On the happiest and most mythical days, crowds along Franklin Street come across 7-foot Bigfoot in blue bandanas and Pit Viper sunglasses, blasting “Careless Whisper” on his saxophone.
The Cryptic of Chapel Hill emerged from the woods for the first time several years ago and discreetly shared his primordial music on Facebook, singing “Pick Up the Pieces” or “You Don’t Know Me.”
Before long, the soulful ape man had 1.7 million TikTok followers, appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show That’s My Jam, and was invited to re-record “Maneater” with John Oates. his birth.
Last week, Saxsquatch stopped by a coffee house in Chapel Hill to reflect on his fame in a chat with this acclaimed columnist. He of course believed he was a real Bigfoot and not a man in a furry suit, and he happily agreed not to. If such a suit exists, we will reveal details about who might be in it.
it’s not. Because sax scotch is real.
“I grew up in the woods,” he began, sipping his coffee. “I come from a musical family. My grandfather was a gigfoot.My sister was a big flute. There, I listened to Foreigner’s song “Argent” and was inspired by Junior Walker’s sax solo, and learned to play the sax. ”
Performing at the Bigfoot Festival
For Saxsquatch, the transition from reclusive legend to YouTube star was a rocky beginning.
Walking confidently down Chapel Hill one day in a Hawaiian shirt and startling passers-by with the song “Rick Roll,” Bigfoot first appeared in a more primitive form.
“Before glasses and bandanas, babies would cry,” he said. “It didn’t look good.”
Even today, half of the people who meet him on Franklin Street may recognize him thanks to his sponsorship of Pit Viper sunglasses.
“I think the other half is terrified,” Saxsquatch said. “They intentionally walk in different directions.”
But the sax squatch, which often performs at Bigfoot festivals, has become a loyal fan and fan that giant furry mammals not only walk upright on Earth, but also rock their homes with woodwinds accompanied by drums and bass. can be connected. Then when he wails in “Kissed by a Rose,” he can let Bigfoot know to his American people that he believes in them just as fervently.
“Out-of-body experience”
“I want to give people an out-of-body experience,” he said. “So they came out of the show and were like, ‘Oops, I have a completely different perspective. I have a clean palate.’
Saxquatch’s celebrity surge comes out of the height of 2020’s COVID-19, allowing the world to safely enjoy his online woodland appearance. But he hopes to grow beyond the pandemic phenomenon, revitalize Chapel Hill’s music scene, and create a mythical circle of unity.
As he continues his rise from the world of fables, he recalls the height of Bigfoot mania in the 1970s. The films of Patterson and Gimlin kicked off an insatiable Sasquatch craving, which peaked with an appearance in The Six Million Dollar Man.
“It’s been so popular that people have become sexually attracted to Bigfoot,” Saxsquatch said. “The women were claiming to have had Bigfoot babies. Now these women are old. They messaged me and said, ‘Go and try my swamp.’ would say We know you’ll love the warm, moist waters of Georgia. ”
As witnesses to this revival, to appreciate the rare creatures among us, the hidden gifts they possess, and the enthusiastic creations they can offer when the world hands them the microphone. Let’s stop.