If “comfortable nonconformity” is a thing, Freak Slug’s Xenya Genovese was giving it in waves during Friday’s Studio Milwaukee Session a few hours before their show at Cactus Club.
The feeling came through Genovese’s general demeanor, but in all honesty the socks-and-sandals sartorial choice did a lot of the heavy lifting.
It turned out the footwear was less of an active decision and more of a necessary pivot due to an uncooperative boot. But, in rolling with it, Genovese set the perfect tone for the four-song set Freak Slug pulled from debut album I Blow Out Big Candles.
“I’ve just been going with it, to be honest with you,” she explained during the mid-set interview. “I’ve got these boots, but they’ve kind of broken, so all I’ve got is these sandals, and I’m just rockin’ it out with the socks just on a whim.”
The only thing that worked better than the ensemble was the assemblage of musicians on stage. The three albums tracks they played for our broadcast (plus one off-air performance just for the Radio Milwaukee members in the room) shined in a live setting, with Genovese’s cooing, ethereal vocals floating over the wistfully romantic “Sexy Lemon” and the sinister “Spells” in equal measure.
In between those two selections and after covering her boot woes, Genovese chatted with 88Nine’s Carolann Grzybowski about how her hometown of Manchester’s “warm and honest” vibe left a mark on her music and her general way of going about the world. She also shared what “Freak Slug” actually means (it goes back to that “comfortable nonconformity” thing), slugs showing up to their concerts and why Natasha Lyonne is a legend.
Enjoy this Studio Milwaukee Session by hitting the “Listen” button at the top of the page, and score a seat for the next one — and all the ones coming up — by becoming a Radio Milwaukee member today.
Studio MKE: Freak Slug set list
- “Hello”
- “Sexy Lemon”
- “Spells”
- “Killer” (non-broadcast performance)
