Awesome! That's what I was guessing but wasn't sure if they'd release Buck's album or new Big Thief first. Definitely gonna be a good year
I am a pretty casual Big Thief fan, absolutely admire their talent and incredible songwriting abilities, just don't get a hankering to throw it on often, but always have a great time seeing them live. That said, it felt like the vibe at the Atlanta show last night was kinda weird? Adrianne seemed to be having sound issues pretty often, they had some pretty noisy jams on a lot of song that didn't necessarily land the whole time, and some of the empty time between songs got really awkward in such a huge theater. They also didn't play some of the songs I was really hoping to hear, but I know their catalog is too deep and constantly expanding to hope for anything specific on a given night. I'm being super nitpicky, the performance overall was mesmerizing as usual, just punctuated with some weird moments. It's awesome to see a band who truly deserves it be playing venues that big, but it feels like the overall experience suffered a bit for it.
I feel like this is pretty normal for the Big Thief live experience. I’ve seen them 3 times. 2 times they were transcendent. The other time was very angry and you could feel it. They are definitely willing to try things and meander and sometimes those things don’t work. They feel like a very emotional band one that really wears their heart on their sleeve, especially Adrianne. You can pretty much tell how she’s feeling right away. they’re not afraid to just stop playing a song if they’re not feeling it. They’re not afraid to start it over. I’ve seen them restart songs mid song several times. They seem to be very particular about the sound of their show, which I appreciate but can also admit can disrupt the vibe.
I have seen them live four times and two of the times were amazing and two of the times were just okay. One of the shows being one where there were stop and restarts, stop and move on to the next song, long pauses between songs, etc. That being said, I still absolutely love this band and will always catch them live when they come to Chicago.
was the long stops the second pitchfork show? That one was kind of painful. The pitchfork show before phoebe though was incredible. they've never came close to that the 3 times ive seen them. i was honestly disappointed the other two.
Yeah it was the third pitchfork show. I was out of town at a wedding for the second Pitchfork show they did (I realize I've actually seen them five times as I forgot to count their first Pitchfork show in 2018). I was really excited to see them at Pitchfork in 2023 and left pretty underwhelmed.
Yeah they played in 2018 right after Julien Baker and right before Courtney Barnett, it was a great back to back to back (and then Tame Impala closed the night). I was waaaaaay less a Big Thief fan then (I just had not spent a ton of time with their music), had only seen them once prior at Pritzker Pavillion at Millennium Park, but I remember thinking that set was good.
Saw them at the 2021 (?) Pitchfork show and it was one of the best sets I’ve ever seen. ^this was the before Phoebe one and they basically blew her off the stage before she stepped on it.
Yeah, I’ve seen them a lot since 2018—I live right in between Atlanta and Nashville, so I’ve seen them every time they’ve come through either city, including last night—and this is definitely just what they’re like live. How temperamental they are is partly why I love seeing them. I just never know what to expect or what I’ll get, especially with how much they play new songs. They may not be on all the time, but when they are they’re better than pretty much any other band out there, imo. Atlanta last night was pretty down the middle for me: the set was heavy on the hits (not sure I need to hear “Spud Infinity” again, tbh, as much as I love it) when I was hoping for something more interesting or unexpected. And yes, the vibes were kinda strange too (not helped by no one apparently knowing whether to stand or sit and so opting for standing up and down all night). Felt like it was worth it, though, for the extended “No Fear” they opened with and the middle portion of the set with the new version of “Dragon” then “Certainty” and “Not.” But I’m all for the noisy jams: it’s one of the reasons I wish there were more tapers out there following them around. Last few songs felt kinda perfunctory.
I’ve seen them twice in Aus and they are 1 & 1 for me. First show was the most ridiculous show I’ve ever seen, absolutely transcendent and for the second one Adrienne was really battling with a back injury (if I remember correctly) and just didn’t sing on a lot of songs. They made up for it with some wild instrumental stuff but it was just an awkward vibe. I’ve had a similar experience with War on Drugs who are probably my favourite live band, last time Adam was so sick, I felt so bad for him. Also, The National, I’ve seen 5-6 times and Matt could barely talk he was so drunk in 2 of those. Australia hits hard with the long travel legs
I get so happy whenever I think to listen to this album. At this point, it is easily a top three BT album for me.