There’s something to be said about the power of music – how it can amplify feelings and emotions or change them with a few chords, a melody, and the lyrical poetry of the marriage of words and sound.

Saturday night I witnessed that power in the faces of the crowd at Nevermore Hall as The Crane Wives, the four-piece from Grand Rapids, Michigan, emanated pure joy from the stage.

Their fifth studio album, Beyond Beyond Beyond was released last year to critical acclaim with a change in tone from previous records from a folksier feel to one that continues the lyrical themes of other records but adds a distinctive electric feel. Keep in mind, the last studio full-length was back in 2016 with major environmental changes – not the least of which was a major pandemic – and all that puts things into perspective.

One thing is certain; however, The Crane Wives know how to put on a show.

There are few shows I’ve witnessed where fans line up hours in advance of the doors opening, and even fewer shows where multiple lines stretch outside the venue. The line for The Crane Wives stretched on one end outside and the other line for the opposite end wrapped around the hallway from the front entrance. Many of those concert goers were dressed in antlered costumes, excited to be a part of the experience.

Opening artists tend to arrive on-stage with little or no fanfare. I’ve seen so many compete with crowds that pay no mind, but after an introduction by The Crane Wives’ drummer Dan Rickabus, singer-songwriter Spencer LaJoye captivated the audience. Even breaks in between when they spoke the crowd was attentive, listening in a way I, sadly, rarely see. A testament to both LaJoye and to this audience.

As the band took the stage they went right into the rocking single, “Scars” from their most recent release followed by “Arcturus Beaming,” a brilliant, jangly pop tune that had the crowd screaming.

A lot of the songs on the setlist were instant sing-a-longs as fans sang along throughout the night.

“We’ve been a band for 15 years now,” vocalist/guitarist, Emilee Petersmark told the audience. “In that time we’ve released five studio records and we’ve also written a bunch of songs that never really fit on a record and we released them as singles so we’re gonna do some of them now.” The band then went into the very electric groove of “Queen of Nothing” from their Live from Dogtown Studio EP.

Most of the set came from Beyond Beyond Beyond and 2015’s Coyote Stories as it is the 10th anniversary of the release of the record. The oldest song came from their recently rereleased debut, Safe Ship, Harbored, with “October,” a song that showcased the beautiful harmonies of Petersmark, Kate Pillsbury, and Rickabus.

Seeing the interactions between Petersmark, Pillsbury, and bassist Ben Zito and Rickabus, I got the feeling they were having just as much fun performing these songs as the crowd was in dancing along to the music.

As the band started in on “The Moon Will Sing,” a clear fan-favorite, the crowd howled and crowed as the music started and the crowd singing back was just as loud as the band.

Check out the official lyric video for “Scars” by The Crane Wives:

The Crane Wives ended their regular set with “Garden” from Foxlore, “The Hand That Feeds,” and “Tongues & Teeth” before returning to the stage for a truly inspired “Curses.”

The Crane Wives continue their tour, wrapping things up in Burlington, Vermont on November 23rd.

The setlist included:

Scars
Arcturus Beaming
Never Love an Anchor
Queen of Nothing
October
Allies or Enemies
Bitter Medicine
Steady, Steady
The Moon Will Sing
How to Rest
Mad Dog
Black Hole Fantasy
The Garden
The Hand That Feeds
Tongues & Teeth

Encore:
Sleeping Giants
Curses

Take a look at more photos of The Crane Wives rocking The Nevermore Hall on November 15, 2025. All photos copyright David LaMason:

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And here are photos of Spencer LaJoye opening the evening at The Nevermore Hall:

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