After several years of serving as one of indie rock's most unstoppable forces, Big Thief took time for themselves, put out some solo records, peacefully parted with their bass player, and have now returned jammier than ever, with a new album of gliding tunes that are softer, freer, yet still capture the band's ever expansive sound without sounding contrived or compromised. They're still a band for the masses and somehow their expanded line-up makes them even more approachable. Starting the show as a foursome with their new bass player in tow, the band dove into material from their double record Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, hitting on their signature style of whimsical rock music that sounds both wholesome, yet experimental. Their ability to capture something so free spirited, but something also very grounded in feelings has always made them such an enticing band and even with the shift in their line-up, they haven't lost the qualities that made everything feel so authentic and real about them in the first place.
"We're gonna do the new record for you," Lenker said after the band completed a bubbling rendition of "Spud Infinity" and for the first and only time (according to them), they assembled the musicians who made their new album Double Infinity on stage and played the new record from start to finish, embellishing all the right moments to make the album feel more alive and like a living work of art. By inviting additional musicians and a trio of backing vocalists, the band was able to conjure up something really special that took these already great songs to new heights and helped showcase a side that the record doesn't necessarily lack, but doesn't come across with the same gusto and remarkable showmanship that their able to recreate on stage. Ambient legend Laraaji was a stunning addition to the group and emphasized the magic of these songs with his vibrant vocal work and other ethereal melodies leaping from the stage and enhancing each song with a new level of sincerity and wonder. Starting with the loose and energetic "Incomprehensible," the band settled into the twang of the tune, their expanded help making it even more of a jam that felt frayed and organic, everyone finding their groove in real time. Watching the band open things up to a more airy and lived-in nature helped to really signify the new era and iteration of the group, the amount of people and their roles on stage really made for the night to feel more communal, something remarkable for a band that's always felt very much like a collective and not like the idea of a singular member. Album stand-out "Grandmother" came across as the centerpiece of the evening, the band hitting their climax during Laraaji's expressive vocal movement that was met with such a resounding cry of joy from the crowd, it was as if he was calling to us in a guided chant to which we responded with unbridled joy. A song filled with such momentum, building throughout into something that blossoms with such bliss it sent everyone into a state of instant euphoria, like we were all under Laraaji's spell and ready to follow him on the journey of life. Adrienne dedicated "Happy With You" to all the lovers in the crowd before singing the last track on the album to her girlfriend Stacy. The core four of the band returned for the encore and dipped into the song "Forgive the Dream" before inviting back the Double Infinity band once again as they started the massive swirling guitar roar of "Not." As they revved things up, the additional musicians onstage only helped to build the already powerful moment that was brewing and directly lead to a seething tack on the song that stretched out with full power and put on a dazzling display of the band flexing their talents with the full intention of giving the crowd the experience we all longed for from the second they stepped on stage. Leveling us with ripping guitar lines, the band wasted no time in going into another crushing take on "Masterpiece," an earlier song in their career which has seen numerous renditions, always knowing exactly which to pull out in the moment, and this finale was no different. The crowd ate it up and fully embraced the larger than life sensation the band gave off with their expanded line-up operating in full force to give the song the performance it so rightly deserved.
"We're gonna do the new record for you," Lenker said after the band completed a bubbling rendition of "Spud Infinity" and for the first and only time (according to them), they assembled the musicians who made their new album Double Infinity on stage and played the new record from start to finish, embellishing all the right moments to make the album feel more alive and like a living work of art. By inviting additional musicians and a trio of backing vocalists, the band was able to conjure up something really special that took these already great songs to new heights and helped showcase a side that the record doesn't necessarily lack, but doesn't come across with the same gusto and remarkable showmanship that their able to recreate on stage. Ambient legend Laraaji was a stunning addition to the group and emphasized the magic of these songs with his vibrant vocal work and other ethereal melodies leaping from the stage and enhancing each song with a new level of sincerity and wonder. Starting with the loose and energetic "Incomprehensible," the band settled into the twang of the tune, their expanded help making it even more of a jam that felt frayed and organic, everyone finding their groove in real time. Watching the band open things up to a more airy and lived-in nature helped to really signify the new era and iteration of the group, the amount of people and their roles on stage really made for the night to feel more communal, something remarkable for a band that's always felt very much like a collective and not like the idea of a singular member. Album stand-out "Grandmother" came across as the centerpiece of the evening, the band hitting their climax during Laraaji's expressive vocal movement that was met with such a resounding cry of joy from the crowd, it was as if he was calling to us in a guided chant to which we responded with unbridled joy. A song filled with such momentum, building throughout into something that blossoms with such bliss it sent everyone into a state of instant euphoria, like we were all under Laraaji's spell and ready to follow him on the journey of life. Adrienne dedicated "Happy With You" to all the lovers in the crowd before singing the last track on the album to her girlfriend Stacy. The core four of the band returned for the encore and dipped into the song "Forgive the Dream" before inviting back the Double Infinity band once again as they started the massive swirling guitar roar of "Not." As they revved things up, the additional musicians onstage only helped to build the already powerful moment that was brewing and directly lead to a seething tack on the song that stretched out with full power and put on a dazzling display of the band flexing their talents with the full intention of giving the crowd the experience we all longed for from the second they stepped on stage. Leveling us with ripping guitar lines, the band wasted no time in going into another crushing take on "Masterpiece," an earlier song in their career which has seen numerous renditions, always knowing exactly which to pull out in the moment, and this finale was no different. The crowd ate it up and fully embraced the larger than life sensation the band gave off with their expanded line-up operating in full force to give the song the performance it so rightly deserved.
Set list:
02 "Vampire Empire"
03 "Simulation Swarm"
04 "Muscle Memory"
05 "Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You"
06 "Spud Infinity"
07 "Double Infinity"
08 "Incomprehensible"
09 "Words"
10 "Los Angeles"
11 "All Night All Day"
12 "Double Infinity"
13 "No Fear"
14 "Grandmother"
15 "Happy With You"
16 "How Could I Have Known"
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17 "Forgive the Dream"
18 "Not"
19 "Masterpiece"
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