Samantha Crain + Quinn Christopherson @ Kilby Court 06.30.2025

Choctaw Nation songwriter and musician Samantha Crain plays on stage at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City on June 30. Photo: Logan Sorenson.

Image: Logan Sorenson

Concert

Stepping into the outer terrace at Kilby Court, despite the never-ending bog of heat, dozens of audience members stood attentive to folk indie conduit Quinn Christopherson. Acoustic guitar at the hip, Christopherson sang of teen Anchorage angst, gender identity and what it means to make it out of a small town. Sonically, it almost sounded like Bon Iver or Bright Eyes. I think I was almost taken aback at how quiet the crowd was (aside from the obvious and well-deserved applause), not out of awkwardness but out of captivation at how intensely personal and impactful the set was. Some might say that Kilby Court is limited by its size capacity, when in reality it only heightens the effect of how truly intimate and fragile shows such as these become.

Next up was Samantha Crain with an ethereal set of folk and Americana. She shared a throughline of Indigenous ancestry with Christopherson. Vocally, Crain’s tone reminded me almost of Lorde and Sinéad O’Connor, with their passionate and resonating vocals, or perhaps Mitski and Orville Peck, with their dark Americana aesthetic that makes me feel like Matthew McConaughey in an episode of True Detective. Between playing some singles from her new album Gumshoe and sharing fun anecdotes here and there about her songwriting, Crain transitioned many of her songs through beautiful, traditional Native American songs and instrumentation.

To deepen the connection to her ancestry, Crain opted to write and sing one of her tracks in the Choctaw language. I’d almost compare the crowd at the show to more like that of an infatuated audience at an art exhibit than that of a concert. Speaking of Gumshoe, the songs themselves sounded fantastic, with Crain’s vocals and guitar sandwiched between some great percussion along with warm and subtle bass playing. Top to bottom, it was an absolutely beautiful and great experience. If you want to hear Samantha Crain for yourself, listen to her most recent album Gumshoe released on May 2.