Have you ever been in a car and then suddenly found yourself singing at the top of your voice as your favourite song comes on the radio? Somehow, the confines of the space allow you to forget that you are actually in public, and for a moment you exist without a care in the world and without any thought for those around you. The effect of seeing Waxahatchee live is not dissimilar… utterly engaging, hypnotic and intimate. You might well be surrounded by hundreds of people, but the eye-to-eye and heartfelt delivery of her songs stops you in your tracks, like a siren luring you in, drawing you closer. The enormity of Barrowlands is lost. The darkness forgotten as you tune in to the gritty, endless tales of a life lived – and at times endured.

The authenticity and sincerity of this artist may well be the reason that it is so easy to connect. Without gimmick, Katie Crutchfield AKA Waxahatchee is Alabama Country to the core, but she is almost punk in attitude. Everyone has a story to tell, and the universality of the themes presented must ring true to many attending tonight’s sold-out show. People are bewitched. Music isn’t, I suppose, something that you can actually touch, but you can feel it – physically and mentally… and that feeling can be profound.

Waxahatchee’s magnificent sixth album, Tigers Blood, is played in its entirety and interjected with past gems, most notably from the 2020 album Saint Cloud.

The first strains of Much Ado About Nothing and Right Back to It see the near-transfixed crowd erupt into grateful applause. These songs are huge, and they will no doubt grow to be milestones in Waxahatchee’s catalogue. At times, the vibe makes me think of Lucinda Williams, and at times Lone Justice-era Maria McKee. No-nonsense, straight-talking, shooting from the hip.

There is no yee-hawing or cowboy faux-antic box-ticking. Many touching moments and various dedications accent tonight’s performance, notably to a couple who had got married at Barrowlands a year before, and whose first dance had been to Waxahatchee.

This was a powerhouse, fire-in-the-blood performance by someone at the top of their game. Mesmerising, immersive, and over in the blink of an eye.

Words: Nick Tammer

Photo: Chris Hogge