IU Arts and Humanities Presents:

Granfalloon Concert Series at Switchyard Park | 1601 S. Rogers St., Bloomington, IN

WAXAHATCHEE
One of the hardest working singer-songwriters in the game is named Katie Crutchfield. She was born in Alabama, grew up near Waxahatchee Creek. Skipped town and struck out on her own as Waxahatchee. That was over a decade ago. Crutchfield says she never knew the road would lead her here, but after six critically acclaimed albums, she’s never felt more confident in herself as an artist. While her sound has evolved from lo-fi folk to lush alt-tinged country, her voice has always remained the same. Honest and close, poetic with Southern lilting. Much like Carson McCullers’s Mick Kelly, determined in her desires and convictions, ready to tell whoever will listen.

And after years of being sober and stable in Kansas City–after years of sacrificing herself to her work and the road–Crutchfield has arrived at her most potent songwriting yet. On her new album, Tigers Blood, Crutchfield emerges as a powerhouse–an ethnologist of the self–forever dedicated to revisiting her wins and losses. But now she’s arriving at revelations and she ain’t holding them back. Crutchfield says that she wrote most of the songs on ‘Tigers Blood’ during a “hot hand spell,” while on tour in the end of 2022. And when it came time to record, Crutchfield returned to her trusted producer Brad Cook, who brought her sound to a groundbreaking turning point on 2020’s Saint Cloud.

They hunkered down at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas–a border town known for cotton and pecans–and searched for another turn, waited for a sign. Initially, MJ Lenderman, Southern indie-rock wunderkind (much like Crutchfield when she started out) came to play electric guitar and sing on “Right Back To It.” But as soon as they tracked it, Cook told Lenderman he had to stay for the rest of the album. And he did.

“Right Back To It” is Tigers Blood's lead single. A nod to country duets like Gram and Emmylou, winding over a steadfast banjo from Phil Cook. Together, Crutchfield and Lenderman harmonize on the chorus: “I’ve been yours for so long/We come right back to it/I let my mind run wild/Don’t know why I do it/But you just settle in/Like a song with no end.” Crutchfield says it’s the first real love song she’s ever written.

The song “Bored” opens with blase drum beats from Spencer Tweedy that crash under Crutchfield as she throws her voice high: “I can get along/ My spine’s a rotted two by four/Barely hanging on/My benevolence just hits the floor.” Lenderman’s scuzzy riffs and Nick Bockrath’s climbing pedal steel add power to the album’s most ‘Southern Rock’ a la Drive-By Truckers moment.

“365” is a story of recognition told from a hard-won place of self-acceptance/forgiveness. Crutchfield initially started writing it for Wynonna Judd, with whom she has written and performed in the past, until the lyrics started hitting closer and closer to home. The writer Annie Ernaux says, “writing is to fight forgetting.” Like Lucinda Williams, Crutchfield’s lyrics are memoir. Throughout ‘Tigers Blood’ Crutchfield is addressing a “you,” but the ‘you’ in “365” evokes raw closeness, vulnerability. “Ya ain’t had much luck but grace is/In the eye of the beholder/And I had my own ideas but/I carried you on my shoulders, anyways.” “365” is essentially ‘Tigers Blood's aria about addiction, with little to no accompaniment to Crutchfield’s voice. Her backing band is hushed, as if the spotlight’s coming down on her, alone on the stage, giving her testimony. Crutchfield slings her voice with arresting precision, reaching its highest harmony on the whole album. “So when you kill, I kill/And when you ache, I ache/And we both haunt this old lifeless town/And when you fail, I fail/ When you fly, I fly/And it’s a long way to come back down.”

“365” circles back to the beginning of ‘Tigers Blood,’ where Crutchfield’s words ring clear as a bell. Album opener “3 Sisters” starts with Crutchfield singing over hymn-like piano chords: “I pick you up inside a hopeless prayer/I see you beholden to nothing/I make a living crying it ain’t fair/And not budging.” ‘Tigers Blood’ is Crutchfield at her most confident and resilient. Staring straight at the truth, forgiving but not forgetting, not batting an eye.
— Ashleigh Bryant Phillips

Kathleen Edwards
Celebrated as one of the forebears of modern alt-country and Americana music, Edwards is beloved by fans and fellow musicians, and praised by The New York Times for her, "droll, observant and unsparing tone that is all her own. In her best lines, Edwards has the conversational vernacular and emotional eloquence of a great short-story writer."

Since debuting in 2003, Edwards has released five albums, including 2020's Total Freedom -- her first after stepping away from music for almost a decade. Released to overwhelming acclaim with pieces at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and more. Pitchfork called it, "a creative breakthrough, written solely for the thrill of discovery," while Rolling Stone declared it as, "devastatingly great." Most recently, Edwards released a covers EP featuring special guests Isbell, Bahamas and Daniel Tashian and including renditions of Isbell's "Traveling Alone," Bruce Springsteen's "Human Touch," The Flaming Lips' "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate," Tom Petty's "Crawling Back To You" and more. She has been nominated for multiple JUNO and Americana Awards and, in 2012, was awarded the SOCAN Songwriting Prize.

GRANFALLOON 2026
Presented by the IU Arts and Humanities Council and inspired by legendary Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Granfalloon brings together musicians, artists, thinkers, and good people from all walks of life for a celebration of art, ideas, and community.

The series connects the academic year with the Bloomington summer arts season and highlights the creative spirit of our region by tapping into the enduring ethos of Vonnegut’s life and work: promoting civic engagement, encouraging independent thought, and championing art and creativity as essential to the spiritual life of individuals and the health of our democracy.

Granfalloon is presented in partnership with the Indiana University Office of the Vice President for University Relations, the City of Bloomington, Visit Bloomington, and the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Events take place in venues all around Bloomington and encompass a wide range of creative forms including live music concerts, literary readings, art exhibits, film screenings, theatrical performances, panel discussions, interactive demos and more! The full schedule is available at granfalloon.iu.edu

GRANFALLOON @ SWITCHYARD POLICIES

Tickets:
All tickets purchased online will be sent as e-tickets to the email address associated with your account. The e-tickets will be listed within your confirmation email. I you have questions you can reach us at (812) 323-3020 ext 1. Tuesday - Friday from 11am- 5pm and Saturday from 12pm - 5pm.

GA- Lawn: General Admission access to the Switchyard performance lawn. (lawn chairs and blankets permitted.)
Pit – Standing Reserved: For the super-fan! Pit tickets provide front and center stage area access
VIP: The comfort option! VIP side stage tickets provide access to the side stage lawn areas near the stage and the following upgrades: Stage view with shade, Dedicated entrance, Early entry, Two complimentary drink vouchers, Access to VIP bar and premium food options, VIP restrooms. (lawn chairs and blankets permitted.)

PARKING:
There are several PARKING LOTS at different entrances of the park. These lots are located off Rogers St., Walnut St. and Grimes Ln. Please allow yourself plenty of time to find a space and walk to the venue.

ENTRY:
General event entry will be from the west side of the PERFORMANCE LAWN located near the shelter on the west of the stage. Please have your e-tickets ready and available to scan in upon arrival.

BAGS:
Bags cannot be larger than 13” x 15” - clear bags encouraged! Security will check bags and ensure food/beverage and safety guidelines are followed. Guests may not bring bags larger than 13”x15”, signs, noisemaking items, weapons, hard objects, chairs, or other items that will detract from the performance.

FOOD & DRINK:
Outside food and drinks are not allowed into the concert area with the exception of plastic water bottles or drinks poured into plastic cups purchased at the event. Lids should be removed from water bottles. (no projectiles)

ACCESSIBILITY:
The Granfalloon @ Switchyard Concert Series takes place outside at Switchyard Park and as such all sidewalks have ramps for those in need. Visitors who use wheelchairs or mobility devices are welcome to use the accessible pavers immediately in front of the Main Stage as a seating area during performances and programs. Follow our Main Stage Concert signage for accessible seating options. If you need other accommodations made or have questions, please visit our Home Base Tent during the festival or email us at ahcounc@iu.edu.

More information about Switchyard Park accessibility can be found here: https://switchyardpark.com/park-information/accessibility/

If mobility challenges might prevent you, a friend or family member from fully enjoying Granfalloon, we encourage you to make use of free mobility device loans from our community partners, the Mobility Aids Lending Library and the Monroe County Public Library. The Mobility Aids Lending Library loans larger items such as manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and electric scooters from its location at First Christian Church at 205 E. Kirkwood Avenue. Smaller items like walkers, rollators, canes and crutches may be checked out through the Monroe County Public Library located at 303 E. Kirkwood Avenue.

For any further accessibility accommodation needs and inquiries, please email our staff at ahcounc@iu.edu.

PURCHASING ON-SITE:
Cash and card will be accepted by most venders. Onsite ticket sales will be card only.

RE-ENTRY:
Re-entry to the performance lawn will be permitted with a wristband. You will receive the wristband at the time your ticket is scanned. No Alcohol will be permitted outside the fenced area.

LAWN CHAIRS & BLANKETS:
Lawn chairs and blankets are permitted into the performance lawn area but should be used in non-crowded spaces.

RESTROOMS:
There are restrooms located to the west of the performance lawn.

DOGS/ANIMALS:
There are no animals allowed in the venue unless they are a service animal.

This event is not happening at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater but at Switchyard Park located at 1601 South Rogers Street, Bloomington, IN, 47403.