On Saturday night May 4th, Waxahatchee brought twangy Americana to The Beacham in downtown Orlando, Florida. Australian band Good Morning opened the show with a 45-minute set featuring melodic midtempo roots rock. Multiinstrumentalists Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair stood at opposite ends of the stage, facing each other and rarely looking at the crowd. Flanked by four band members, the singers alternated lead vocals and harmonies. Songs like the country ballad “Out to Pasture” and the upbeat shuffle of “Country” set the tone for the night.
Good Morning suffered from poor sound quality, with everything from vocals to bass to keyboards sounding fuzzy, but it powered through the issues and still delivered a good show. Whatever caused the problem was resolved by the time Waxahatchee took the stage.
Katie Crutchfield, once a solo artist, was backed by a five-piece band for the Waxahatchee set. Crutchfield began the night with a rendition of “3 Sisters” that was practically a capella, with the band only playing a single note in each measure. She then tossed her trucker hat into the crowd, and the band played livelier takes on “Evil Spawn” and “Ice Cold.”
“It’s great to be back here,” Crutchfield said. “My father grew up in a little town nearby called St. Cloud, so I spent a lot of time in Orlando.” The 2020 album Saint Cloud and this year’s Tigers Blood comprised most of the setlist, along with music from Plains, her 2022 collaboration with Jess Williamson. Songs from the first four Waxahatchee albums didn’t make the cut.
Most songs were either mid-tempo rustic toe-tappers or somber ballads. Songs like the rootsy ode to friendship “Right Back to It” and the soulful “Oxbow” were highlights. Crutchfield’s evocative voice and poetic lyrics were front and center, with electric guitars, banjo, and dobro fleshing out her tales of heartache and recovery from addiction.
For the intimate crowd, nearly every song was a sing-along anthem. The emotional songs felt even more vulnerable in the cozy venue. Crutchfield sat on the edge of the stage and sang “Crimes of the Heart” from the shadows. It felt like the crowd got to sit in on a private moment.
After a set full of soft songs that showcased Crutchfield’s expressive vocals and intricate melodies, toward the end of the regular set, the band rocked out with a surprisingly aggressive version of “Lilacs.”
For the encore, the band played a swaying country cover of Lucinda Williams’s “Drunken Angel.” It was followed by “365,” with sparse music allowing Crutchfield’s strong voice and the crowd’s collective voice to take over. A crowd-pleasing rendition of “Fire” then closed the show.
Longtime fans may have been disappointed at the lack of old Waxahatchee songs, but what the band did play highlighted the country and folk influences in Crutchfield’s music while weaving tales of struggle that feel at home.
