WEEK OF 3/13/20

Sexfist / all 📷 : Tina Mead

Don’t be fooled by the squirm-inducing moniker, Sexfist is anything but painful or sadistically sexual. (That isn’t completely true.) The entire preamble to the show included making up your Sexfist name and checking out merch in the Sexfist mini mart where you can purchase from a bevy of fist-themed shirts, non-functioning condoms, and stickers to say a few. 

Either way, once the music started, it was all bluegrass and the occasional innuendo tied to their handle in some hot and spicy way. Speaking of spicy, they opened with “Georgia on a Fast Train” which quickly brought out every band member’s talents. It should be noted, too, that Sexfist is shrouded in a certain level of secrecy. To whit, each band member has a nom de plume and ask that all photos not include their faces.

Chuck Oakton showed off his speed and accuracy on banjo, Bradley Longwood worked the neck of his standup bass like a boss, OG founding member, Michael Wildwind rocked the dobro, and Clutch Johnson coursed his guitar like a Formula One racer. You almost wouldn’t know you were in Chicago when you attached these talents to the hootenanny harmonies between all four members. 

When they played the interestingly familiar “Shadow of a Man” or sometimes known as “In The Pines” by father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe, Sexfist didn’t waste any time establishing the checkered origins of the song. What they also did was present their yodeling prowess; though the song slowed the set a bit, it was a brilliant addition. They brought the energy back up with the good ol’ fashioned hoedown, “Cumberland Blues.” 

Their instrumentals were delicious and homegrown. Sexfist had the evening split into two sets and toward the end of their first, they referenced playing a Phish show and how they scared off a pack of hippies huffing nitrous. As I looked around the crowd, the story made sense as to some of the demographic in the room. There’s no doubt there was a diverse crowd in the GMan Tavern this evening, but there was no shortage of those sporting long hair and tie-dyed shirts.

They played crowd favorite, “Syracuse” before taking a short break and coming back for round two of the evening. Easily the best part of the whole evening was when they asked Longwood’s mother, Ms. Babbette Sheridan to the stage. She gave a sultry rendition of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Fats Waller as the crowd bellowed hoots ‘n’ hollers of appreciation.

Keeping the covers going, Sexfist played a sweet bluegrass version of “Friend of the Devil.” The second set soared between other killer jams like “Uncle Bubba” and spiraling interludes that kept the crowd dancing. 

They closed with the encore, “Down On Me,” a racy song of salvation and returning the favor. The song was done completely acoustic. As the crowd was playfully hushed, the band played on and everyone joined in at the end. 

There’s something about the oneness of a Sexfist show. The mandate to not have a phone made the evening that much more memorable. For some it was a cyber blood-letting, cutting loose from the digital chains that bind you. For others, like me, it was an exercise in memorization and the realization that you can actually watch a show without the distraction of a sea of cellphone screens.  

-Aaron Pylinski