Photo of The Crane Wives by Pariss Brown
Doors opened at 7. The line wrapped around the side of the building and had started down the other side of the block. Getting in was crazy; people stood in the lobby like they were waiting for the gunshot at the starting line. It was tedious getting in and I realized why: 70% of the crowd had x’s on the back of their hands. I knew the crowd trended younger for the band, but I had figured the bulk would be in their early 20s.
Here’s a thing about me: I work with kids in different capacities, and I love working with middle schoolers and teens. They have enough of an adult brain to have in-depth conversations, while still retaining true childlike joy. I’ve always tried to advise and follow their lead, and I believe autonomy goes a long way in creating members of society who choose to do the right thing even when they aren’t told to. That means allowing them to make mistakes, but also sometimes means mitigating mistakes ahead of time. Why am I talking about this? Before the opener Brye’s set, Dan Rickabus, drummer for The Crane Wives, came out. He asked the crowd to please give the opener the same amount of attention as the main band. I thought this was a great show of knowing your audience and protecting their experience by allowing them a gentle teaching moment, instead of scolding if they talked. Parents, this is a great safe and authentic space for your teens to learn concert etiquette and listen to rad music. It would be a great first concert experience.
I’ve been following Brye for a minute. She went viral during the pandemic in 2020 for her song “Lemons.” She became a beacon for body positivity and transparency within the industry on social media. Recently, she popped up to announce that her U-Haul with everything for her tour, including her childhood guitar, had been stolen. Over $6k worth of equipment. The community rallied. A Reddit user located her abandoned U-Haul. She hand-made merch the night before the show. Her GoFundMe reached $19k and a musicians non-profit offered emergency assistance. At the show, she mentioned she was using The Crane Wives’ guitar. I managed to snag a “Brye got all her merch stolen and all I got was this lousy sticker” sticker. Her setlists included punchy statement songs about diet culture and a gentle lullaby about honoring your body called “My Body’s My Buddy.” She resonates well with younger audiences that are rejecting restrictive dieting culture and the normalization of eating disorders in public figures.
Before The Crane Wives came out, a person wearing a golden deer mask carrying four lanterns came out onto a dimly lit purple stage. They placed the lanterns at different points on the stage before bowing and walking away. It was as much magical as it was ominous.
Soon Lee Emi (guitar and vocals), Kate Pillsbury (guitar), Dan Rickabus (drums), and Ben Zito (bass) came on stage. The band has incredible chemistry; they look relaxed with each other, in-sync, and are clearly having fun. Their music is traditionally folky with the addition of funky bass and guitar riffs. There is a lot of intricate harmonizing and lilting siren melodies. Lee Emi whipped her platinum and dark hair around as she played nimble guitar solos. She and Pillsbury giggled at each other while they harmonized. The best way I can describe it is it’s trying to lure you into the woods with mystique and joy.
To be honest, I only heard bits and pieces over the crowd singing along. I did a lot of post-show music listening. It was honestly a heart-warming sight. It was packed, but people seemed to be kind and genuinely excited to be there. The crowd felt like a community. There was some bracelet trading. It reminded me of the reason these spaces are important: the people there truly appreciated the experience. I think adults at some point take concerts for granted because they become so much more accessible as we age. In turn, teens and young adults are usually an afterthought or simply tolerated. I think some bands get into the turn and burn of touring and lose their connection with their audience as it becomes more streamlined. This was community building around music.
I really appreciated this show not just for the music but the palpable joy and welcoming atmosphere. However, if you want a very laidback show that caters to older audiences, this is not the show for you. In the same breath, if you have reservations about accepting everyone, this is also not the show for you. If you’re looking to get a little witchy and weird, you’ve got friends waiting (including me). | Pariss Brown
