Foxy Shazam

About Foxy Shazam

Foxy Shazam started in Cincinnati in 2004, which feels about right for a band that sounds like Queen and early Guns N' Roses had a theatrical lovechild in the Midwest. Eric Nally fronted the group with the kind of vocal range that made people do double-takes, while the rest of the lineup—Sky White on guitar, Daisy on bass, and a rotating cast that eventually settled into something coherent—built a sound that was equal parts glam stomp and hard rock excess.

Their early stuff was chaotic in the best way. The self-titled debut from 2005 and "Introducing" from 2008 were raw and unhinged, the kind of records that suggested the band might eat their own amps mid-show. But it was "Foxy Shazam" in 2010 that actually broke through. Produced by John Feldmann, it had "Unstoppable" and cleaned up their sound just enough to get attention without sanding off the weird edges. The album made them festival regulars and got them onto bigger tours, which is when people started noticing that Nally would do things like eat cigarettes on stage and climb speaker stacks like they owed him money.

"The Church of Rock and Roll" followed in 2012 and leaned harder into the theatrical side. "Holy Touch" and "I Like It" were big, brassy, unapologetically over-the-top. Critics didn't quite know what to do with a band that sounded this sincere about being flamboyant in an indie-rock era, but the live show kept growing. Then they signed to IRS Records and put out "Gonzo" in 2014, which dialed things back and confused pretty much everyone. It was more subdued, less flamethrown, and the response was lukewarm enough that the band went quiet shortly after.

They broke up in 2014 without much ceremony. Nally did some solo work and famously appeared on Macklemore's "Downtown" in 2015, which introduced his voice to people who had no idea he'd been frontman-diving through rock clubs for years. The rest of the band scattered into other projects.

Then in 2019 they came back with "Burn," an album that felt like they'd remembered why they started in the first place. It had the aggression of the early records but with the polish they'd picked up along the way. Songs like "Dreamer" and "Sorrow" sounded hungry again. They've been touring since, playing the songs people actually want to hear—"Unstoppable," "Holy Touch," "Killin' It"—and generally acting like a band that realized being ridiculous and being serious aren't mutually exclusive. They're still based around Cincinnati, still loud, still committed to the bit. Some bands grow up and mellow out. Foxy Shazam just took a break and came back weirder.

Foxy shows are theater productions where the music actually matters. Expect costumes, visible sweat, a guy who will make eye contact, and an audience that's either fully committed or awkwardly amused. No irony. Just commitment.

Known for Hello, Winter Song, Contraforces, The Ballad of Foxy Shazam, Holy Holy Holy

See Foxy Shazam Live