@victoriaaspurez @oliviamcmath (a review by to jam) 

 Snocaps consists of lead vocalists and sisters Allison and Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman on drums, and Brad Cook on bass. There was high anticipation for a band full of household names, and they did not disappoint. This is not the first band Allison and Katie have had together, and it was clear by their natural performance. They started their recorded musical career together circa 2005 with The Ackleys followed by P.S. Eliot and 20 years of doing music together showed as they graced Thalia Hall this past Tuesday. 

Tori: Fresh off Thanksgiving break, I was so excited to hear that I was able to see Snocaps perform on the last of their three Chicago dates. When the Snocaps record came out, I had no idea where this band had suddenly come from, but I did enjoy the album cover immensely and I quickly learned that Katie and Allison Crutchfield (twin icons) had created another joint project! A recent Waxahatchee lover, the harmonious vocals and twang that I love shone through in the Snocaps project, along with more great songwriting. While I casually listened to the album once through, I started replaying and replaying, loving it more and more and finding so much familiarity in the music and highlighting the different lyrics that I found sweet, sad, and most of all (as always) well-written.  

Olivia: It’s not very often that I go to a concert and leave with a higher regard for the album or artist than I had going in, but the Snocaps concert was one of the rare ones. This is not because I didn’t like the album or had low expectations but rather because the show was so spectacular, I fear I’ll never stop thinking about it. 

 

Tori: The show was in Chicago’s Thalia Hall, and I attended it with WIIT’s program director, Olivia McMath, as well as previous station manager Cole, and my predecessor, former publicity and events director, Amelia. The four of us were highly anticipating the show and excited to see the sisters in a live setting. The show was wonderful, their voices clicked in person just like they did on the record, blending beautifully and complementing one another as only two people who really know each other could. They both sounded comfortable and relaxed, showing off their ranges without strain and consistently impressing me with their slight, unique differences, but coming together always. 3 out of the 4 band members sported Ugg boots, which I’m taking as a testament to their friendship and comfort.  

Olivia: The setlist consisted of the entirety of Snocaps along with a few P.S. Eliot, Waxahatchee, and Swearin’ covers. Some standouts for me were “Wasteland”, “Angel Wings”, and “Incoherent Love Songs”. It would be a crime to not mention my favorite song of the night, “Hide”. This wasn’t previously my favorite song on the album, but it might be now just because of the live performance. The lighting demanded a shift in mood, the heart wrenching lyricism struck hard, a powerful silence rung from the crowd, everyone felt completely captured during this song. The backing vocals were performed by Allison and the guitarist while Katie sang the meat and potatoes of it, but it felt like there was a true conversation happening between the seemingly separate vocal parts. I still can’t shake the feeling this particular performance provided. 

Tori: My favorites live were “Hide”, “Avalanche”, and “Cherry Hard Candy”. The backing vocals for hide shone during the live set, the contrast in vocals was beautiful and heart wrenching. During this performance, the sisters were completely separate and the song felt encapsulating. “Avalanche” to me feels like an early 2000s movie and seeing it was fun and Olivia and I danced around plenty. “Cherry Hard Candy” upon first listen was my favorite out of the album. Incredibly catchy and witty, cherry hard candy live was one of the most electric songs and the band felt completely whole and involved. It’s easy to move to, and the band was extremely in tune with each other; mostly it felt like a group of friends who love to play music.  

Olivia: The whole time it felt like I was a fly on the wall of an instinctive and playful jam session. It could’ve been a sold-out show at Thalia Hall or a casual garage rehearsal; they seemed so comfortable together, and their chemistry was undeniable. It was a special show that will stick with me for a long time and certainly defined me as an official Snocaps fan. I went, I Loved it, and I would see them again in a heartbeat. 

 Tori: Overall, the performance felt nostalgic, warm, and contagious, but most of all, it just felt like really, really good music. Although I didn’t anticipate the album’s release and my affinity for it, I fell in love with the group, their energy and their obvious love of the music they create to play.