist), the eccentric key members of Californian’s collective FOYXGEN announced, unexpectedly, the end of the band. Weird and sad, on the other hand I felt lucky to have witnessed their spectacular live ecstasy in Brussels on that final tour. Oh yeah, on stage their exciting, eclectic cocktail of soul, pop, jazz and many other sonic vibrations from the early years of popular music leaves an impressive impact on your ears, eyes and limbs. This live performance on the American David Letterman Show at the end of 2015 will give you a perfect idea of the group’s adrenalin injected live power…

And the good news, of course, is that FOXYGEN came, suddenly out of the blue, back last October with new single America, followed, last January, by their fifth longplayer, titled HANG. A continuation of their bombastic and theatrical approach of several decades of several musical genres of the past, featuring a 40-piece orchestra. Here’s the LP in full…

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And… last Friday the Big Band Revue, with some help of a steamy horn section and an extra female singer/dancer, hit Brussels again with the charismatic Sam France leading the non-stop swinging spectacle as if it was his last concert ever. The highly energetic chameleon has multiple stage persona’s. From a sort of white James Brown madman on tons of speed to a hyperkinetic snake version of young Iggy Pop while he also demonstrated his Elvis moves in between. Explosive, flashing, 24 Karat entertainment! Here some of my pics…

‘Hello Brussels’…

‘We’re here to entertain you’…

Jonathan Rado going solo…

Showtime…

Elvis is in town…

Passionate harmonies…

Great to have you back…

FOXYGEN: Website – Facebook – Discography