Big Thief Debuts 29-Song Triple Album Live in Nashville
Big Thief performed their entire upcoming triple album, Horsepower, for the first time at the Ryman Auditorium, with guest appearances from Iris DeMent, Gillian Welch, and Lucinda Williams. The set featured pedal steel and fiddle players, and the band acknowledged the audience's hopes for older hits by telling them to discard those expectations. The performance was filmed by photographer Daniel Arnold for a future release.
The Ryman Auditorium performance marked the first complete airing of Horsepower, a 29-song triple album recorded in May. Guest vocalists Iris DeMent, Gillian Welch, and Lucinda Williams joined the core quartet, alongside pedal steel players Russ Pahl and Greg Leisz. Photographer Daniel Arnold filmed the entire show for a piece slated for release next year. Lenker acknowledged the crowd's hopes for older material, telling them such expectations "can also be discarded." The album's lyrical approach favors stripped-down sentiments, with repeated phrases like "It's a gift, it's a pleasure, it's a joy" forming the backbone of several songs. The stage gradually filled as the night progressed, with the band's country-leaning direction becoming increasingly apparent through the expanded instrumentation.
This performance could reshape how audiences engage with Big Thief's catalog, as the band's deliberate pivot toward country idioms may alienate some longtime fans while attracting new listeners drawn to Americana. The filmed release could extend the album's reach beyond typical concert audiences. The band's willingness to challenge expectations may reinforce their reputation as artists who prioritize creative evolution over commercial comfort, potentially influencing how other established acts approach album rollouts and live premieres.