There’s nothing we love more than when art scenes collide. This Saturday at the Replay, the worlds of burlesque and local music will slam dance together in unholy matrimony when local burlesque troop Foxy By Proxy hosts a show solely dedicated to local musicians.
It’s actually no secret that Foxy By Proxy have long been fans of local music (and tacos, you’ll see what we mean when you watch them), with performers often dipping into the bountiful selection of songs by local bands for their performance numbers. This Saturday, they’re running full speed ahead with the theme. You can expect to hear songs by anyone from Lyd to The Sluts to longtime performer Lonnie Fisher (who recently played his 1,000th show in Lawrence). Do we want to see a burlesque performer moving and shaking to a song called “Bong Rip Yr Dick Off” by local stoner rockers Tokeback Mountain? The answer is a very enthusiastic “Duh.” But we also wanted to learn more about what prompted the upcoming show. So we sat down with Red Delicious, who will be performing to a song by Sweeping Promises.
Foxy By Proxy performers include Busta Cherry, Aleis Noir, Carma Lea, Eucalyptus Soft, Cryptkid, Lazuli Stardust, Prince Darling, Dani Danger, Freyja Delphine, STAR, Regina Flaps, Lambyyy, and Red Delicious. You can learn more about the event, which will definitely fill up quickly, over on Facebook.
IHLM: What prompted you to put a show together focusing on local music?
Red Delicious: As you know, I was inspired to use a song by a local band back in 2018 when I was listening to Stone Grower play a set at the Replay. At that point, I was determined to use local music for all of my Foxy By Proxy performances. I have continued to use local music in all of my FBP performances since then.
IHLM: What can attendees expect?
RD: This will be a typical FBP [Foxy By Proxy] show with the added bonus of each performance featuring local music. We have invited each band being featured to sell merch at the event. We’ll have a local band merch market inside. We will also have a local music Spotify playlist that will be playing before the show, during intermission, and probably after the show. I am putting that playlist together and it will feature many local musicians, not just the ones being featured in the show. We’ll make the list public so it is accessible. I want us to remind our audience of how to access local music and how they can buy local music.
IHLM: What are your fans like?
RD: We have a pretty solid fan base who attend our shows. We have noticed that more people are coming to our shows who are first-timers. We tend to have repeat attendees once people come to one of our shows.
IHLM: What are expecting out of this show?
RD: We expect the show to be a lot of fun and filled with gratitude. The bands that are being featured are very excited for this show. Each performer has done a mini photo shoot with their respective local band as promo for the show. Cuee is on tour so Aleis Noir wasn’t able to get a photo with them. I think everyone else was able to get a photo with their local band.
IHLM: Why do you feel it’s important to marry burlesque and local music together?
RD: This show has been a dream of mine since I started performing to local music. It warms my heart when local bands/musicians are approached about using their music for a FBP performance. They typically respond with gratitude and are very happy that their music is being used for a FBP performance. I think that this kind of collaboration leads to new fans of FBP when the local band and their friends attend a show when their music is being featured. With the Local Music Tribute Show, I think it will generate new fans of the local bands being featured and local music in general. What I like about having a local tribute show is that it gives more exposure to the local music community. This is a win-win for everyone involved! I hope that more of the FBP troupe members will continue to use local music as their choice for future performances.
IHLM: How does this show align with Foxy’s vision?
RD: FBP pushes the boundaries of traditional burlesque. We are not a typical burlesque troupe. We welcome variety and we are eclectic. Collaborating with local musicians is a good example of our unique approaches to performance art. We also like to do what we can to help promote our fellow artists & musicians.