Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman’s Co-Headlining Tour Brings Intimate Storytelling to Toronto’s Massey Hall
On a stage bathed in the warm glow of vintage table lamps, with an traditional TV flickering in the background, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman delivered a performance at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall that felt less like a concert and more like an intimate living room gathering. The April 25 show was part of their co-headlining tour, a growing trend in the music industry where artists share the spotlight not out of necessity, but out of creative kinship. For Crutchfield and Lenderman, the tour is a celebration of friendship, collaboration, and the raw, storytelling power of their music—a blend of alt-country, indie rock, and Americana that has resonated across generations.
The evening was a masterclass in understated artistry. The duo, seated on chairs atop Persian rugs, traded songs from their respective catalogs, interspersed with covers and tracks from Crutchfield’s recent collaboration with her sister Allison, the Snocaps album. The stage setup, complete with a stuffed dog and a rotating cast of pre-tuned instruments, evoked the comfort of a late-night jam session rather than a traditional rock show. It was a performance that invited the audience into their world, where the boundaries between performer and listener blurred, and the music felt like a conversation.
For fans of Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, the tour is more than just a shared bill—it’s a testament to the deep creative bond between two artists who have shaped the sound of modern alt-country. Their music, rooted in personal storytelling and twangy guitar-driven melodies, has become a defining force in the genre’s resurgence. And as co-headlining tours gain popularity in an era of rising touring costs, their collaboration stands out as a model of artistic synergy rather than financial pragmatism.
The Rise of Co-Headlining Tours: Why Artists Are Sharing the Stage
Co-headlining tours are not a new phenomenon, but they have seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. According to a recent NPR report, the trend is driven by a combination of economic pressures and artistic collaboration. Rising costs for touring—including gas, lodging, and production—have made it increasingly difficult for mid-level artists to sustain solo tours. Sharing the stage with another act allows musicians to split expenses even as also tapping into each other’s fanbases, creating a more dynamic and financially viable experience.
But not all co-headlining tours are born out of necessity. Some, like the Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman pairing, are the result of genuine creative chemistry. The two artists have been friends and collaborators for years, with Lenderman contributing to Crutchfield’s 2024 album Tigers Blood and even joining her onstage during her solo performance at Massey Hall in 2024. Their shared love for alt-country and indie rock, as well as their complementary songwriting styles, makes their collaboration sense organic rather than forced. As Crutchfield noted during the Toronto show, referencing her previous performance at the same venue, the pairing “comes from a place of actual desire to do something special with a dear friend and inspiring peer.”
The trend has also been embraced by artists across genres, from pop icons like Beyoncé and Jay-Z (who have toured together twice under the On the Run banner) to rock legends like Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe. However, the success of these tours often hinges on the artists’ ability to create a cohesive experience rather than simply alternating sets. For Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, that cohesion comes naturally, thanks to their shared musical language and the trust they’ve built over years of collaboration.
A Night of Storytelling and Shared History at Massey Hall
The April 25 performance at Massey Hall was a testament to the power of storytelling in music. The show opened with Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks title track, setting the tone for an evening that balanced humor, heartache, and raw emotionality. Crutchfield and Lenderman took turns leading songs, their voices weaving together seamlessly as they moved through their catalogs. The setlist included tracks from Crutchfield’s Tigers Blood and Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks, as well as a song from the Snocaps album by Katie and Allison Crutchfield, which Lenderman also played on.
One of the evening’s highlights was the return of “Chapel of Pines,” a track from Waxahatchee’s 2018 EP Great Thunder that Crutchfield had resurrected during her 2024 Massey Hall performance. The song’s haunting melody and introspective lyrics felt even more poignant in the intimate setting, with Crutchfield’s voice—soft yet tinged with a dustbowl twang—drawing the audience in like an oracle’s whisper. Lenderman, meanwhile, brought his signature wit to the stage, delivering lines like “Please don’t laugh / Only half of what I said was a joke” from his song “Joker Lips” with a slow drawl that underscored his blend of cynicism and absurdity.
The chemistry between the two artists was palpable, but they weren’t alone in creating the evening’s magic. Colin Croom, the tour’s multi-instrumentalist, stole the show with his pedal steel and lap steel contributions, adding depth and emotional resonance to the performances. His playful mimicry of a clarinet’s “lonesome duckwalk” during Lenderman’s “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In” provided a moment of comic relief, while his steel guitar perform on Crutchfield’s songs lent them an almost cinematic quality. Cole Berggren, on banjo and keyboard, rounded out the lineup, his understated presence providing a steady backbone for the duo’s improvisational energy.
The nearly two-hour set closed with a series of covers, including a rendition of Kathleen Edwards’ “Six O’Clock News,” which Crutchfield introduced as a tribute to her “Canadian queen.” The choice felt particularly meaningful given Crutchfield’s recent pregnancy, a detail she had shared with fans during the tour’s opener in Atlanta earlier in April. “Singing about having a baby hits a little different now,” she told the crowd, adding that if her unborn child could indeed pick up on sounds in the womb, they were being “primed for a life less ultra-modern than the world we’re inhabiting.” The moment underscored the personal stakes of the performance, as well as the timeless quality of the music itself.
Alt-Country’s Resurgence and the Legacy of Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman
Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman are at the forefront of a broader movement that has seen indie rock embrace the twangy, guitar-driven sounds of alt-country. Over the past decade, artists like Lenderman’s band Wednesday, as well as acts such as Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, have helped redefine the genre, blending its traditional storytelling elements with modern indie sensibilities. The result is a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh, appealing to listeners across generations.
Crutchfield and Lenderman’s music is a perfect example of this evolution. Crutchfield’s songwriting is marked by its subtlety and specificity, with lyrics that unfold like riddles, revealing universal truths through personal anecdotes. Her voice, soft yet commanding, carries the weight of a dustbowl ballad while remaining deeply contemporary. Lenderman, leans into the absurdity of life, using humor and hyperbole to underscore the brokenhearted cynicism of his lyrics. Together, they represent two sides of the same coin—artists who have mastered the art of turning personal pain and joy into something relatable.
Their influence extends beyond their own work. Lenderman’s contributions to Crutchfield’s Tigers Blood album, particularly on the lead single “Right Back to It,” helped shape the record’s sound, blending Crutchfield’s introspective lyrics with Lenderman’s wry, off-kilter energy. The song became a standout moment during the Toronto performance, with a few audience members capturing brief audio-visual mementos—a rare sight in an era where phone recordings have become ubiquitous at concerts. The moment spoke to the song’s emotional resonance, as well as the audience’s desire to preserve the intimacy of the evening.
The alt-country movement they represent is not without its critics. Some listeners, particularly those on platforms like Music Twitter, have pushed back against the genre’s growing reliance on pedal steel and twangy guitar riffs. But as Crutchfield and Lenderman’s performance demonstrated, the storytelling tradition at the heart of country music is timeless. Whether through Crutchfield’s poetic lyrics or Lenderman’s absurdist humor, their music taps into something universal—an emotional honesty that transcends genre boundaries.
The Audience: A Cross-Generational Celebration
One of the most striking aspects of the Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman show was its cross-generational appeal. While there weren’t many attendees in their teens, the audience at Massey Hall spanned decades, with fans in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. The diversity of the crowd reflected the timeless quality of the music, as well as the artists’ ability to connect with listeners on a deeply personal level. For many, the performance was less about spectacle and more about shared experience—a rare opportunity to witness two masters of their craft in an intimate setting.
The evening’s low-key atmosphere was a deliberate choice, one that set it apart from the high-energy productions of larger tours. The stage setup, with its vintage lamps and Persian rugs, evoked a bygone era of music-making, while the absence of elaborate visuals or pyrotechnics kept the focus squarely on the music. Even the audience’s restraint—few phones were raised to capture the performance—spoke to the reverence with which they approached the show. It was a reminder that, in an age of overstimulation, there is still a place for quiet, unadorned artistry.
What’s Next for Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman?
The Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman co-headlining tour continues through the spring and summer of 2026, with stops across North America. For Crutchfield, the tour marks a rare opportunity to perform during her pregnancy, a time when many artists take a step back from the road. Her ability to balance the demands of touring with the personal milestone of impending motherhood has resonated with fans, adding an extra layer of meaning to the performances. Lenderman, meanwhile, has embraced the tour as a chance to deepen his collaboration with Crutchfield, both onstage and in the studio.
Beyond the tour, both artists have hinted at new music in the works. Crutchfield has spoken about the creative energy she’s channeling into her next project, while Lenderman has teased the possibility of new material from his band Wednesday. For now, however, their focus remains on the tour, which promises to deliver more nights like the one at Massey Hall—intimate, unpretentious, and deeply moving.
As the music industry continues to grapple with the challenges of touring in a post-pandemic world, the success of the Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman tour offers a blueprint for how artists can navigate the changing landscape. By prioritizing collaboration over competition and intimacy over spectacle, they’ve created an experience that feels both timeless and urgently relevant. For fans, it’s a reminder of why live music matters—not just as a form of entertainment, but as a shared emotional journey.
Key Takeaways from the Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman Tour
- Co-headlining tours are on the rise: The trend is driven by both economic pressures and artistic collaboration, allowing musicians to share costs while creating a more dynamic experience for fans.
- Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman’s chemistry is undeniable: Their friendship and shared musical language make their collaboration feel organic, with performances that balance humor, heartache, and raw emotionality.
- Alt-country is experiencing a resurgence: Artists like Crutchfield and Lenderman are redefining the genre, blending traditional storytelling with modern indie sensibilities to create a sound that appeals across generations.
- The Massey Hall show was a masterclass in intimacy: The stripped-down stage setup and focus on storytelling created an atmosphere that felt more like a living room jam session than a traditional concert.
- The tour’s cross-generational appeal highlights its timelessness: Fans from their 20s to their 50s came together to celebrate the music, underscoring the universal power of Crutchfield and Lenderman’s songwriting.
As the tour continues, one thing is clear: Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman are not just sharing a stage—they’re sharing a vision of what live music can be. For fans, it’s an opportunity to witness two artists at the height of their powers, creating something truly special together.
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