At the convergence of Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue, the line to enter Tipitina’s on May 24 took over the entire block. Hundreds of fans of indie folk band the Crane Wives were getting their chance to finally see them in person.
The Crane Wives is a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, that takes music composition and lyricism to new heights. The band gained popularity in online spaces during 2020 for their songs “Never Love and Anchor” and “The Moon Will Sing.” Fans of their music resonate and connect deeply with the stories they tell through their art.
One of these longtime fans is writer Coda Wren. She and her friends sat between the bar and barricade.
“Their writing style, to me, is such a unique sound, and it has helped me through a lot of down moments, and they have lifted me up in my up moments as well,” Wren said. “It’s so nice to have an artist that still has that down to earth kind of music instead of trying to split their lens to appeal to everybody. I really enjoy having a group that has such a specific sound.”
Wren went on to talk about the specific sound the Crane Wives have created for themselves. Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury are the lead singers of the band, and they both play electric guitar. As Petersmark and Pillsbury sing and create these worlds through their music, Ben Zito, on bass, and Dan Rickabus, on drums, strengthen the music, allowing the songs to flourish onstage.
Harkening back to early folk music, the Crane Wives will also occasionally use a banjo. When talking about the Crane Wives, Wren called their style “magnetic.”
“I don’t think there’s a lot of artists that realize the impact that they have on the common folk, such as myself, and someone who lives paycheck to paycheck,” Wren said. “They definitely bring tranquilization into my life.”
Folk music has an important history in the United States, often stemming from the pain and struggles of black and poorer communities. One of the band’s most popular songs is Called “The Hand That Feeds.” The song stands as an indictment of capitalism and predatory practices that affect the common man. In that way, the Crane Wives’ music reflects the real experiences of their fans.
“With those down times, [the music] keeps my head on straight,” Wren said.
As time crept slowly to 9 p.m., Tipitina’s became packed full of fans. Many members of the crowd dressed like they came out of a fantasy novel. Donning crowns and corsets, fans dressed like rogues and mages straight from their character sheets.
The New Orleans audience was truly something special. The audience exploded with cheers and claps enveloping the venue as the band walked out.
Instead of just keeping to their newest album, the band performed a mix of the full discography, to the delight of many fans. Throughout the show, there were groups of fans reciting the songs word for word and moments of joking with the band.
Near the end of the show, the Crane Wives played “The Hand That Feeds,” and fans emotionally responded to the song.
“I loved how angry you all got! This next one is not on our records, but I need you to be just as angry,” Petersmark said after the song.
The next song, “Take Me to War,” was a song about pushing back against oppression and bigotry, which resonated with fans just as much as “The Hand That Feeds.” In some ways, the songs are siblings, each primarily sung by the lead singers, both creating a sense of catharsis.
When the show ended and the band walked off stage, the vibrant Crane Wives audience almost immediately cheered for an encore.
Petersmark called it the “quickest organized encore” she’d ever seen. The band came back on stage to play two fan favorites: “Steady, Steady” and “Tongues & Teeth.”
May 24 was the last day of the Beyond Beyond Beyond Spring Tour, and New Orleans received the Crane Wives with open arms. By the end of the night, the crowd held the same sentiment a fan yelled during the show: “Please come back!”
