Concert Review: Waxahatchee at Saturn

This was Waxahatchee's second night of two at Saturn to kick off her 2022 tour. A Birmingham native, Katie Crutchfield started Waxahatchee over a decade ago as solo project. She's built quite the name for herself with over 900,000 Spotify listeners and just shy of 100,000 Instagram followers. Her success has been built on the back of five studio albums, several EPs, and a history of music in The Magic City.

Katie's vocals were nothing shy of impressive. Her mastery of not only her own vocal range, but also on controlling the microphone, brought a beautiful mix for listeners. Tender and sweet verses easily broke out into loud choruses straight from the chest only to be brought right back down at moment's notice. Her casual way of performing also let the music truly speak for itself, simply flowing where the sound guided.

Katie's band is an impressive bunch to say the least. This group of musicians were synchronized, having fun, and just plain talented. Impressive drumming on "Fire" got the heart pounding, bumping bass throughout the show kept a subtle groove, and slick guitars provided a sort of aura around the songs. While still a solo project, these live performances wouldn't be the same without the band.

Production is also an untold hero of this show. Of course, the audio mix was spot on throughout highlighting the gorgeous arrangements and Katie's vocals, but also the lighting package. Despite being extremely simplistic, largely just a white wash on the band, it fit the atmosphere perfectly and didn't distract listeners form the focus: the music. The stage was also decorated with a large Saint Cloud banner and flowers, a nice touch to add some subtle flair.

Singer/songwriter and indie rock and roller Madi Diaz opened up the show. Her 45 minute set was great, giving us some rocking solo tunes, some tragic ballads, and then some rocking tragic ballads. Her stage presence with just a hollow-body electric guitar (and the occasional bit of drumming) was astounding. I'd highly recommend checking out her music and live shows.

To say you get what you pay for is an understatement. 24 songs and closer to two hours than not of performance, Waxahatchee came prepared. Two new albums, Out in the Storm and Saint Cloud, made heavy appearances. Recent hit "Fire" was of course a crowd favorite and so was "Tomorrow," a recent song from a children's show Katie wrote music for for Apple TV. The band also covered Townes Van Zandt's "Be Here to Love Me" and Dolly Parton's " Light of a Clear Blue Morning," much to the delight of old-country fans. Madi Diaz also joined the band onstage for their encore where they performed her song "Resentment," which was recently remixed with Waxahatchee.

          1. Oxbow

          2. Chapel of Pines

          3. Can't Do Much

          4. Recite Remorse

          5. The Eye

          6. Hell

          7. Silver

          8. Sparks Fly

          9.  Lilacs

          10. Arkadelphia

          11. Peace and Quiet

          12. Tomorrow

          13.  Be Here to Love Me (Townes Van Zandt cover)

          14.Singer's No Star

          15. Witches

          16. War

          17. La Loose

          18.  Fruits of My Labor

          19. Saint Cloud

          20. Fire

          -

          21. Resentment (ft. Madi Diaz)

          22. Under a Rock

          23. Ruby Falls

          24.  Light of a Clear Blue Morning (Dolly Parton cover)

Waxahatchee has just kicked off their Spring/Summer tour. With two new albums and a lot of pent up performance energy, these shows are going to rock. In addition to her headlining dates, Katie and company will also be opening for some huge acts such as HAIM, Jason Isbell, and Sheryl Crow. Their full dates are below;

          2/05 Athens, GA — The Georgia Theatre*

          2/06 Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel*

          2/07 Richmond, VA — The National*

          2/09 Providence, RI — Columbus Theatre*

          2/10 Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Steel*

          2/11 Tarrytown, NY — Tarrytown Music Hall*

          2/12 Asbury Park,  NJ — Asbury Lanes*

          2/14 Cleveland, OH — Agora Theatre*

          2/15 Buffalo, NY — Asbury Hall Babeville,

          2/16 Woodstock, NY — Levon Helms Studios*

          2/18 Nelsonville, OH — Stuart's Opera House*

          2/19 Grand Rapids, MI — Fountain Street Church*

          2/20 Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall*

          2/21 Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall* (SOLD OUT)

          4/10 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer* (SOLD OUT)

          4/11 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer* (SOLD OUT)

          4/12 Morgantown, WV — 123 Pleasant Street*

          4/13 Cincinnati, OH — The Woodward Theatre*

          4/15 Nashville, TN — Ryman Auditorium*

          4/16 Memphis, TN — Growler's*  

          4/18 Fayettevillle, AR — George's Majestic Lounge*

          4/19 Oklahoma, OK — The Jones Assembly*

          4/21 Santa Fe, NM — Meow Wolf*

          4/22 Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre*

          4/23 Aspen, CO — Belly Up Aspen*

          4/24 Boulder, CO — Bluebird Music Festival

          4/25 Salt Lake City, UT — The Commonwealth Room

          4/27 Berkeley,  CA — The Greek Theatre^

          5/01 Los Angelos, CA — Hollywood Bowl^

          5/03 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre~ (SOLD OUT)

          5/04 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre~

          5/13 Huntsville, AL — The Orion Amphitheater (The First Waltz)

          6/09 St. Augustine, FL — St. Augustine Amphitheatre~+

          6/10 St. Augustine, FL — St. Augustine Amphitheatre~+

          6/11 Charleston, SC — Credit One Stadium~+

          6/13 Cary, NC — Koka Booth Amphitheatre~+

          6/15 Canandaigua, NY — CMAC~+

          6/16 Vienna, VA — Wolf Trap~+

          6/17 Vienna, VA — Wolf Trap~+

          6/19 Wilmington, DE — The Queen%

          6/21 Boston, MA — Roadrunner%

          6/23 Toronto, ON — The Danforth Music Hall%

          6/25 Montréal, QC — Théâtre Corona%

          6/26 Greenfield, MA — Green River Festival

          * with Madi Diaz

          ^ supporting HAIM

          ~ supporting Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

          + supporting Sheryl Crow

          % with Ohmme

Waxahatchee is a show you do not want to miss. Katie and her band's performance is just magical sonically, a level of musicianship you don't see often. Whether you see the group headline or opening for one of many talented acts, you're in for a treat.