In a world focused on streaming numbers and social media engagement, Margaret Glapsy is a rare gem: She’s an outrageously talented singer-songwriter held in high esteem by critics and her peers. She’s shared stages with many of my favorite bands and artists: Wilco, the Mountain Goats, the New Pornographers, and Neko Case.
Recently, Margaret recorded a live session for No Depression, at Lucinda’s, a country bar in New York City owned by Lucinda Williams, whose “Fruits of My Labor” she covered on her latest LP, The Golden Heart Protector, and which has been a staple of her live sets for years. In December, she’ll be appearing at Steve Earle’s annual benefit for the Keswell School, which serves kids and young adults on the autism spectrum, that his son John Henry attends.
Her appearance in an early show at the Pearl Street Warehouse showed off her sharp lyrics, incredible voice, and outstanding musicianship.
Having just released The Golden Heart Protector, Margaret isn’t slowing down or resting. She’s using this run of solo acoustic shows to work out most of the material on her new album that’ll come out in spring. For that reason, I can’t name a lot of the songs (I think one might be called “Common Ground”) she played on Nov. 1, but I can attest to how good they really are. Her always sharp songwriting, which many agreed reached a new level on 2023’s Echo The Diamond, has gotten even better. I was consistently impressed with the craft in these songs, and I’m very excited to see them on record, with full instrumentation.
Her talents are just as impressive when it comes to interpreting our people’s songs. In addition to the tune by Williams, the set included several of the other songs from The Golden Heart Protector: the Magnetic Fields’ “Book of Love,” Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” The last two wrapped up the set. Her version of CCR was particularly interesting in how different it was from the choogling (to use John Fogerty’s own language) rock & roll of the original. We also got some of her older sons: “Would You Be My Man,” “Bathtub,” “Get Back,” and “Memories.”
Watch Margaret Glaspy perform “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by CCR on YouTube:
Brooke Annibale got the evening started a little after 6:30pm with a strong opening set. It was her third night on tour with Glaspy, and she kicked things off with “Hidden,” followed by “Patience.” In 2020, she explained, she had planned to get married, and the wedding was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. (My sister got married in a very small wedding in September of that year because she was several months into a planned pregnancy. I wouldn’t call it a shotgun wedding; maybe more of a bow-and-arrow wedding.) When she did get married, Brooke walked down the aisle to a Margaret Glaspy song. She wrote “5 A.M.” about falling in love with her now-wife.
Watch the official music video for “5 AM” by Brooke Annibale on YouTube:
Before playing “My Favorite Party,” Brooke shared that she’s been working on a new record, and it’s the first time she’s been producing and mixing herself. Introducing “Bolder Font,” she talked about how she’s learned, in 20 years of making music, to decouple her identity and self-worth from her work. (My go-to joke is that, after being told things like “No one likes you” when I was a kid, form rejections for my short fiction don’t phase me.) She wrapped up her set with “Answers,” “Bendy by Now,” and “Home Again.”
I hadn’t seen Brooke play before, and her stuff really impressed. I’ve seen Margaret several times now, both as an opener and a headliner, and each time has been a magical experience. The Pearl Street Warehouse show was equally magical, and I can’t wait to hear the new record.
Here are some photos of Margaret Glaspy performing live at Pearl Street Warehouse on Nov. 1, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
Here are some photos of Brooke Annibale opening Margaret Glaspy at Pearl Street Warehouse on Nov. 1, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
