Waxahatchee played Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Girlpool and The Goodbye Party (pics)

April 10, 2015

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Andrew Sacher

Waxahatchee brought her ongoing tour in support of her new album Ivy Tripp to NYC last night (4/9) for a sold-out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The new album is her biggest-sounding one yet, and her new live set up gets that across perfectly. Katie Crutchfield is now joined by her twin sister Allison (of Swearin’) who provides harmonies on most songs, and between them and Allison’s Swearin’ bandmate Keith Spencer all playing guitar on several songs, they really thicken their sound. Some of the older ones (especially “Peace and Quiet” from Cerulean Salt) never sounded as big as they did last night.

And perhaps the band’s newest secret weapon is drummer Ashley Arnwine (of Pinkwash and Bleeding Rainbow), who’s incredibly tight and gives Waxahatchee’s live show more power than ever. Sometimes it was as fun to watch her drum as it was to watch Katie and Allison sing. But while this new maximalist Waxahatchee is nice to see, her minimal side is still an important part of the show. In contrast with the full-band songs, a handful had Katie and Allison’s voices backed only by a keyboard, or only by a guitar, or only by bass and drums. Katie went fully back to Waxahatchee’s beginnings for the three-song encore that had her alone on stage with just a guitar, and those moments were as commanding as the newly fleshed-out ones.

Opening was Girlpool (who return to that venue in July to headline with Alex G opening) and The Goodbye Party, the current project of The Ambulars’ Michael Cantor who had Radiator Hospital singer Sam Cook-Parrott and Swearin’ co-lead singer Kyle Gilbride among the members of his live band. More pictures of all three bands below…

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