The Stone Foxes at Mercury Lounge
by Laura Wasson
Photo credit: Laura Wasson
Joyful: That isn’t a word that typically comes to mind when thinking of sludgy, dirty rock music, but I can’t think of a better way to describe The Stone Foxes’ set at Mercury Lounge Tuesday night. The San Francisco-based quartet possesses a barely contained level of energy that seems at times as though it might hurtle them into another dimension. (Suitably, they walked on stage to the Star Wars theme.) While that kind of enthusiasm would spell messy execution for most bands, these fleet Foxes are gifted with a level of musical sophistication that didn’t falter for a moment during their long set.
The venue was packed from top to bottom with excited fans of all stripes—from bedraggled hipsters to financiers who had clearly just left the office, the undeniably eclectic group underscored the band’s universal appeal.
Each member of the Foxes seamlessly shares frontman responsibilities, an interesting and confident choice since all of their voices are so unique. Bassist Aaron Mort opened the evening with "Jump in the Water," a rollicking, rolling, blues-inflected number that instantly set the pace for the night. Drummer Shannon Koehler, a Cheshire Cat-grinning, latter-day Levon Helm, followed before giving the stage to his brother, lead guitarist Spence, who looks like Neil Young, plays like Jimi Hendrix, and sounds like George Thoroughgood.
The set balanced material from their latest EP, Small Fires, with their back catalogue, all of which handily showcased the Foxes’ savvy approach to '60s- and '70s-tinged rock. While they sound familiar and fit neatly into the space newer nostalgia-lite bands like Turbo Fruits and The Weeks have claimed, this group manages to not sound derivative. It is their own unique and magical gumbo of the genre—a feast of memorable melodies and genuine barn-burning fun.
Toward the middle of the set, Mort and Shannon switched seats entirely for "Everybody Knows," a rich tune rife with harmonica and distorted vocals that could easily stand up to the best work of The Black Keys or The Raconteurs.
After "Patience" and "I’m a King Bee"—both older tracks—rounded out the evening, the finale, "Mr. Hangman," left a truly lasting impression. Armed only with a harmonica, a microphone, and a tambourine, Shannon and keyboardist Elliott Peltzman waded into the crowd and managed to convince the entire room to hunker down on the floor and sing along. It was the sort of unbridled, utterly shameless, and truly happy moment that happens all too rarely at concerts these days.
How many other bands could command an audience so thoroughly? It seems inevitable that there would be a few sourpusses in the bunch, but not for the Stone Foxes—these genuinely nice lads wear their hearts and their passions on their sleeves. Here’s hoping they never loose that sense of joy when they inevitably and deservedly move on to bigger venues and legions of more adoring supporters.