The Crane Wives
Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour
Closing Show at The Vic Theatre, Chicago 7/26/25
Photo Credit for all: Dugan Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows
GUEST REVIEW
By Dugan Kenaz-Mara
The Crane Wives, as always, put on a spectacular show for us at The Vic, closing out their Beyond Beyond Beyond Summer Tour 2025 with a sparkle. We’ve loved The Crane Wives and their music for years now, and seeing them in person again was such a treat. Last year, we reviewed their concert at Thalia Hall, and since then, they’ve brought us more of everything great they had to offer. They’ve upped the whimsy, showed us their care, and brought out many of the songs their fans have been waiting to hear live.
Set List:
Scars
Arcturus Beaming
Never Love an Anchor
Allies or Enemies
Predator
Pretty Little Things
Take Me To War
Steady, Steady
The Moon Will Sing
The Hand That Feeds
Mad Dog
Queen of Nothing
Curses
Black Hole Fantasy
Tongues & Teeth
Encore:
Bitter Medicine
Sleeping Giants
During a break between songs, one of the lead singers brought up the fact that they've been a band for 15 years and have been performing in Chicago for just as long. They were really appreciative towards their audience and you could feel the mutual love in the space. The crowd sang along to every word and was treated to a well-balanced mix of songs from the Crane Wives' newest album and old favorites from their previous albums. The band mentioned how happy they were to be able to break out their older songs for this tour, that they don't get the opportunity to play as much anymore.
It’s also worth mentioning that although I don’t have any pictures, their opener Árný Margrét, an Icelandic soloist musician, is worth checking out.
Truly, the most inspiring aspect of the concert was seeing the wonderful community the Crane Wives have cultivated. After the concert, I was able to talk to multiple friends who were there and all of them mentioned how lovely the community was and how everyone seemed to take care of each other. The musicians also took to social media after the show, reposting Instagram stories their fans had posted from the crowd. They definitely know how to make their supporters feel seen by fostering a sense of appreciation within their community.
Gathered below are a few comments from friends who saw the show. They are lightly edited, but direct quotes:
"Immaculate vibes in the audience" -Kit M.
“I thought the crowd had a lovely community vibe. People taking care of each other, looking out for other people’s space, and being very in the moment together.” -Sam W.
“I thought the concert was amazing, the vibe was awesome and the whole performance of the crane wives was high energy but still able to keep the calmness of some of the songs. The lights and projections were really cool and really well done. Also, it was really hard not to get a good view. It was just an amazing concert.
The opener wasn’t really my vibe. She did awesome, and if she was my vibe, I would have loved her.” - Chase P.
“Funnily enough, I first listened to the crane wives through an online friend. They made a playlist for me that had “Metaphors” on it and I was like wait… this is so good?? I’ve always loved folksy acoustic music but I REALLY loved their sound. (Imagine my surprise the first show I saw them live that they had not one but TWO lead vocalists!) I just felt really seen by their lyrics. It made me want to keep pursuing music and songwriting late at night in my room with my guitar. :”-)
They just have such an immersive discography and honestly I feel like I have a Crane Wives song for every single one of my own lil characters.” - Maja T
