I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: October 19, 2025] Kathleen Edwards

When I saw Kathleen Edwards in 2021, I traveled to NYC to see her because I thought that this was a one and done kind of thing.  That she had basically retired from music but was going to do this show and I’d finally get to see her.

Who would have guessed that four years later I would have seen her six times.

After seeing her at the XPN Fest it wasn’t really necessary to see her a few weeks later, but heck, seeing her in an intimate setting like the Musikfest Cafe from just a few feet away (when I already had tickets) was hard to pass up.  I had a ticket for my wife as well but she didn’t feel the need to come to the show.

I must have left a little later than I meant to because by the time I parked (and there are NO ADA spots near the venue–the best they can do is spots on the closest side of the closest parking lot which is like two blocks away) I was running seriously late.  In fact, I think I walked in at exactly 8.  Luckily, this is one of those loose setups and there was no opening act, so she came on around 8:15, which gave me enough time to order my (obligatory at this place) food (a flight of pierogis–pretty good).  I was seated at a table not too far from the stage (but I knew better than to get right up against the stage–it’s too close!)

It’s funny that the first few times I saw her, she had a different backing band each time, but for the last three shows it has been the same–they are a well seasoned band by this point and they sound great.

And the set at XPNFest was fairly short, so it means I got to hear more songs.  She opened with two news songs including the very popular Save Your Soul (and this venue sounds amazing).

Then she moved on to Change the Sheets, one of my favorite songs of hers.  She followed it with Asking for Flowers, a fan favorite that I’ve seen her play FIVE times already.

It was really fun seeing her in this intimate space because she could genuinely see people in the seats.  So she commented about a guy wearing the same shirt that she had seen him in at some other show and asked if he had changed the shirt since then.  There was also a group of young people there as some kind of music business class (or something) and she teased them about how shy they were and that they needed to be much more loud and proud to be in that business.

There was only one song in this set that I hadn’t heard before and that was Other People’s Bands, a fun and pointed song (as many of her songs are).

Then she busted out a violin, which I don’t think I’d seen her play before.  It was for a beautiful version of A Soft Place to Land.

Back when I first to encountered Kathleen Edwards it was from her song Back to Me, a snarky, rocking song that felt naughty back in the 90s (and is very tame now).  In State is from that same album and I’ve seen her play it 4 times.  The refrain of I know where the cops hang out is really catchy.

Interestingly, I’ve only seen her play one song at all six shows. And it’s not an old one.  It’s Glenfern from her previous album.  I think the tone “I will always be thankful for it” really resonates with her in her comeback face and I love the guitar line.

The song Pine was on the setlist, but a fan requested Mercury and she played it.  I like Mercury but honestly I was bummed because I’ve seen her play it 4 times now and I’ve not seen Pine.  But also, I have a favorite song that I’ve wanted to request and which I’ve heard other people shout out but she has yet to play it: I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory.  If I ever see her again, I will have to make sure I request it.

She then played 4 songs from the new album.  Normally that might bum me out a little, but they’re good songs.  The bitter-sounding Need a Ride, the newish single When the Truth Comes Out (which sounds amazing live).  And then the title song Billionaire is really lovely and somehow even moreso live.

She ended the set with everyone’s favorite Six O Clock News.

It wasn’t entirely clear if she was going to do an encore.  This one felt like a genuine encore–like the crowd really insisted on it.  If I remember correctly, the lights even went up.  But they did come back out and played two more songs.  First was a Tom Petty cover and then she ended with Hockey Skates, another favorite of everyone’s.

I’m really happy that Kathleen’s comeback has been so successful and I’m thrilled that I’ve gotten to see her so many times.

 

2025 Musikfest Cafe	Xponential Festival 2025	2024 Roy’s Hall
Say Goodbye, Tell No One $ [2]	Billionaire $	Glenfern ¥ [4]
Save Your Soul $ [2]	When the Truth Comes Out $	Empty Threat √ [2]
Change the Sheets √ [4]	Change the Sheets √ [3]	Asking for Flowers ∇ [4]
Asking for Flowers ∇ [5]	Glenfern ¥ [5]	Hello in There (John Prine cover) ©
Other People’s Bands $	Save Your Soul $	Chameleon/Comedian √
A Soft Place to Land √ (Kathleen on violin) [3]	Say Goodbye, Tell No One $	Options Open ¥ [3]
Glenfern ¥ [6]	Little Red Ranger $ [2]	Who Rescued Who ¥ (with Matt Sucich) [4]
In State ⇐ [4]	Need a Ride $	Little Red Ranger $ (with Matt Sucich)
Back to Me ⇐ [2]	Hard on Everyone ¥ [5]	Mercury ⊕ (with Matt Sucich) [3]
Mercury ⊕ [4]		Hard on Everyone ¥ [4]
Little Red Ranger $ [3]		Six O’Clock News ⊕ [4]
Need a Ride $ [2]	Six O’Clock News was on the playlist but was not played	It’s Christmastime (Let’s Just Survive)
When the Truth Comes Out $ [2]		Crawling Back to You (Tom Petty cover) ©
Billionaire $ [2]		In State ⇐ [3]
Six O’Clock News ⊕ [5]		encore
encore		Hockey Skates ⊕ [4]
Crawling Back to You (Tom Petty cover) © [2]	<–Mercury was a fan request–Pine on the playlist	A Soft Place to Land √ [2]
Hockey Skates ⊕ [5]	<– Hard on Everyone on the playlist but not played

 

2022 SOPAC	2022 Summer Concert, NJ	2021 LPR, NYC
Simple Math ¥ [3]	Simple Math ¥ [2]	Options Open ¥
Options Open ¥ [3]	Options Open ¥ [2]	In State ⇐
In State ⇐ [2]	Change the Sheets √ [2]	Simple Math ¥
Hockey Skates ⊕ [3]	Hockey Skates ⊕ [2]	Change the Sheets √
Birds on a Feeder ¥ [2]	Who Rescued Who ¥ [2]	Six O’Clock News ⊕
Glenfern ¥ [3]	Glenfern ¥ [2]	Birds on a Feeder ¥
Who Rescued Who ¥ [3]	One More Song the Radio Won’t Like ⊕ (solo w/ lap steel)	Goodnight, California ∇
Evangeline (Emmylous Harris cover) (with Matt Sucich)	Empty Threat √ (solo with lap steel) [2]	Empty Threat (solo acoustic) √
Mercury ⊕ (with Matt Sucich) [2]	Mercury ⊕	Who Rescued Who (solo with mandolin) ¥
Hard on Everyone ¥ [3]	Fools Ride ¥	Glenfern ¥
Six O’Clock News ⊕ [3]	A Soft Place to Land √	Copied Keys ⇐
Asking for Flowers ∇ [3]	Hard on Everyone ¥ [2]	The Logical Song (Supertramp cover)
encore	Six O’Clock News ⊕ [2]	Hockey Skates ⊕
Goodnight, California ∇ [2]	encore	Hard on Everyone ¥
Moneytalks (AC/DC cover) (partial)	Asking for Flowers ∇ [2]	encore
Comes a Time (Neil Young cover)		Asking for Flowers ∇
		Back to Me ⇐

$ = Billionaire (2025)
© = Covers EP (2025)
¥ = Total Freedom (2020)
√ = Voyageur (2012)
∇ = Asking for Flowers (2008)
⇐ = Back to Me (2005)
⊕= Failer (2002)