XPN Fest Recap: The McCrary Sisters channel the divine in an incredible Marina Stage set

The McCrary Sisters | photo by Ashley Gellman for WXPN

The McCrary Sisters are a powerhouse quartet, able to channel the inner workings of your soul through their unique style of gospel music. Today at the Marina Stage, they used their powers for good, putting on a spectacular performance.

The sisters began with “Mighty Good Time,” fully supported by their highly skillful backup band. Moving and grooving, the sisters harmonized beautifully with one another. It was clear that they had a special bond that most siblings could only dream of. During “David Dance,” they began to let loose, encouraging each band member to improvise.

The set took a magical turn once they began singing a cover of “Amazing Grace,” injecting it with their gospel roots. Different from the traditional arrangement of it, the band changed up the chords, making them more dark and emotional. One of the most emotional moments in the set was when the sisters performed “Let It Go,” a tune written after Deborah McCrary was recovering from two strokes. An anthem about enjoying the good things in life and forgetting about the superficial things, the sisters once again killed it. Wielding her tamborine, Ann took a nasty solo, followed by each member taking one yet again.

Another killer moment from the set would have to be the sisters’ performance of “Train,” which prompted an actual train ride around the crowd, started by Ann. More and more crowd members joined in as the song trailed on. Numerous moments in the set prompted the sisters to rejoice, and this was for sure one of them. Performing alongside the power of God’s good grace, the McCrary sisters were truly unstoppable.

Setlist
Mighty Good Time
David Dance
Help Me
Amazing Grace
Let It Go
Train
I’ll Take You There