Fleet Foxes brought cottage-core galore with Uwade at the Midland
Fleet Foxes. // Photo by Cassondra Jones
There’s a certain magic surrounding a band like Fleet Foxes. The detailed story-telling and textural harmony seem to live outside of time. Their ethereal indie-rock grabs you by the delicate strings between your belly and your heart and gently guides you into a romantic cottage-core world of rich textural harmonies and storytelling.
I think of a very specific time and place when I first heard the music, the feelings I was having, the friends I was listening with, the art we were creating, and the way life unfolded after that point—all the while consistently going through periods of hyper-fixation where it was the only music I could listen to. Each song has its own personality and position in my memory, a comfort akin to looking through old photo albums.
All Fleet Foxes fans I’ve met share a similar sentiment: The music creates a distinct stamp in our memories.
I saw the band in 2010 at the Uptown Theater when their 2008 self-titled album was fresh, and the thing that stuck with me was the intimacy fostered between the band and the audience. It was a choral experience as the audience sang every word with the band, and there was an hour-long encore that was practically entirely acapella. The show was so good that I was tempted to temper my expectations for revisiting their live set 13 years later.
This was an unnecessary precaution, as the 2023 show was even better than the first.
Uwade. // Photo by Cassondra Jones
The opener, Uwade, single-handedly brought the loud pre-headliner audience chatter at the Midland to a halt as her voice, like a gentle hand guiding our gaze from the wild darkness, caressed the packed venue. Her comfortable joy and humility smoothed over our anxious edges like warm honey. She was simply real. We were left captivated, breathless, and spellbound. There could not be a better opener for Fleet Foxes, and I am now a superfan. Check her out.
Fleet Foxes played all of their hits, the audience sang, the musicians on stage played with improvisational creativity and joy, and the visuals were comforting and uncomplicated. When I left, I felt like I’d been spooning with everyone in attendance.
There was a refreshing calmness and softening. I am in awe of their ability to maintain such humility and quality throughout their career. It felt like visiting an old friend.
Next time you find yourself in a nostalgic mood with no particular source, do yourself a favor and give them a spin—or do one better and find them on tour.
Fleet Foxes Setlist
Sun Giant
Wading in Waist-high Water (with Uwade)
Sunblind
Can I Believe You
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
He Doesn’t Know Why
Featherweight
Third of May/Ōdaigahara
Phoenix
Bedouin Dress
White Winter Hymnal
Mearcstapa
Mykonos
Silver Dagger
Montezuma
Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman
Maestranza
Blue Ridge Mountains
Grown Ocean
Blue Spotted Tail
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
For a Week or Two
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Helplessness Blues
