Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam is in the middle of a busy 2012. They released their fourth LP, The Church of Rock and Roll. The glam rockers bounced around the major label circuit for years before landing on I.R.S./EMI in 2011 and are having their greatest success to date. Catching up with the band before their stop at the Coach House on Sunday, June 24, horn player/backing vocalist Alex Nauth shared with us some secrets of the road, what's he looking forward to doing when he gets to Southern California and why he will not be eating pepperoni pizza for the rest of the tour.
OC Weekly: With the release of your album and subsequent tour, it's safe to say it's been a busy year. How have you guys dealt with all of this crazy activity?
Alex Nauth: It's been a whirlwind trying to get into a groove and focus. We've been on the road since January with a few breaks here and there. We've just been playing and we've been focusing on that.
Since this is your fourth album, when you see fans who are discovering the band for the first time, does it make you excited or resentful that they didn't catch on sooner?
Sometimes when we're alone, we grumble and are cynical about stuff like that. But we're just happy that we are growing and people are getting on board. They're always welcome.
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What's been the most random thing or funniest thing to happen on the tour so far?
Last night, Daisy (bassist Daisy Caplan) ripped my pants off in a heated rage. He was mad about something and I wasn't wearing a belt, so he threw them outside and I couldn't find them anywhere. So I had to walk around without pants for a very long time. I knew we had ordered pizzas and I was really, really fucking hungry and was wanting pepperoni pizza all night. They said it was just delivered and there were no slices left, which was odd because I knew we had just gotten it. I was really bummed and later I went outside and I finally found my pants, which were in the bushes and the entire pizza was in my pants. It was evil.
And it's safe to say you were a bit miffed at the situation?
Pizza is one of my favorite foods and I cannot begin to tell you how pissed I was. Seeing an entire pepperoni pizza wasted in my horrible, smelly ass pants. It was a damn shame I have to admit.
So are pranks and irrational battles just a part of life on the road for Foxy Shazam?
It's in there amongst other things. Those are definitely some hobbies that we're pretty damn good at.
What are you looking forward to about coming to Southern California?
The first thing I always do is go to In-N-Out Burger. I'm completely obsessed with it. On my birthday, we were in Arizona and our tour manager bought me an In-N-Out t-shirt and I wear it all the time. I always get a Double Double animal style and depending on my mood and how big I want my belly to get, I'll get animal style on my fries. If I'm feeling really, really daring, I'll get the whole shebang.
That's a bit adventurous.
Exactly. If you don't get to have it, you might as well go all-out.
So that being said, what would you rather eat before you hit the stage: pepperoni pizza or an In-N-Out Burger?
I'm done with pepperoni pizza. I'm looking forward to not having any more pairs of pants ruined.
Foxy Shazam plays the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on June 24. Tickets are $15.
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Daniel Kohn is a writer based in Southern California. With bylines in an assortment of outlets, Kohn primarily specializes in music with other interests ranging from sports to food. As a transplant, Kohn loves the beautiful weather and is glad he no longer has to deal with brutal winters. If you see him, say hi and of course, he’s always willing to down a beer or two…if you’re paying.