One of the movers and shakers listed alongside the likes of the Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, the Roots, Demi Lovato, Dave Matthews, Leon Bridges and Brittany Howard on the schedule for this weekend's Save Our Stages Festival, Dizzy Fae was literally in the middle of moving two weeks ago when she found out she would be representing the Twin Cities and First Avenue in the national rally for darkened independent music venues.
"I unpacked my things and was laying on my bed feeling the wave of the world, [when] bam! I got the call," the 22-year-old, St. Paul-reared singer/rapper recalled from her new place.
"It feels like the universe said, "Ask and you shall receive.'"
Like most musicians around the world, Dizzy had been feeling a great urge to perform again — the shared goal of everyone involved in the SOS Fest.
The three-day virtual marathon is intended to raise awareness and money for the #SaveOurStages efforts spearheaded by the National Independent Venues Association, which counts First Ave owner Dayna Frank as its president and Minnesota Sen. Amy Kloubuchar as a primary supporters. Its goal is to get the U.S. Congress to approve grants and tax abatement among its relief packages for entertainment venues closed due to COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Building on a buzz that found her touring with Lizzo and Toro y Moi and earning a New York Times write-up and City Pages cover pre-pandemic, Dizzy's appearance is up right away Friday at 8:40 p.m. from First Ave, sandwiched between Finneas (Billie Elish's brother) and Macklemore. Asked what to expect, she simply said, "I think a good hint is not to miss it."
She was more vocal about supporting the cause.
"I really did start performing on independent stages, like most musicians and entertainers," she said. "It's the experiences in these venues and the exchange of energy from the space and the people that make it so important. Stages big or super tiny, all matter."
This performance follows the release of Dizzy's timely new single, "I'm Good." The spacey, slow-funking, mantra-like jam (posted below) is an ode to keeping yourself sane through thick and thin. Here's what Dizzy said about the self-coaching idea behind the song:
"I believe everything is 360, and if I do something as simple as say, 'I'mma be okay,' when I feel the chaos trying to intrude on my peace of mind, I can create protection and flow that always comes back around when I need it. Most of what's happening in the world is not okay, but 'I'mma be okay' because I can't do much if I'm not. So it wouldn't be a sign of me doing well in the chaos, but it's a sign of looking chaos in the face and being like, 'Nah, I see you, though.' I'm sure to some people that would resonate as wishful thinking, I think it's more than that."
"I'm Good" is just one of many songs Dizzy has hammered out during the COVID lockdown, and she said plans to release a lot more in the coming months.
Tune into NIVA's YouTune channel to see Dizzy's set and the other performances this weekend. Here's the full schedule below.
