Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman and More Celebrate ANTI-

By the time Grimey’s opened on Thursday, a line of expectant patrons snaked around the corner of the building. Some had camped out with lawn chairs and blankets as early as 8 a.m., and all were vying for one of the 50 tickets guaranteeing entry to the ANTI- Records 25th Anniversary party happening that night at The Basement East.

ANTI- burst into the scene in 1999, the same year Americana Music Association organized its first festival and conference. The label rang in a quarter-century of intriguing music with an at-capacity crowd eagerly awaiting a lineup studded with stars across musical generations. 

Cellist, banjo player and vocalist Leyla McCalla made her return to Music City in the wake of April’s Sun Without the Heat. She eased into the night with an array of reflections on faith, the natural world and Octavia Butler’s notions of change. Then came Christian Lee Hutson and his three-piece band, playing a selection of folk-schooled tunes from Hutson’s fifth LP Paradise Pop. 10, out Sept. 27. For bonus points, the whole band was outfitted with sky-blue jackets emblazoned with the title.

The next performer, Nashville singer-songwriter Madi Diaz, quipped that she views AmericanaFest as a week for gathering all her favorite friends and collaborators together. She introduced special guest Stephen Wilson Jr. for a duo rendition of “Get to Know Me,” a self-deprecating standout from her recent LP Weird Faith. 

Both Diaz and MJ Lenderman — hot on the heels of his record Manning Fireworks, his set on Thursday followed a Sept. 18 duo show with Karly Hartzman at Third Man Records and previews a sold-out Oct. 5 return to the Beast — brought out Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield to sing backing vocals during their sets. At this year’s Americana Honors & Awards, Crutchfield was nominated for Song of the Year for “Right Back to It,” featuring Lenderman, the breakout single from her 2024 album Tigers Blood. She played the entire record with Lenderman on guitar, weaving from opener “3 Sisters” to the record’s titular closing track. 

It was almost midnight by the time indie-rock heavyweight Neko Case took the stage. But from the opening line of “Hell-On,” her singular, startling contralto brought the crowd to attention. As Case sang into the early hours of the morning, she expressed her awe toward the musicians who’d performed before her and echoed their sentiments about ANTI-: Throughout the decades, the label made its artists feel like it truly believed in their process and vision, yielding some singular music in the process.

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• Scene Staff