FOXY AUTOPSY by LONNIE NGUYEN

@ HOUSE PARTY
SAT | SEPT 15

Word on the street was that female rap duo Foxy Autopsy was going on at 9, which EVERYONE knew meant 11:30. Another rumor was Foxy Autopsy were dusting off their infamous white track suits and dance moves. A crowd gathered at 10 for Ninja Academy, a distorted-bass and drums combo that dress like ninjas (duh!) and play a strange blend of instrumental rock that touches on everything from the Minutemen and Black Flag’s long-haired years to Ornette Coleman and Coltrane in his way-out-there period. Not nearly enough people saw them. Foolishly, I was outside for the first half of the set; I kicked myself once I discovered they began without me. Show stealers? Any other night, yes.

It had been a few years since Beige Sandstorm and Coco Chappelle last rocked the mic, but when the pair began their set by posing for pictures, the absence felt like decades. There was a time when Foxy Autopsy played twice a week, but those days ended when Beige moved to Portland. They played most of the hits (“Aquavend,” “Biznatural,” “I’m Naked”) and whispered in each other’s ears for last-minute lyric reminders, but nobody ever went to a Foxy Autopsy show for professionalism. Much of the between-song banter consisted of the girls reminding the crowd how rusty they were, but they wore their forgetfulness like a badge of honor and kept the show rolling, just like the good ol’ days.

Closing the show were the Trixies, a Pixies cover trio that began with a handful of B-list songs from every 35-year-old’s favorite band. “Levitate Me” and “Isla de Encanta” sounded decent, but the sing-along really got going when they dipped into “Hey,” “Tame” and “Where Is My Mind?” Their set reminded me how much fun a cover band can be in the right environment—a party, not a club.

Tags: foxy autopsy, pixies