Review and photography by Sophia Risin
After a two year hiatus, the Castro theater has once again opened hosting musicians, movies, and all sorts of events, and on June 13, I got the chance to visit the venue for the first time. Most times you see shows in the Bay, the venue fades into the background and the music is the center of the show, but the Crane Wives put on a show that made the theater feel part of the performance in a way few shows I have been to have done before. The show was part of their Act II Tour, and was their return to the city after nearly two years, and with it, they played a varied set bringing in songs across the discography that seemed like we were sitting in on band rehearsal in the best way.
Yasmin Williams, a Virginia based instrumentalist, set the scene with some of the most ethereal finger picking guitar I have ever heard. Her music is instrumental only, which I was semi-apprehensive to see how that would mix at an otherwise lyrics heavy show, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the audience attentively hanging on to each tune. The performance itself utilized a number of instruments, with the main portion of the songs being played finger picked on an acoustic guitar, with tap shoes playing some rhythmic drumming, a kalimba, and fretting hammer, which transformed the pieces beyond what I had previously thought possible for guitar.
After Williams’ performance, the audience was a buzz waiting in eager anticipation of the Crane Wives. Before taking the stage, a masked member of the band emerged in a hazy smoke and placed little camping lanterns at each member’s mic stand. The multi part band out of Grand Rapids, MI is composed of Emilee Petersmark (guitar/vocals), Kate Pillsbury (guitar/vocals), Dan Rickabus (drums/vocals), and Ben Zito (bass), and have been performing together since 2010. I have been a fan of the group for years, and the night’s set list felt like one designed for the fans, with only 3 songs being from their most recent release (Beyond Beyond Beyond). Throughout the set, people were singing and dancing along, with refreshingly few phones to be seen. For those less familiar, the Crane Wives music is similar to indie folk, with gorgeous multi part harmonies and intricate lyricism that draws from Petersmark’s love of storytelling. The Crane Wives put on an incredible show and never disappoint. With the audience chanting for an encore, Petersmark asked if we would be back if they returned and a resounding cheer echoed through the venue.
