Live from the Boileryard: WAKE MOODY + XOXOK

Friday, June 23 from 6-9:30pm
FREE
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Chapel Hill, NC artist Wake Moody plays a strange game: his music – built on old-school R&B, rock, and modern pop – stays focused on good vibes, while the lyrics often deal with something more conflicted. “Most of the songs,” he explains, “are ‘almost-love songs’” – songs where, if one detail was different, everyone would be happy. “So 90% of the situation is great,” he says, “but that last 10%, the deal-breaker, the problem, means you need to let go. But you won’t because the good parts are too good.” Songs like “Shivers” and “Won’t Let Go” mine this territory, though he admits it isn’t always apparent on first blush. “Everyone tells me the songs are feel-good. If it makes you feel something, somehow, that’s all I need – I said what I needed to either way!”

Sonic inspirations range from Daniel Caesar to Lianne la Havas, from Frank Ocean to Earth Wind and Fire. “My childhood was sound-tracked by my parents’ favorite R&B, classic rock and soul records,” he explains, an influence apparent in his band’s soulful live shows, featuring hypnotic grooves and vocal harmonies.
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Keenan Jenkins’ musical career began during his Ph.D. studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he played open mics and local showcases between long days on the third floor of the psychology building. By the time he’d finished his degree, drained and discontent, his musical moonlighting had meanwhile bloomed in full color. He took the cue and dove headfirst into the rich music scene in Carrboro, NC.

Jenkins now performs as XOXOK, crafting atmospheric soul music that is conceived on the fretboard, cultivated at the microphone, and cradled in headphones. The guitar and vocal influences are far-flung, but cohesive—see Jeff Buckley, Moses Sumney, and Anna Calvi, among others. His live performance is a model of intimacy and presence; armed with “sweet, ringing vocals” (Queen City Nerve), XOXOK delivers impassioned songs with unabashed conviction.