Los Angeles punk and grunge rock band Fidler frontman Zac Carper and bassist Brandon Schwartzel developed a quasi-Christmas tradition while sharing an apartment. After their Thanksgiving celebrations, Schwartzel would deck the halls and everything else in their home to create a winter wonderland that would make any retail store after Halloween jealous.
The tradition quickly evolved into an idea for a Christmas-themed show dubbed “FIDmas,” which is slated for its second iteration at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown on Friday, Dec. 15. The event will include the band playing acoustic tunes, Christmas songs and some of their B-sides that are currently only available via YouTube.
“This all started because Brandon is obsessed with Christmas,” Carper said in a recent phone interview. “We started joking about doing a Christmas show and were like, let’s keep it small and grow it. Now, every time we do it, Brandon decorates the place all Christmassy.”
Fidlar will also hit the road next year with their own headlining shows and alongside Oliver Tree for his North American tour, which includes a stop at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 15.
Christmas traditions are just one thing the band’s developed since they last released a full album in 2019. They dropped “That’s Life,” a loud and feral six-track EP in March. In true Fidlar fashion, it was inspired by a DMT ceremony that took place during the pandemic. It was later fortified at Rick Rubin’s famed Shangri-La studio in Malibu with the help of Dave Sardy, who has worked with artists like Spoon, LCD Soundsystem and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Shangri-La was in itself a crazy place, and the craziest part about it is that it’s a recording studio by the beach, which I’ve never experienced before,” Carper said. “We’re used to recording studios in dingy little holes or without windows. This felt more creative and more like us. Recording by the beach is a very Fidlar…
Read the full article here
