With a much-anticipated Grand Rapids show on Saturday, the West Michigan folk-rock band is back with a national tour and a fresh attitude. The Local Spins story, with other shows they’re playing.
Ready for Resplendence: The Crane Wives play Studio Park on Saturday with a national tour to come. (Photo/Loren Johnson/Sunfire Studios)
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
I’m on a hike with Dan Rickabus and his long legs are setting the pace.
We trek past a whimsical community garden and into a shaded canopy of trees that softens the sunlight. But the humidity follows us. We’re joined by Phoebe, Rickabus’ dog, a rescue all the way from Tennessee and his frequent hiking companion.
Our conversation winds like the trails we’re on: we do some catching up, nerd out on vintage drums and post apocalyptic cinema – but eventually we land on The Crane Wives, the longstanding Grand Rapids band Rickabus has played drums in for the last thirteen years.
In a much-anticipated return to the outdoor Studio Park stage, The Crane Wives perform for the the Listening Lawn series in downtown Grand Rapids at 7 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 5). Tickets went fast, but after announcing the show was sold out, Midtown on Wednesday announced they were making more $20 standing-room tickets available online here.
Still Close: From left, Dan Rickabus, Kate Pillsbury, Ben Zito, Emilee Petersmark. (Photo/Loren Johnson/Sunfire Studios)
With a catalog of songs that range from haunted folk to indie-rock, the band’s live show is a roaring fire stoked by inventive harmonies, an electrifying rhythm section and modern tales of self reflection.
The band includes founding members Emilee Petersmark (vocals/guitar), Kate Pillsbury (vocals/guitar) and Ben Zito (bass). After a few quiet years, the quartet reemerged this year with a summer of regional appearances and a headlining national tour announced for the fall.
The reception has been overwhelming, with shows across the country already selling out or being bumped to larger capacity rooms. When asked if the recent wave of success was expected, Rickabus is still wearing a look of surprise.
“Absolutely not. We started booking these shows and when you’ve never played a city before how can you expect them to sell out for the first time?
“We were at our rehearsal space sitting around watching the numbers come in and just freaking out and being so happy. Like ‘oh shit,’ if this is happening to us, we want to show up in a real way for these folks who made these songs a part of their lives,” Rickabus says.
SOLD-OUT SHOWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
A few days before our interview, The Crane Wives played a sold-out show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Other sell-outs include Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Annapolis, Columbus, Santa Ana, San Francisco and Seattle.
“During the pandemic, we all kind of went through wild life stuff and it was during that time that all these people found us and suddenly gave us this huge support. And we all only got closer as people during the pandemic. I’m pretty lucky to be working with people I’ve known for years,” Rickabus says.
The Crane Wives: Playing in the rain at Studio Park in 2022. (Photo/Local Spins)
Phoebe is now leading the hike via her curious nose. She crosses a wooden bridge, exchanges barks with another four-legged friend and stops to watch a butterfly float from one flower to the next. We reach the edge of a pond and she goes for a swim, startling a couple sunbathing frogs. We watch as she splashes around in the shallows.
The last time The Crane Wives played Grand Rapids also caused a bit of a splash, figuratively sure, but more so literally. Caught in the middle of a downpour, fans stood their ground in raincoats and ponchos for a memorable hometown show.
“It’s kind of a cool journey from last summer when we played the Listening Lawn and people just waited in the rain.” Rickabus says.
“It gave us courage to make it through the winter. That sounds overly poetic, but all these people showing up in the rain to sing our songs was incredible. We’re very excited about the momentum.”
For Michigan fans, the band also will play Hoxeyville Music Festival in Wellston on Aug. 18, the new Fair Ground Festival in Hastings on Aug. 27 and Earthwork Harvest Gathering on Sept. 15. (The Crane Wives duo also plays the noontime Relax at Rosa series in downtown Grand Rapids on Aug. 24.)
VIDEO: The Crane Wives, “The Wolf” (Dogtown Studio)
‘Very Excited About the Momentum’: The Crane Wives (Photo/Loren Johnson/Sunfire Studios)
Copyright 2023, Spins on Music LLC
