The hottest (free) ticket of the weekend belonged to the Virginia-Highland Summerfest! 80’s alternative enthusiast and 92.9 DAVE FM DJ, Steve Craig, introduced the festival’s headlining band at approximately 4:30pm on Sunday’s scorching afternoon.
The Fixx launched into their set with “Red Skies” from the 1982 release, Shuttered Room. The audience of young and older fans with families immediately began to sing along.
Lead singer Cy Curnin appeared with a summer tan and exchanged a bit of banter with the sweltering crowd between songs. When one audience member asked him to remove his shirt, Curnin joked: “Take yours off!”
The performance continued with classic hits like “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Saved by Zero,” and “Are We Ourselves?” We were also treated to new material and lesser-known tracks such as “How Much is Enough?” from the 1991 album, Ink. Maybe it was the dizzying heat, but it was easy to start swaying to Curnin’s soaring vocals and the band’s occasional flirtation with an electro-psychedelic sound.
Guitarist Jaime West-Oram, keyboardist Rupert Grenna, bass player Dan K. Brown, and drummer Adam Woods have all performed as part of the band’s early lineup. They still appear to enjoy sharing the stage as well as writing music together.
The Fixx will release their tenth studio album, “Beautiful Friction” on July 17. They debuted the first single, “Anyone Else,” which has its darker moments, but reveals a bit of optimism and hope for our troubled times.
Photo and review by: Stephanie Roman
