At their biggest show yet in the season-closer at Forest Hills Stadium, NYC-originated indie folk/art rock band Big Thief hushed a sold-out crowd with a special full performance of new 4ad LP Double Infinity (the band’s sixth in 10 years) with the talented musician friends who contributed to the recording. I had first seen Big Thief play at Brooklyn Steel in 2018 and have since become enamored of lead singer/prolific primary songwriter Adrianne Lenker’s primally beautiful solo LPs and covered her spellbinding 2024 2nd sold-out show at King’s Theatre last November, so I was expecting another great one, but I was reminded of the unique atmospheric tension the Big Thief band brings to her profound & poetic songs.
Now a core trio of Lenker on vocals and deft guitar, Buck Meek on guitar/backing vocals, & James Krivchenia on drums/backing vocals following the 2024 departure of founding bassist Max Oleartchik, with touring bassist Joshua Crumbly (who played on the new LP), Big Thief opened with several entrancing numbers from 2022 double LP Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You and stirring 2023 non-LP single “Vampire Empire”.
Then they brought out the extended band of Laraaji (zither/electronics), Mikey Buishas (keyboard/tape loops), percussionists Mikel Patrick Avery, Caleb Michel, & Jon Nellen, Adam Brisbin (guitar), & the heavenly vocal choir of Alena Spanger, Hannah Cohen, June McDoom, all of whom contributed to the new LP’s floating sonic beauty, for the entire album, with lengthened & even more dynamic versions of most tracks.
After an encore that began with a new unreleased tune, “Forgive the Dream”, the extended band returned for a 9+ minute controlled cacophony version of the fitful “Nothing” and the 8+ minute finale of the exquisite “Masterpiece” from their 2016 debut LP of the same name, capping a moving and magical night of music that challenges and calms the soul.
SetlistChange
Vampire Empire
Simulation Swarm
Muscle Memory
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Spud Infinity
Double Infinity
Incomprehensible
Words
Los Angeles
All Night All Day
Double Infinity
No Fear
Grandmother
Happy With You
How Could I Have Known
Encore
Forgive the Dream
Not
Masterpiece
