Stephen AtkinsonPart of being a music fan is being open minded to new artists or bands you aren’t familiar with. Friends suggest new bands, you Shazam a cool tune that you have never heard playing in the background of you favorite coffee shop or bar. No matter how it happens bands invade our ears for better or worse. Recently, I stumbled across a Big Thief in a sub-Reddit entitled r/ListenToThis and they have cemented their place in my iTunes Library.
This Brooklyn, New York four piece lead by Adrianne Lenker perfectly combines elements of Folk and Psychedelic Rock to really earn the title of Alternate Rock. Their debut album Masterpiece is a collection of songs that are could gently rock you to sleep but guitar riffs energize and pick up right when your eyes are getting heavy. This atmosphere is maintained throughout the album and even in the live performances. As an audience member you will laugh at the shy, borderline awkward moments between songs while instruments are tuned and become drawn in as soon as the music starts. People in the crowd who were familiar with the title track “Masterpiece” were treated to a good laugh when 3 of the 4 band members hit their cue to start the song and Adrianne just says “…Shit” they moved on to the next song in the set list and returned to the single after the humorous mixup. Lenker was channeling her inner Ellen Ripley rocking a slightly grown in buzz cut that made for an awesome juxtaposition of bad ass rock star with that angelic voice. All and all Big Thief has become a favorite of mine in a very short period of even knowing the band existed.
Openers for the show included Sam Evian (“pronounced like the water”, he made sure to point out during his set) and Twain.
