Big Thief Unveil Their New Album Horsepower in Full During Their Ryman Doubleheader
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 22nd: Big Thief headline night one of their residency at Ryman Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)
While still on the road supporting their latest album, 2025’s Double Infinity, Big Thief elect to take a slight detour with a pair of Ryman Auditorium shows in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nashville is called Music City for a reason, something Big Thief are all too familiar with having recorded their freshly announced project here this past Spring. It is a behemoth triple album with the track list spanning thirty songs (on of which being a reprise), with numerous collaborators including Iris Dement, Gillian Welch, Rodney Crowell, and Lucinda Williams, all of whom joined the band for their doubleheader. The new album is expected sometime in Spring of 2027, but the band also took the time to record their mini residency, another project I’d expect to see released next year.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 22nd: Big Thief headline night one of their residency at Ryman Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)
The night began with “Horsepower,” the new album’s namesake. While sat with the full band, this song saw frontwoman Adrianne Lenker shine by herself. Raw and emotive, this ballad was dazzling as Lenker had no problem drawing the freshly sat crowd in with just her voice and acoustic guitar. It had a notably country tinge to it, perhaps a byproduct of Big Thief’s Nashville collaborators or perhaps just a continued evolution of their indie-tinged sing-songwriter sound they’ve crafted over the past decade or so. Either way, it is a beautiful introduction to what would soon develop into one of the most magnificent nights of live music I’ve seen in many years.
Jumping forward in the set, “Space and Time” was an immediate fan favorite. It is delightfully chipper, especially for a Big Thief cut, with a three-part string section and some warm, intricate pedal steel from Russ Pahl. Lead guitarist Buck Meek was also vital to this cacophony, adding a unexpectedly blistering, albeit subdued, guitar riff. Similarly, “Where Will We Go” elicited a similar response from the crowd, with a whirlwind of swelling fiddles, Gillian Welch on tambourine, and and James Krivchenia’s punchy percussion. “Where will We Go” brought standing ovation to close out the first set of the night, though it wouldn’t be the last.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 23rd: Big Thief perform alongside Rodney Crowell during night two of their residency at Ryman Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)
“Gift Pleasure Joy” was the night’s closing number and might have been one of the biggest tear jerkers, but not from Big Thief’s typical brand of mellow sadness. Rather, this was an uplifting joyous song, a tribute to the close collaborators and friends the band made during the recording process as well as a general statement on the headspace Lenker is occupying nowadays. For longtime fans, this character development is sure to stir some emotions. Not only was the writing terrific, but it was also the only song that saw any member of the band step away from their chairs, as Adrianne Lenker took center stage and even stepped up onto the table the musicians surrounded. That table originated from the band’s production manager Mark, who after purchasing it on Facebook Marketplace gifted it to the band who brought it into the studio. It would become ground zero for the new album, with massive portions of the album being crafted around its outer perimeter. Bringing it to the Mother Church alongside all of the various contributors just felt right.
Setlist
Horsepower
Baby Honey Sweetheart Darlin’
Wait a While
Space and Time
21
Casual Touch
Muscle Memory
Highway (ft. Iris DeMent)
Stay (ft. Iris DeMent)
Carry (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
Sadness as a Gift (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
True Love (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
Where Will We Go (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
-
Beautiful World
Lonelies Boy
Faker
Happiness
Oldest (ft. Rodney Crowell)
Bright Future (ft. Rodney Crowell)
Beautiful Powerful
Avalanche, Hurricane (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
Snaill (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
Spatchcock Chickenshit Bingo (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
Trade Tomorrow (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
6-7-8-9 She’s Fine (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
These Are the Days (ft. Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent)
-
No Matter What
Born For Loving You (ft. Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, and Iris DeMent)
Gift Pleasure Joy (ft. Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, and Iris DeMent)
Note: While the setlist encompasses the entirety of Horsepower, the show did not follow the sequencing of the album and did not include the yet-to-be-named reprise.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 22nd: Big Thief headline night one of their residency at Ryman Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)
Big Thief used their Ryman double-header as a stopping point for leg one of their “Somersault Slide 360” tour, but the trio still has a whole other run through the West Coast and Big Sky ahead of them. While I don’t expect these shows to feature full play throughs of the new album, I can say for certain that they’ll be one hell of a performance.
You can find tickets to all of Big Thief’s tour dates here.
Sep 15 – Vallecitos, NM – /shed
Sep 16 – Santa Fe, NM – The Santa Fe Opera* [SOLD OUT]
Sep 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre^
Sep 19 – Ojai, CA – Libbey Bowl+ [SOLD OUT]
Sep 20 – Ojai, CA – Libbey Bowl+ [SOLD OUT]
Sep 22 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort^
Sep 24 – Vancouver, BC- Malkin Bowl^ [SOLD OUT]
Sep 25 – Carnation, WA – Remlinger Farms^ [SOLD OUT]
Sep 26 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory^ [SOLD OUT]
Sep 28 – Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium= [SOLD OUT]
Sep 29 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium= [SOLD OUT]
Oct 2 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater+
Oct 3 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM+ [SOLD OUT]
Oct 4 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts+ [SOLD OUT]
Oct 6 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre+
Oct 7 – Ogden, UT – Ogden Twilight Series^ [LOW TICKETS]
* w/ JJ Light
^ w/ Porches
+ w/ Iris Dement
= w/ Beverly Glenn-Copeland
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 22nd: Big Thief headline night one of their residency at Ryman Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)
Big Thief fans should be immensely excited for Horsepower, especially those who enjoy the folkier country-tinged side of the band’s sound. If the recordings sound even a fraction as good as the live show, then we’re certainly in for a treat. For the lucky fans who made it out to Ryman Auditorium, it seemed the general consensus was an overwhelming approval of Horsepower. In the meantime, Big Thief still has an immense catalog to dive into, including 2025’s Double Infinity, as well as another leg of live shows to enjoy before the new album. Go catch this band live and make sure to keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for the new album.
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