Trixy Tang recruit Julia Hernandez to fill in on bass for Kevin Turner for one gig

Trixy Tang recruit Julia Hernandez to fill in on bass for Kevin Turner for one gig

Michigan, USA rockers Trixy Tang had a special guest on bass for their show last night (on October 3, 2020) at Cedar Springs Brew in Cedar Springs, Michigan, USA. The group’s bassist and main songwriter Kevin Turner had a very important can’t miss engagement so the band recruited Julia Hernandez to fill in for the night.

Speaking exclusively to Sleaze Roxx, Trixy Tang‘s frontman Klay Fennema explained what led to Hernandez filling in for Turner. Fennema indicated:

“So with the pandemic going on and so many gigs being up in the air, pushed back, canceled, and everything in between, we had no idea if this festival tonight was going to happen. To be honest, we thought for sure it would not happen. It’s been booked for nearly a year and we had been in contact with the committee about it ever since Covid hit. So time had went on, and the likelihood of the show happening was getting slimmer. Next thing we know, they got a hold of us and said they have gotten the OK by the city to make this happen, with restrictions as far as amount of people, social distancing, etc. We were all very excited to be able to play, but when I let the guys know, Kevin told me his daughter scheduled her wedding that exact same evening. It was too late to back out, and Kevin couldn’t miss his daughter’s big day, so [guitarist] Rey [Hernandez] suggested we get his sister Julia to fill in!

Kevin was all for it. Julia and Rey and have been playing music together for years and both began learning around the same time. Over the years, Julia would often get up on stage and do a couple numbers with Rey, and I would get on the drum kit often covering songs like “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix and “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh, etc. This all came down about two weeks ago and with a three hour performance to fill, we had Julia learn about 30 songs she had never played or performed with us before. She’s an incredible player and very driven so I wasn’t the least bit worried that she’d be able to get the job done. We did one rehearsal this week and locked it down.”

In terms of the impact that Covid has had on Trixy Tang who usually play at least one show per weekend, Fennema stated: “When the pandemic first hit, our entire spring/summer schedule, which was full of traveling, outdoor festivals, big shows, etc was essentially wiped out. At that time, I did not even fathom the fact that this would still be going on. Once that all happened, we took a break and did whatever we could to begin transitioning gigs and filling dates with more acoustic shows, low key gigs, with social distancing measures in place, etc at local outdoor bars and venues. We had also put the word out to our fans that we do play private parties, and once that word got out, we were fortunate enough to be able to get booked for quite a few private parties, and a wedding for a special fan of ours.

All of the shows have been very much restrictive with masks unless seated at table, no dancing, moshing, etc and all of the venues and fans have been extremely respectful and professional. I am very grateful that we have been able to play as much as we have. I was worried that if we took too much time off, we’d lose our momentum and our stamina to perform as much as we do. We did however utilize a lot of downtime with working on new originals, so the time off was put to good use. The main challenges with playing during these times has been performing at a different style. Not being able to interact with crowds in your face, and really putting on a real rock show has been difficult. Bands really rely on that energy and without it, it’s a test to see how you still perform. We’ve gotten used to it so far and I honestly really enjoy more intimate acoustic shows here and there.”

Trixy Tang‘s self-titled debut album finished at #10 on the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2019. Sleaze Roxx stated as follows in that regard: “Every year, there is one group that really surprises me and makes it onto the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2019. As I outlined in my review of Trixy Tang‘s self-titled album, I wasn’t that impressed with what the Michigan, USA rockers had to offer when I heard some of their songs here and there. However, upon listening to their entire album from start to finish, I was impressed by the musicianship, the party like atmosphere a la Van Halen and the catchy songs that made me play the album over and over again.

If you would have told me at the beginning of this year that a Trixy Tang release would finish in the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2019, I would have thought that you have lost your marbles. I had to get past the rather cheesy retro ’80s name and the feel good summer single “Sunday Cruisin’” to realize that these guys can really rock. Funny enough, I have really warmed up to the track “Sunday Cruisin’” to the point that it’s now one of my favourites from the band but when I first heard it, I dismissed it pretty quickly. In any case, Trixy Tang‘s self-titled album is definitely worth exploring and who knows, you might end up getting hooked like me on their straightforward, good time feeling, catchy tunes.”

Trixy Tang‘s “Fade Away” video (from self-titled album):