by Chantel Malin
College Street Music Hall presents: Big Thief. February 3rd, 2023, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Big Thief braved the frigid cold to perform a sold out concert at College Street Music Hall this past Friday, February 3. The show marked the third stop of an ongoing tour in support of their Grammy-nominated 2022 double album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You. The album is as musically packed full as its title, a true exploration of sonic atmospheres both familiar and foreign to the band. Despite the plummeting temperatures outside, it was cozy indoors, with hundreds of fans flocking to the venue to spend an evening in the warmth of Big Thief’s signature intimate lyrics and singer Adrianne Lenker’s soft yet commanding voice.
The band started with “ingydar,” from Lenker’s 2020 solo release songs. Alongside instrumentals, the pair of albums were crafted in a cabin in the Berkshires, and take the term “naturalistic” to a new level - filled with the sounds of nature and with content as lyrically raw and honest as the music is sweet and gentle. They played a couple songs from Dragon New Warm Mountain, including the final single from the record - the dizzying, captivating “Simulation Swarm” - before arriving at “Words,” a currently unreleased song debuted just days prior. “Terminal Paradise” came next; originally a part of Lenker’s 2018 solo release abysskiss, the song was given the full band treatment and release with a new arrangement a year later on Big Thief’s record U.F.O.F. The band then slipped into Dragon New Warm Mountain’s “12,000 Lines,” an indie folk tune that wouldn’t sound out of place amongst Big Thief’s earlier work. Followed by “Dried Flowers,” another softer moment from the expansive record, it was hard not to take note of the beauty of the evening. Even with a concert hall so thoroughly stuffed with devout fans, the mutual respect between audience and band was palpable - with singalongs where appropriate, and quiet reverence when called for, including a moment during the show where Lenker stopped the performance to help someone needing medical attention. The room remained absolutely silent until the individual was safe, and Lenker made sure of it before continuing the concert.
Following this quiet moment came “Blue Lightning,” one of the more country inspired tracks - and the closing track - from Dragon New Warm Mountain. After U.F.O.F.’s “Cattails”followed Dragon New Warm Mountain’s “Certainty,” nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at this past weekend’s Grammy Awards - and between the band’s thoughtfulness towards each other, lyrics bursting at the seams with pure adoration, and the song’s almost childlike joy and wonder, it’s clear to see why. The band then treated us to another unreleased gem, “Vampire Empire,” featuring an electrifying solo by guitarist Buck Meek. The energy continued upwards with Two Hands’ “Forgotten Eyes” and “Not,” both punctuated with shining moments from drummer James Krivchenia - a subtle, driving force culminating in the loudest few minutes of the night towards the end of the song.
In a truly endearing moment, Lenker invited her brother Noah out to play jaw harp on the playful yet introspective “Spud Infinity,” a stunning example of Big Thief’s constant exploration of the interaction between humanity and nature, and our place in the universal ecosystem. An admittedly shy person, Lenker took a moment to chat with the audience for the first time of the evening, thanking concertgoers for making the venue “the toastiest room in the northeast” followed by a quick-witted pun about how she was thrilled to be here to “Connect-icut” with us. With a bit of encouragement and positive reinforcement in the form of blackberries from bassist Max Oleartchik, Lenker pushed herself to step forward and be physically closer to the audience for their last song, “Happy With You.” Even without extensive stage banter, it’s clear the entire band felt close to their fans, and were grateful for their presence.
The encore gave us “Masterpiece,” the title track from the band’s 2016 debut record - one of the band’s first ever releases, and still to this day a fan favorite track. The band ended the evening with Dragon New Warm Mountain’s “Change,” as excellent of a set closer as it is an album opener. A contemplation once again on nature and its inevitable processes, evolving into a more existential questioning of how to exist as both a being concerned with things as small as an individual and as large as the ocean or deep space, Big Thief left us with some big questions to ponder until their next visit to Connecticut.
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