It's been a great ride for Katie Crutchfield over the past few years. Her breakthrough album Saint Cloud launched her to indie stardom, placing her name higher up on festival posters and moving her shows into bigger venues. She followed that up with Plains, her duo with Jess Williamson, and this year dropped the utterly fantastic Tigers Blood, a record that follows the same path as her previous work but crystalizes it into something even more refined and breathtaking. When she strolled into the Beacon Theatre on Wednesday night, she filled her set with gems from all of these projects and led the crowd through a stellar performance that highlighted her pristine demeanor and remarkable sound. Kicking it off with "3 Sisters," the opening track from her new record as well, she meandered across the stage in delightful fashion before she flung her KC hat into the crowd (a move she's seemed to lock down as her opening routine) just as the song kicked into gear and she kept the momentum rolling for the rest of the night. Her band was fully locked-in as well, never missing a note, but also never drawing attention away from the main star of the evening, their slight nuances enhancing each track with subtle brilliance, making each song feel like the highlight of the night. While her music doesn't necessarily evoke a high-energy kind of environment, the audience remained mostly seated for the first several songs of the night making some folks struggle with how to contain their excitement during some songs. "Can't Do Much" was an early treat and really pushed things forward, raising the energy in the room and putting smiles on the faces of everyone in attendance, but it was hard to remain seated while something so joyous was echoing throughout the theatre. Personally, I couldn't sit still for so many of the tunes and threw my hands in the air with gusto during "The Eye" when she sang the lyrics "lit up" in the fashion that only she can and it wasn't long before I led the charge to get the crowd on their feet to fully relish in the moment. It was all systems go from there and it seemed like the band could feel the energy of the crowd too, giving it their all and making every song sound like a stone cold classic. "Right Back to It" felt expansive and even more life-affirming than it does on record and really helped push it towards Song of the Year contender, the grace and ease of the song really hitting like a balm and stupendous comfort. Playing the entirety of her new album and peppering in songs from Plains felt like the natural move as well and only bolstered the set list while the more upbeat songs from Saint Cloud rounded things out with stunning form. The country twang that's become such a vital part of her sound rang true in bold colors, but her voice was another mesmerizing element of the night that really captured the attention of everyone in attendance and had us all hanging on her every word. Her annunciation and lilt give her lyrics that extra umph and makes them standout in ways so many others couldn't even imagine and the way the crowd has latched on to all of these subtleties made it clear just how much people are cherishing her work. As the night began to come to a close "Hurricane" was a dreamy treat that sparkled just like Crutchfield's golden pants and led into a majestic version of "Lilacs," the song that seemed to receive the biggest reaction of the night. She kicked-off her encore with a brand new song which immediately felt familiar and as lived-in as the rest of the tracks from the night. Waxahatchee has reached a pinnacle moment in her career and has arrived as one of the best songwriters of her generation and her current streak is one that has defined the recent era of music. Her live show only furthers what she's accomplished on record and it's not one to miss. She's at the top of her game and the competition isn't even close.
Set list:
01 "3 Sisters"
02 "Evil Spawn"
03 "Ice Cold"
04 "Can't Do Much"
05 "Problem With It" [Plains cover]
06 "The Eye"
07 "Hell"
08 "Right Back to It"
09 "Burns Out at Midnight"
10 "Bored"
11 "Lone Star Lake"
12 "Crimes of the Heart"
13 "Oxbow"
14 "Line of Sight" [Plains cover]
15 "Witches"
16 "Crowbar"
17 "Ruby Falls"
18 "The Wolves"
19 "Hurricane" [Plains cover]
20 "Lilacs"
21 "Tigers Blood"
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22 "Much Ado About Nothing"
23 "365"
24 "Fire"
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