Daddy Issues, Foxing, & Now, Now @ El Ray
Nashville base three-pieced Daddy Issues began the night. Wearing matching outfits, lead singer Jenna Moynihan and bassist Molly Martin maintained a playful banter in between songs that both matched and enhanced the band’s spirited yet somber kind of rock.
Foxing played second, and their many members worked together to create a full and collaborative sound. Foxing’s collective energy was what made their performance so engaging, and maybe also the fact that front man Conor Murphy picked up a trumpet every once in a while. I would blink my eyes or turn my head just to miss another jump or dive into the crowd.
Then came Now, Now. From the moment she began performing, lead singer KC Dalager maintained a fiery intimacy with the audience; she was at once incredibly fierce and incredibly personal, holding hands with a fan before walking across the stage with a zesty swagger. In between songs, drummer and second half of the Now, Now duo Bradley Hale, chimed in with antidotes and intros. While they started with the track “Wolf” off of their 2012 album Threads, most of the songs were from the much more pop/electronic-based album Saved, which came out in May of last year.
What struck me most about the concert was the overwhelming air of kindness and caring, from the performers on stage who thanked each other and interacted so directly with the crowd, to the audience that was eager and welcoming; as I carefully weaved throughout the crowd, people were understanding and smiled back at me (which, to be honest, is kind of rare). I left feeling uplifted, not just by the music but because of the people that it surrounded.
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