On a breezy Thursday night, a blanket of marijuana clouds and thrifted sweaters welcomed Big Thief to a jam-packed, enthusiastic Hearst Greek Theatre. Its “Somersault Slide 360 Tour,” which follows the release of its latest album, Double Infinity, is the band’s first since bassist Max Oleartchik announced his departure from the band July 2024. Albeit a felt absence, the group has propelled itself forward with great success. Here in Berkeley, the band once again demonstrated that its genius lies in the uninhibited emotion and freedom with which it approaches music.
Listening to the Brooklyn band’s catalogue with headphones on offers a personal comfort. Live and amplified, it’s cathartic. The venue’s gargantuan speakers were no match for the act’s passionate followers, with a constant swarm of cheering and yelling coming from all directions. Silence, indeed, became golden. In those rare moments of collective quiet, vocalist Adrianne Lenker’s runs and vibratos reverberated majestically across the venue, every crack and inflection as fiery as the heat of the stage lights. The singer’s voice was somehow even richer in texture on stage.
The trio was joined live by Joshua Crumbly, who played bass throughout the creation of Double Infinity and has taken over the same duty for the tour. Taking over Oleartchik’s role would prove a difficult job for anyone, but Crumbly’s trust in the band was apparent from the moment he stepped foot onto the maroon rug covering the stage floor. It would come as little surprise if Crumbly were to officially join the band in the future.
Equally present were audience chants, with the occasional “we love you” marking the enthusiastic nature of the band’s fanbase. This care was greatly reciprocated by Big Thief, particularly via quick calls for medical help upon seeing phone flashlights and consistent responses to audience chants. Hearing Lenker say a soft “thank you” after delivering a stunning vocal performance was especially heartening. The band emanated a truly special warmth back at its listeners, as if greeting an old friend for the first time in years.
Attendees’ eagerness to communicate, however, became a more pressing matter following the band’s performance of their new, unreleased song “Beautiful World”. Amid various “Free Palestine” chants from the audience — some followed by demands for the band to “say it back” — the band was overcome with emotion. Lenker, who put all proceeds from her 2024 EP i won’t let go of your hand toward the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, was hit by the Berkeley atmosphere in an unexpected way. “I’m finding my own words here. I don’t want to speak reactively,” she initially responded.
What ensued was a moving, flowing conversation with the audience, one in which the singer addressed the validity of the hecklers’ feelings while speaking to her own role and responsibility as an artist. The speech, which has now made the rounds online, was perhaps the most moving moment of the night altogether. Once the group got back to playing, it eagerly performed “Beautiful World” again in its entirety. It was a worthwhile replay, namely considering the song’s themes, with Lenker singing, “It’s a fucked-up world / Why must everything be conquerеd? / But it, it’s so beautiful / Let’s blow a hole in thе center of it.”
These various interventions, as well as the restarting of “Double Infinity” after technical issues, led to the standard setlist being cut short. Particularly tragic was the scratching of “Vampire Empire” and “Simulation Swarm,” two major, beloved staples of Big Thief’s live performances.
Above all, Big Thief’s night at the Greek was a perfect symbol of the heart and sincerity that guides its success. Transforming technical difficulties and crowd pauses into sources of depth, the band not only embraced uncertainty but adapted to it with grace and purpose.
