I honestly can't think of a better way to see a surprise new band with a name like Snocaps than fresh off our first snow of the season. And they certainly agreed. "This is our first live show as a band, it had to be in Chicago" uttered Katie Crutchfield (of Waxahatchee) as she and her twin sister Allison Crutchfield (of Swearin'), MJ Lenderman (of Wednesday), Brad Cook (multi-instrumentalist and producer), and Colin Croom (of far too many bands) kicked off the first sold-out night of three at Thalia Hall.
Bonny Doon opened up the show and did so incredibly well. The Michigan-based band is no stranger to Chicago or the Crutchfield circle. They played Empty Bottle a few years ago and play a few songs with surprise guests Katie Crutchfield and Kevin Morby. Their sound definitely arcs closer to that of modern Waxahatchee's alt-country lean but with a bit of a laid-back haze that feels displaced out of time in the best way possible Songs like "Long Wave" and "I Am Here Now (I'm Alive)" are as strong as ever, steadfastly pushing themselves forward to get you swaying along to their catchy guitar-driven jams.
Allison and Katie Crutchfield have been making music together since their teens, but haven't collaborated on a full-length release since the last P.S Eliot album Sadie in 2011. So this new, seemingly one off Snocaps release and tour is mighty exciting. Since the end of P.S. Eliot, the sisters have released plenty of incredible albums but seeing them together on stage again after their brief 2016 reunion, was fantastic. Adding in MJ Lenderman on drums, Katie's frequent producer Brad Cook, and Colin Croom to round out the live band, and you have yourself a damn fine show.
Playing their self-titled album in its entirety, Snocaps kicked it all off with "Coast", an absolutely perfect opening track with its finishing salvo of "I could never just coast!" really underlining everyone in the band's intensity while performing. While most of the songs maintain that momentum, it's the more melancholic moments like "I Don't Want To" that stick in my head the longest. With only the one self-titled surprise album under their belts, we got to hear every bit of it. However that doesn't mean it was a short show. The setlist had space to roam beyond the fantastic debut and touched on both sister's great discography. While Waxhatchee's more recent output has been squarely focused on more alt-country and Americana, "Silver" and "Coast to Coast" fit right in as they hearkened back to Katie's more indie rock roots. Allison's Swearin' tracks "Movie Star" and "Dust in the Gold Sack" worked them selves a little easier as their inherent rock forward sounds meshed well. But of course I was hoing for some old school P.S. Eliot songs and I was not disappointed. "Incoherent Love Songs" which Katie wrote at 19 burst forth spectacularly and "Shitty and Tragic" is as angry and bitter as ever.
When they returned for the encore, Katie and Allison laid out their game plan: for every show on the tour they wanted to play in different song from each of their respective bands and finish off with a P.S. Eliot track. On night one, Allison chose “Big Change”, which starts off quietly with the spotlight entirely on Allison before the rest of the band fully comes in the song just explodes. Katie's track was another song off of Out in the Storm, "Sparks”, who’s engulfing aura never relented. . Both songs are tied together with the sisters making references to each other, showing just how often they are on each other's mind. Allison waxed nostalgic on "Big Change" ("No art degree, no conservatory/Just Katie and me”), while Katie bolster herself through her sister (“And I see myself through my sister's eyes/i'm a live wire, electrified”). It all came to an end as Allison took over drums from Lenderman and the band sank into P.S. Eliot's "Like How Are You", tying the whole show together with a bright and blistering song from their early years.
On the one hand, I'm a little upset that this is likely it for Snocaps for a while, but on the other hand I'm so glad I got to see them charm Thalia Hall. Here's to the next collaboration between Alison and Katie Crutchfield and hope it's sooner rather than later.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.
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