From Tigers Blood to deep cuts – Waxahatchee crafted a setlist built to break hearts
Waxahatchee’s first Opera House appearance was in 2018, a sold-out co-headlining show with partner Kevin Morby.
Six years later—down to the day—Katie was back, debuting Tigers Blood, her latest album of heartbreakingly beautiful alt-country-tinged tracks.
The stage setup was minimal, and the lighting left something to be desired—I’ve seen better at The Lansdowne. But Crutchfield’s presence was all the illumination needed.
Walking on to Dolly Parton’s Here I Am, she set the tone from the outset, commanding the room with nothing more than a red ensemble, silver boots, and the effortless charisma that has long defined Waxahatchee.
Then, just as 3 Sisters wound down, she casually tossed her trucker cap into the crowd, sending a wave of envy through anyone who wasn’t within arm’s reach. It was a small, unscripted moment, but it spoke to the connection she had with the audience—one that only deepened as the night went on.
The performance was a perfect balance of intimacy and intensity, effortlessly moving between new material and fan favourites.
Each song felt like it had the weight of an artist at the top of her game, delivering with the kind of emotional resonance that only comes from years of perfecting your craft.
Having Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood on near-constant rotation since its March release, it was a big deal to finally hear it live. Highlights included ‘365’ and ‘Get Right Back to It,’ tracks that have already cemented themselves as instant classics.
With a killer backing band—Colin Croom (pedal steel, guitar, harmonica, keys, backing vocals), Eliana Athayde (bass, backing vocals), Cole Berggren (keys, guitar, backing vocals), and Spencer Tweedy (drums, backing vocals)—the night had a smooth, tight rhythm that supported Katie’s stellar vocals every step of the way.
The setlist was, to put it simply, fire. Highlights included ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ ‘Evil Spawn,’ ‘Lilacs,’ ‘Tigers Blood’ and ‘Fire’ to close the show.
Check out the the full set for Waxahatchee’s SOH performance:
3 Sisters
Evil Spawn
Ice Cold
Can’t Do Much
Problem With It (Plains cover)
The Eye
Hell
Right Back to It
Burns Out at Midnight
Bored
Lone Star Lake
Crimes of the Heart
Oxbow
Line of Sight (Plains cover)
Witches
Crowbar
Ruby Falls
The Wolves
Hurricane (Plains cover)
Lilacs
Tigers Blood
Encore:
Much Ado About Nothing
365
Fire
This was one of those nights where being in the room with an artist of Katie’s caliber felt like a rare privilege.
It’s not every day you get to witness a talent this immense in such an intimate setting. I’ll definitely be carrying the memory of this one for a while.
