Australian Rocker Courtney Barnett made her return to the Midwest last night after an electrifying set at Pitchfork’s music festival in Chicago. Fans old and young made their way to the Pabst Theater to catch the effortless-sounding singer at her sold-out show in Milwaukee.
The 3-hour night of music began with Waxahatchee, fronted by singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield. Waxahatchee can be described as a “music project,” rather than full-out band as Crutchfield took the stage as a solo act, aside from the mid-set appearance from Barnett’s Pianist Katie Harkin. Crutchfield’s set was the epitome of minimalism- with just her and her guitar taking the spotlight. Playing songs from her new 2018 EP “Great Thunder”, Crutchfield’s vocals were soft and soothing. Each track effortlessly transitioned into one another, with her open-chord style guitar playing staying consistent throughout her entire set. Though Waxahatchee didn’t have booming percussion or electrifying guitar riffs, her relaxed acoustic-style set provided the perfect introduction to Courtney Barnett’s electrifying 20-song setlist.
After a quick turnaround by stagehands, Courtney Barnett took the stage to a crowd relaxed by Crutchfield’s calming vocals. Her contrasting sound to Waxahatchee’s low-key approach did not catch the crowd off guard, though. It was clear that the crowd was not made up of casual concert-goers, and instead a community of fans screaming lyrics that competed with Barnett’s often-described “deadpan” style singing.
Barnett opened her set with “Hopefulessness”, the opening track to her 2018 album “Tell Me How You Really Feel,” followed by “City Looks Pretty”, an upbeat song about life in an urban landscape that’s sure to get stuck in your head. Barnett effortlessly maneuvered through her 20-song setlist switching between more laidback songs like “Depreston” and jolting rock anthems like “History Eraser.” With her sophomore album titled “Tell Me How You Really Feel,” Barnett did just that by exploring the mundane and emotional themes of the human condition.
After 17 songs and a pre-planned exit from the stage, the Milwaukee crowd expressed their adoration for the Australian singer through a long and passionate ovation. Though the crowd brought Milwaukeeans of all ages, they all had their love for Barnett in common. The young boy in the front row had exclaimed that it was his 14th time seeing the singer, all while a family of four danced and sang every word to his right.
Barnett returned to the stage after receiving a handful of roses from a fan in the front row with a solo Gillian Welch cover of “Everything is Free,” and ended the night with an electrifying performance of fan-favorite “Pedestrian at Best.” For more on Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee, head to https://courtneybarnett.com.au and https://www.facebook.com/waxahatchee/.
