By Colette Custin
Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee, delivered a lengthy set at the Salt Shed this week in support of the new and critically-acclaimed album Tigers Blood, released in March.
Taking the stage in front of bulb-lit background that called to the mind the glory days of variety show performance in the 1970s, Crutchfield led with the opening three cuts from Blood (eventually playing the entire album) and managed to work in a few tunes from her Plains side project with singer-songwriter Jess Williamson as well.
Crutchfield has refined her style significantly from her early days and leaning fully into alt-country and Americana on the steady, bright melodies of “365” and “Evil Spawn.” In fact, the set at the Salt Shed saw nothing before 2020’s Saint Cloud, giving the evening a cohesive feel that the sold-out crowd ate up, and new material like “Right Back to It” called to mind contemporary artists like Lucinda Williams as well as more classic country stylings, proving that Waxahatchee are really hitting their stride with each record.
Waxahatchee (Salt Shed, Chicago, 4/20/24)
3 Sisters
Evil Spawn
Ice Cold
Can’t Do Much Problem With It
The Eye
Hell
Right Back to It
Burns Out at Midnight Bored
Lone Star Lake Crimes of the Heart Line of Sight
Witches
Crowbar
Ruby Falls
The Wolves
Hurricane
Lilacs
Tigers Blood
Oxbow
365
Fire
