A visit with Saxsquatch, the viral TikTok star from NC, as he launches his big US tour
A weather-beaten van pulled into downtown Raleigh and out stepped Saxsquatch in all his shag-rug splendor, a 7-foot rock star with highlights in his mane and feet that shake the sidewalk, a musical cryptid out to energize the world with saxophones and swamp love.
He pulled out his horn and blew a few bars from “Careless Whisper,” then “Epic Sax,” then the “Star Wars” cantina song while a lucky few pulled out their cameras to capture the rare sighting of a Bigfoot in the middle of a smooth jazz jam.
And as the last note drifted down Wilmington Street, he packed up his sax and promised more to come, offering this assurance to fans who are real, imaginary and somewhere in-between.
“I want people to know they can believe what they believe,” Saxsquatch said in a gruff voice, “and that I believe in them.”
The Bigfoot Rave US Tour
The shaggy and oversized performer from Chapel Hill stopped in Raleigh last week to offer a privileged glimpse of his first solo US Tour — titled Bigfoot Rave — which will soon bring his marathon house-music-sax dancing to Motorco in Durham.
“Who doesn’t love a rave?” asked the mythical Chewbacca lookalike. “I got my laser license from the government. The government and I have been knowing each other a long time.”
When the Triangle first met Saxsquatch, he was popping out on Franklin Street honking the chorus to “Never Gonna Give You Up” or Toto’s “Africa,” explaining that he hailed from a musical family in the woods nearby, the grandson of Gigfoot and the brother of BigFlute.
“I should be doing that more, popping out and scaring people,” he said, reflecting on his origins. “I love hiding. That feeling you get when you play hide and seek and you want to pee yourself because you’re so excited.”
His TikTok videos, filmed in the forest along with the wisps from a smoke machine, landed him 2.1 million followers, an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s “That’s My Jam” and stage time with Tedeschi Trucks Band at Red Rocks.
“People either love me or hate me,” he said, “but my team says that’s a good thing. At least they have an opinion. I just want to make a wave in some direction.”
‘Saxsquatch loves the shiny things’
For the Bigfoot Rave, Saxsquatch branches out into bass, synthesizer and drum pad, live-looping his own tracks as the lasers flash overhead. But he insists this high-tech palette expansion is no departure from his woodsy roots.
“Saxsquatch loves the shiny things,” he said.
As one of the few fortunate enough to meet Saxsquatch up close, I can attest to his bona-fide existence, and promise that if I’d done anything like zip up the back of his Bigfoot suit, I’d feel the full wrath of the Newspaper Gods, who are always watching.
But on his swing across the country, Saxsquatch invites you to follow your own weird faith and come dressed as an alien, a unicorn or a fairy queen, then dance for four hours straight and transform into a happy green vapor or a puddle of sentient peanut butter.
There’s only one rule:
“Don’t be boring.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 5:55 AM.