The Maverick bar in Tucson has hosted its share of honky-tonk heroes and desert dreamers, but on Sunday, November 3, 2024, Kaitlin Butts swept in like a desert storm—wild, electrifying, and utterly uncontainable.
Following a rain-soaked All Souls Procession—a deluge that left the crowd drenched in both rain and reverence—Butts delivered a set as raw and electric as the tempest outside. Her performance felt like both a release and a celebration, a perfect counterpart to the solemnity of the night.
Opening with a mesmerising version of “Bang Bang,” Butts launched into a performance that was equal parts grit and grace. Her voice—soulful and commanding—cut through the room like the lightning striking the Saguaro desert, capturing the attention of every cowboy and cowgirl in attendance. Transitioning seamlessly into tracks like “White River,” she demonstrated her storytelling prowess, painting vivid landscapes of heartbreak and resilience.
“Roadrunner” followed, its rollicking tempo igniting the dance floor. Couples spun and twirled, the storm outside forgotten, as Butts shifted gears into the emotional depths of “What Else Can She Do.” This heart-wrenching ballad silenced the room, leaving couples in quiet embraces and everyone else hanging on her every note.
The playful “Wild Juanita’s Cactus Juice” provided another moment of levity. Butts’ infectious charm and humor had the crowd feeling, as she put it, “loosey-goosey.” But by the time she hit “Other Girls,” her defiant anthem of self-empowerment, the audience was utterly enraptured, swept up in her magnetic stage presence.
For us, a standout moment came with “Blood,” a haunting exploration of familial bonds that felt almost sacred in its delivery. She followed this with “It Won’t Always Be This Way,” a slow-burning anthem that showcased her ability to blend aching vulnerability with soaring vocal power. Let’s not overlook the exceptional lead guitar work here, which added an extra layer of emotional depth.
That traditional Appalachian lament “In the Pines” brought a ghostly hush to the room, its mournful melody perfectly reflecting the evening’s rain-soaked solemnity. Butts then lifted the energy with the no-nonsense “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead to Me)” and the spellbinding charm of “Marfa Lights,” both of which demonstrated her ability to keep the audience guessing and utterly captivated.
The fiery “Hunt You Down” added a biting outlaw swagger to the set, followed by her barn-burning cover of The Chicks’ “Sin Wagon.” The crowd erupted in whirls, stomps, and hollers, their energy matching the ferocity of her delivery.
Just when it seemed the night had reached its peak, Butts closed with “Red Wine Supernova.” A perfect summation of her artistry, the song’s poignant lyrics and cosmic imagery spoke to those who have ever chased something beautiful and fleeting, only to watch it slip away like stardust burning out in the night sky.
Kaitlin Butts delivered a performance that perfectly balanced tradition with modernity, vulnerability with strength. For those of us damp from the rain and tearful for the departed, her set was a cathartic moment of shared release. Tucson may have been sodden, but inside The Maverick, Kaitlin Butts proved herself a force of nature—one we’ll not soon forget.
COMING TO THE UK SOON….
