Got lucky with the timing where when I went to take my one video during the show I got all of Conor's speech before they played Go Down Together. Just an absolutely legendary band and evening, can't wait til they hopefully come back again someday.
Last night was a great Foxing show, as always. Tonight was on a completely different level. Holy shit.
Foxing taking a hiatus made me realize that my entire mental state is dependent on foxing, pup, and Spanish love songs being bands. They are my horcruxes. If they all disband I will just wither and die
What a fucking night. What a couple of nights. After 12? 13? years of listening to this band it all culminated in that. I’ve been quite frank in the past with my struggles with substance abuse. I saw them do an acoustic set the day after I used heroin for the first time. That’s always stuck with me. Ten years ago in December 2015 my drug use was starting to really go to some dark places and ramp up in a way that scared me. I left a foxing hometown show early because the dealers were closing up shop for the day and I needed my fix. It’s always stuck with me that I did that. Two years ago I was experiencing a major relapse and during the coheadlining run with the hotelier I did the same exact thing, left halfway into foxings set because I needed drugs. How much of a blessing it is to have witnessed these two shows, ten years on from that initial time I left early knowing I’ve been clean longer than I’ve ever been clean and that I’m never going back there as long as I can help it. Their music has helped me through so much of that journey. I remember when nearer my god came out and I was still living in Philly I was so lost and scared and I drove around all day listening to it. That’s all I could think about when they closed with the title track last night. I’ve come so far. I’m so lucky to have had them in my life for it all.
Never thought that this strange band opening for another bigger band at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC on October 29th, 2014 would become so much bigger and important to me than the band I was there to see. Saw them open again for Manchester Orchestra in 2017, and this was right before Nearer to God really gobsmacked me. This band was/is so special to me. Their self-titled really changed the trajectory of my life, as I’ve already shared in here. I made some very big decisions as a direct result of how screaming along to Hell 99 empowered (this autocorrected to “emopowered” and I almost just kept it, as is) me to take the leap. Goddamn am I going to miss them.
I see they played Looks Like Nothing at the 2nd Chicago show. Would have broken me I’m pretty sure. Looking forward to their inevitable return.
Felt like a going away party for friends you know you’ll see again and got to live it up one last time :)
I just want to say that Conor made mention quite a bit on both Chicago day 2 and St. Louis day 1 that this is a hiatus and it's not planned to be the end. He made it really clear that he didn't want it to feel like a funeral. So I have hopes that someday they'll get back to writing and maybe touring again. There was definitely nothing but love on that stage the three nights I was privileged to see.