Acoustic glory: The Crane Wives and Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys turn staid into stirring at St. Cecilia

As predicted, Thursday’s Local Spins Live Contemporary Folk Series show at St. Cecilia Music Center uncorked an unfettered, “unplugged” concert unlike any other by these beloved West Michigan bands. (Photos, videos)

 

As an internationally renowned listening room, St. Cecilia Music Center’s sublime Royce Auditorium has hosted any number of awe-inspiring performances by globe-trotting jazz and classical music virtuosos.

But it’s also safe to say that concertgoers inside this handsome Grand Rapids venue have never experienced sights and sounds quite like those displayed by Grand Rapids’ The Crane Wives and Delilah DeWylde and The Lost Boys on Thursday night.

From the twangy rockabilly and honky-tonk zeal of the fashionably garbed DeWylde crew’s opening set to the compelling folk-rock of a leaner-than-usual Crane Wives, the second concert in the Local Spins Live Contemporary Folk Series was pretty much everything it had been hawked to be: singularly entertaining, dynamically different and acoustically charming, if a bit on the reserved side.

DeWylde on a frequently spinning standup bass, Lee Harvey on guitar and D.J. McCoy on drums launched the evening with a mix of original material (much of it from their most recent album, “Win My Love”) and covers of classics such as “Rock Around the Clock,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Blue Suede Shoes,” doing their utmost to pump up a crowd that certainly appreciated their twang albeit in polite fashion (although the enthusiasm and whistles grew steadily).

Having seen The Crane Wives — guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury, drummer Dan Rickabus, banjo player Tom Gunnels and bassist Ben Zito — countless times over the years, it was jarring initially to see Zito on a standup bass for the first time ever and Rickabus attacking a greatly stripped-down kit in Royce Auditorium’s elegantly pristine setting, compared to say Founders Brewing or The Intersection with their raucous, cheering, pressed-against-the-stage throngs.

But The Crane Wives worked hard (especially Gunnels, who was battling a 101-degree fever) to gorgeously deliver what Rickabus had promised would be a more “laid-back” yet creative performance different from any their fans had seen previously, with harmonies and hooks that could nearly bring you to tears at times in the pin-drop quiet environment.

They did such a remarkable job dusting off one of their first songs ever, “Drown You Out,” that it made you wonder why the poignant piece has never made it onto an album, then followed that up with pared-back or re-interpreted fan faves such as “Show Your Fangs,” “Hole in the Silver Lining” and “Easier” to really show off the power of those dynamic females-plus-Rickabus harmonies.

They also debuted a riveting rendition of a haunting new tune, “Margaret,” near the end of the concert that was perfect for the Royce Auditorium vibe. (Check out the video below, along with snippets of DeWylde’s set.)

And it was that vibe that proved definitely that this is an up-and-coming band that can play electric rock or acoustic folk, up-tempo knee-slappers (like their popular cover of The Avett Brothers’ “Kick Drum Heart”) or laid-back ballads, boisterous bars or historic concert halls.

Next up in the Local Spins Live series: Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, with The Fauxgrass Quartet on March 28. Get tickets and more information online here.

Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
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