Gig Review: Margaret Glaspy - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Thursday 22nd October 2026
ATO recording artist Margaret Glaspy applied a different complexion to the Kitchen Garden as she completed the English leg of her current UK tour. A staggered ticket sale reached sell out status uniting venue regulars with fans recruited across an influential decade. From descending the wooden staircase on the stroke of 9 to wrapping proceedings up with a sense of ease at 10:30, an air of quality purveyed from a skilled operator in the art of creation and delivery. Fellow label compatriot Dylan LeBlanc famously quipped about the cramped cosy surroundings on his venue debut, Glaspy too sensed a alternative experience offering encouragement to proceed without a setlist. An unusual decision, she noted. 90 minutes later a valve release closed the evening portraying a disparate shade to a performing demeanour.
Glaspy’s highly schooled composure and execution belied the single term she spent at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, likely emphasising a passion to learn from more practical surroundings and likeminded artisans on the North-East singer-songwriter scene. From the first breath of ‘Wildest Dreams’ to the final pause in ‘I Am Both’ (tracks from the most recent album), immaculate precision heralded the lack of any missing note, beat or chord. You couldn’t deny this brush with perfection with a pin drop environment echoing the effect of every lyric.
The latest album, also titled I AM BOTH, has been the centrepiece of the tour and eight tracks featured in this improvised setlist. The highlights fell in line with what the record extolls, namely ‘Michigan’, ‘I Thought She Was a Song’ and ‘Sharp Knife’. Perfection in the eyes of some would have been turning to ‘James and Marie’ and ‘Martin Luther King Jr’ but these omissions on the night live for another day.
Whether by design or instinct, Glaspy navigated the passage almost entirely communicating through song. Popular opinion was likely on board and this universally applies to formal settings. The Kitchen thrives on stripped back informality and maybe a drift in this direction would have complemented an unrivalled excellence. Likewise, giving each of the wonderful songs an extra moment to breathe would have enhanced the experience. The aforementioned LeBlanc melded into the surroundings across subsequent visits, time will tell whether a 70-capacity venue retains on the horizon for this California raised-New York based musician.
At 10:20, you had a feeling of the day job done, and highly accomplished as well. The final 10 minutes saw a switch flicked, chat about a fiddle music background, folk music in general and an urge to sing Jean Ritchie’s ‘Barbara Allen’ off mic. A welcome curveball. This was followed by covering Bob Dylan’s ‘Mississippi’, a set list regular before retiring to the merch table.
Opening on this and each night of the tour has been Nashville-based English singer-songwriter Fairhazel. He did remark about playing the Kitchen last year and used his 30-minute slot to paint a personal picture to a bunch of songs that lean in the direction of Glaspy’s eye to communicate through the art of lyricism.
The idiosyncrasies of Margaret Glaspy’s music remains an alluring pull. She courts attention and owns the moment. Perfection can be a holy grail. Alternatively, a smidgeon of imperfection can differentiate the stage from the studio.
