{"id":5563,"date":"2013-06-18T12:47:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-18T19:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/?p=5563"},"modified":"2015-09-11T15:38:21","modified_gmt":"2015-09-11T22:38:21","slug":"sky-white-showmanship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/2013\/06\/18\/sky-white-showmanship\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky White is Addicted to Crowd Surfing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Audience Inspires His Daredevil Theatrics<\/h2>\n
\"Sky<\/a>

Sky White of Foxy Shazam<\/p><\/div>\n

Foxy Shazam<\/a> has been making a name for itself since 2004, touring constantly and releasing four albums to date. With a keyboardist who is sometimes referred to as the “Evel Knievel of rock and roll\u201d and having openly admitted their ambition \u201cto be the biggest, most ostentatious band on the planet,\u201d the Cincinnati-based quintet delivers heavy, keyboard-driven pop\/rock with a \u201870s glam flare. Their last album, The Church of Rock and Roll<\/a>, was released in 2012 on I.R.S. Records<\/a> with the single \u201cI Like It\u201d reaching the top five of Billboard\u2019s<\/em> mainstream rock chart.<\/p>\n

Playing Chops + Showmanship\u2026<\/em><\/h2>\n
\"SkyW<\/a>

Sky\u00a0White – Photo by: A Horse with No Name<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Keyboardist Sky White, an accomplished player with a classical and jazz background, anchors Foxy Shazam\u2019s powerful sound with the RD-700NX Digital Piano<\/a>. The band is known for its intense live shows, and Sky White plays every show like it\u2019s his last. On stage, he\u2019s a rare and refreshing combination of chops and over-the-top showmanship, taking risks that few keyboard players would ever consider. It\u2019s not uncommon for Sky White to stand on his stage piano, or to literally toss it into the audience (with the audio and power chords heavily taped to the instrument), stage dive and surf the crowd as they hold him and the piano aloft.<\/p>\n

Sky White’s theatrics and playing skill have gotten him noticed, not only by Foxy\u2019s intensely loyal fans, but by the music press as well. In Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a>, a photo of him stage diving with the RD-700NX,<\/a> was voted by readers as one of the best live concert shots of 2012. Despite this serial torture, Sky\u2019s one RD-700 NX has made it through 450 shows and counting.<\/p>\n

Sky White\u2019s Take on His Stage Persona\u2026<\/em><\/h2>\n

As an artist, as a musician, you\u2019re trying to put yourself, your art, into the crowd. I know if I go to a show, I want to see a show. I want to see someone putting their lifeblood into what I\u2019m witnessing. So, literally, if I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m about to die after a set, I feel like I\u2019ve let people down. After a set, if you see me, I can\u2019t talk right. I can\u2019t converse with people. I\u2019m probably bleeding out of somewhere in my body. I have scars all over my body from things that have happened on stage.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Playing with Foxy Shazam\u2026<\/em><\/h2>\n
\"Sky<\/a>

Sky White Versus Tampa<\/p><\/div>\n

For me, the Foxy Shazam keyboard\/piano style is whatever it takes to get the sound out. On stage, a lot of that is uncontrolled violence and insanity and throwing the instrument and stomping on it and lots of slides going into chords, lots of very strong hitting of notes. In the studio, I have to tame that back a little bit. But still, on every record there\u2019s screaming into a piano or the smashing of a keyboard or things that are just used to get the full intensity out of the instrument.<\/em><\/p>\n

I also try and play in ways that I haven\u2019t heard before, or pull out voicings that I wouldn\u2019t think normal piano players or keyboard players would come up with. So I try and come up with stuff that\u2019s just a little bit outside of the box. And then if that doesn\u2019t work, I\u2019ll go back to basics and just do chords. But I also try to go with something that\u2019s more creative, more personal, because you know, it\u2019s art. You\u2019re supposed to do something that\u2019s unique for you.<\/em><\/p>\n

Keyboard Magazine’s Video…<\/em><\/h2>\n

We’re not the only ones impressed by Foxy Shazam’s theatrics. Check out this video posted by Keyboard<\/em> magazine<\/a>. It was taken at the infamous Roxy on the Sunset Strip in LA. What are your thoughts on the band’s showmanship? Is there another performer or band with an over-the-top performing style that we should know about? Share with us! Drop us a comment with a link to a video or website.<\/p>\n