Music / Reviews
Review: Adrianne Lenker, Bristol Beacon – ‘A master at work’
When Adrianne Lenker steps out into Bristol Beacon, the cheers are overwhelming. Leader of Big Thief and general indie folk royalty, we can hardly believe our eyes and ears.
Nick Hakim masterfully warms up the evening, his soulful set full of light and richness. Bristol is lucky enough to host part of the ‘with friends’ leg of Lenker’s tour – mid-set Hakim returns to the piano, and pal Josefin Runsteen joins on violin.
Lenker gushes that it’s a treat to have them, and that they were a huge part of her latest project Bright Future. Their voices harmonise beautifully; it’s a holy trinity and their collaboration is rapturous.
is needed now More than ever
By the end of the gig we all feel like friends, Lenker replying to every shout of ‘I love you!’ with the same sentiment. She begins playing Simulation Swarm before stopping to laugh “y’all are amazing!” The song is a fan favourite from Big Thief’s latest album, and here it’s even more rewarding as she gives it her own acoustic spin.
The gig is a special moment in time, each song existing purely in this moment. They sound slightly different from the recordings, and every idea is played. There’s extra whistles, strums, and giggles. We’re watching a master at work, and we’re hanging on her every chord.
Lenker creates a staggeringly intimate atmosphere, perched cradling her guitar between two lava lamps. She has the knack to command a venue as big as the Beacon, but remains unpretentious – even when pulling off improvised and intricate guitar picking.
The setlist has changed throughout the tour, so we’re always guessing which song will come next. Next to Lenker lies a giant book, presumably of songs; the evening steered by whatever pages it opens on. Lenker reaches deep into her sprawling catalogue, and the highlights are the unreleased tracks impossible to hear elsewhere.
We get to hear Cactus Practice, a track that somehow missed out on making Big Thief’s latest album. Lenker laughs as she messes up her whistle solo, and we laugh as she sings ‘Wearing nobody’s pants/Just a sharp suit busy with the ants’.
It’s a gig full of duality: we’re laughing but also crying as she sings Not a lot, just forever and Everything from her 2020 lockdown album Songs. We’re feeling fragile, but also full of hope.
Lenker shattered our hearts, but we still leave beaming.
Photos: Mia Smith
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