After a decade, Waxahachie returns to NPR’s small desk

After more than a decade away from iconic performance venue, Katie Crutchfield brings Waxahatchee back to NPR small table concert series.

In attendance to support her latest album, the Grammy-nominated Tiger bloodCrutchfield performed a five-song set that included three tracks from her latest record, as well as recent singles “Much Ado About Nothing” and 2020’s “Fire.”

Backed by a five-piece band, the performance charted the evolution of the Alabama musician, who debuted on the series in 2013 in support of azure salt She looks back on the past with mixed emotions.

“I’ve been here before, about 11 years ago,” Crutchfield explained during the show.

“I rolled out of the tour bus, I didn’t realize I was going into the NPR building, I had no idea what I was doing. My amplifier broke in the middle,” she added. “I’m really happy to be back.”

Afterwards, Crutchfield reflected on the initial performance in her personal Substack newsletter, noting that it did “leave some room for improvement.”

“It had lovely green, little green bangs that she had cut for herself in a hurry,” she wrote. “It’s a sweet little relic of my early 20s, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to go back and perform again as an adult with my band and some new songs.”

Despite NPR’s latest return small table concert The series is her second in-person appearance, but Crutchfield did appear alongside Kevin Morby in 2020 as part of a lockdown-inspired Small Desk (Home) Concert series.

Crutchfield’s latest film as Waxahachie, Tiger bloodis currently in the running for Best American Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards in early February. The album performed well globally, peaking at No. 146 on the Billboard 200 and No. 27 on the Independent Albums Chart.