Indie folk band Big Thief brought their musical genius — and costumes — to the Saenger Theater with a stop on their “Somersault Slide 360 Tour” last Friday, Oct. 31.
The New York band consists of Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek and James Krivchenia, who all have their own solo projects but came together to form Big Thief in 2015. Their current tour follows the recent release of their album “Double Infinity;” however, the band chose a setlist that covered a wide range of their discography.
The show began at 8 p.m. with opener Lomelda, a folk-rock artist from Texas. She played a short, yet introspective set with a talented live band. One standout was her song “Wonder,” which showcased her belting abilities, earning cheers from the crowd as both the band and her vocal tone reached an emotional peak.
Though her set was comprised largely of unreleased tracks, the audience remained invested, swaying along and clapping at each song’s end. As her set concluded just after 8:30 p.m., she left the stage with loud applause having set an excellent tone for the main act.
Big Thief took the stage just after 9 p.m., both band and crew in costumes ranging from a large, inflated dragon to a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, a juxtaposition to the grand formality of the Saenger’s interior. As they began to play, however, it quickly became apparent that a venue of such character is exactly what Big Thief’s music commands.
They opened with the title track off their recent album, “Double Infinity,” a slower song with a moody vibe that would carry through the duration of the show. As Lenker’s angelic voice carried throughout the fully seated venue, it was clear that the audience was in for an ultimate Halloween treat.
The energy picked up fast with the song “Simulation Swarm,” a popular track off their album “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.” This got the audience out of their seats and dancing along. Lenker displayed that her musical prowess extended past vocals as she played the track’s complex guitar solo.
Spirits remained high with the fitting “Vampire Empire,” a 2023 single that has amassed over 178 million streams on Spotify and had the audience singing along, accompanied by Meek and Krivchenia’s skillful guitar playing and drumming.
As the show progressed, the atmosphere calmed. Lenker comically told the audience they “could be seated,” setting the stage for the introspective “Mary.” Not long after, the band transitioned to Lenker’s “Terminal Paradise” from her 2018 solo album “abysskiss,” dedicated to a friend who had recently died.
The main set closed with the unreleased “Beautiful World,” which Lenker prefaced with an inspirational story of meeting an 85-year-old man who was biking across the United States while she was near the Arizona-Mexico border.
As the audience dried their tears, the band returned in new costumes for a one-song encore, an older song called “Spud Infinity.” This got the crowd dancing as Lenker performed as an alien potato, a fun and fitting end to a Halloween concert.
With Tulanians, native New Orleanians and out of town visitors in attendance, Big Thief was an excellent addition to Halloween.