The alt-rock/folk band’s sold-out, headlining show at Meijer Gardens on Thursday night was a milestone event for the beloved group with a devoted fan base. The review, photos and a video at Local Spins.
Passion on Display: Emilee Petersmark, Ben Zito and The Crane Wives reveled in hometown love on Thursday. (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
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Call it a night of mutual love, another career milestone achieved, a full-circle experience.
After a busy year of touring across the United States, Grand Rapids indie alt-rock/folk heroes The Crane Wives returned to unleash their biggest, hometown headlining show yet at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Thursday night.
“We played here once before for one of the Tuesday night local band shows, but this feels a little bit different than that,” vocalist and guitarist Emilee Petersmark noted as she surveyed the enthused, sold-out crowd on a perfect summer evening.
The September 2024 release of “Beyond, Beyond, Beyond” solidified The Crane Wives’ transition to polished indie-rock, but band has done anything but leave their back catalog in the dust. New and updated renditions of certified Crane Wives classics such as “Down the River” and “Allies or Enemies” strip away some of the more folk-oriented elements and breathe new life into these beloved tracks.
The beginning chords of each song were met with such loud cheers that it was hard to decipher which songs could even be considered crowd favorites. Maybe when it comes to The Crane Wives, every song is a favorite these days, especially for devoted fans who have followed their journey for 15-plus years (as evidenced by the longest lines for merch sales seen at Meijer Gardens all summer).
Popular Merch: The line for merchandise on Thursday. (Photo/Local Spins)
The audience certainly didn’t discriminate against newer songs. It’s evident that tracks such as “Arcturus Beaming” and “Bitter Medicine” are well on their way to becoming some fans’ most loved songs.
The group may have shifted their sound over time to reflect new genres and influences, but some things remain as Crane Wives’ signatures. Co-lead vocalists Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury’s masterful harmonies, lyrics that blur the lines between long lost folk tales and reality, and the group’s electric energy and chemistry onstage are just a few of the things that have drawn fans to The Crane Wives over the years.
Many of the band’s family members, crew members and artistic collaborators were in attendance, making it a special and emotional night for everyone involved. Band members held back tears at different junctures during the night as they expressed their gratitude for their hometown and how far they’ve come as a band after 16 years of playing together.
“We get such a beautiful, warm reception everywhere we go, but it’s so cool to look out and actually see people we know in the crowd,” said drummer and vocalist Dan Rickabus, who deftly propelled the rhythm section along with energetic bassist Ben Zito.
Several songs in the set included guitarist and Crane Wives tour manager Steve Leaf. sparking an outbreak of “Steve” chants to echo through the venue on multiple occasions.
“We have a very vibrant music community here,” said Pillsbury, as she gave a shoutout to opening act The Temperances and praised the region’s music scene. “Grand Rapids is a special place.”
Earlier in the night, The Temperances — featuring Michigan songwriters Olivia Vargas, Marley Ferguson and Audrey Pearson— greeted the crowd with a set centered around impressive vocal harmonies and emotional storytelling. Prior to their set, Rickabus introduced the trio and encouraged the crowd to give them “the same attention they would a headliner.”
Despite the dropping temperatures throughout the night, the crowd seemed more energized than ever by the time The Crane Wives returned to the stage for their encore. While those in the front section had been dancing all night, more fans at the back half of the venue began rising out of their chairs to take in the end of the show.
The group surprised longtime fans by dusting off the 2011 track, “Safe Ship, Harbored,” from the album of the same name and ended the set with another beloved classic, 2012’s “Tongues & Teeth.”
Read more about The Crane Wives here. Next up at Meijer Gardens: Smokey Robinson, with Avalon Cutts-Jones, performs on Sept. 4. Details, tickets here.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Crane Wives, The Temperances at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Veronica Ann Dearborn
THE SET LIST: The Crane Wives at Meijer Gardens
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