Foxy Shazam | Austin, TX
The Empire Control Room started to fill up on the afternoon of September 19th, 2023, with fans who could not contain the excitement of seeing an impeccable lineup. The venue was built within a large garage and gave that intimate feeling that every fan loves. During sunset, the local band Club Coma entered the stage to kick off a spectacular night. The experimental trio excited the locals, with genre-bending songs and catchy riffs. Vocalist Scott Martin danced along the stage and you could see fans dancing around with him. The band played most songs from their self-titled album and invited fans to come hang out by their merch table.
The warm night in Austin got hotter when Foxy Shazam entered the stage. Fans would scream to keyboardist Sky White "I want to touch your keyboard" to which he replied "Oh don't worry, you will.” The band started playing the instrumentals to the song "Unstoppable" and frontman Eric Nally stormed onstage, with the energy that could fill an entire stadium. Nally's stage presence and interaction with the crowd is impeccable, and in my opinion he is one of the best performers alive. Alex Nauth brought his trumpet to the crowd and was welcomed by screaming fans, followed by Sky White, who had previously promised fans they would get to hold his keyboard. During the song "The Rocketeer" Eric Nally continued his tradition of asking the crowd for a cigarette and a lighter, and shortly after chewing on the lit cig. The short but sweet setlist delivered a mind-blowing performance with all the components that a Foxy Shazam fan loves. The crowd was cheering them on and asking for another song, but it was time for Head Automatica to blow away some fans.
As soon as Daryl Palumbo entered the stage, you could sense the energy boost in the crowd. The band started playing the first few songs of their first album Decadence, which was released back in 2004, and fans were singing the lyrics to every song like it was 19 years ago. Palumbo's heartfelt performance included pauses to interact with the audience and thank them for being there even after all these years. The setlist consisted of all major hits, including "Brooklyn is Burning", "Graduation Day", and "I Shot William H. Macy". After almost 20 years, seeing every member of the band give such an electrifying performance was mesmerizing. Palumbo's eclectic voice reached every corner of the venue with the same intensity, it didn’t matter if you were in the front row or not. The crowd screamed for more, and Head Automatica came back to play their major hit "Beating Heart Baby" and they closed the night with "Please Please Please (Young Hollywood)". Fans left the venue sweaty after dancing all night, and with the certainty that Head Automatica rocks as hard as they did back in 2004.
