REVIEW: Big Thief with Lomelda: Live at The Fox Theatre - ATL
- Mikey Smith
- Oct 31
- 3 min read
The iconic 21st century indie group creates an expansive live show for the autumn season
Indie-folk legends Big Thief brought their Somersault Slide 360 Tour to Atlanta’s famous Fox Theatre on Thursday. The Brooklyn-based act serenaded the audience out of their seats with a mix of songs both old and new.
The night was started by fellow indie folk musician Lomelda, the stage name of Texas songwriter Hannah Read. The opening set featured unique instruments from her backing band and songs that made the legendary theatre feel as intimate as a coffee shop. Read’s passion and down-to-earth nature can be seen in all elements of her work. Her music is subtle, but as you begin to lose yourself in it, the more immersive of an experience it becomes.
For example, the set opened with her popular track, “Hannah Sun.” With a shoutout to ATL within the first few lines, the audience was already prepared to give a standing ovation. The recorded version adds more to the sonic space as it builds up, but the live version creates its own style that is just as, if not more captivating.
After Lomelda’s set wrapped, Big Thief went right into action with tracks from their latest record, Double Infinity. These songs took advantage of the size of the venue and become longer, even more grandiose versions of their album counterparts. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s signature whisper-style vocals complemented these expansive elements well.
Big Thief’s sound has evolved over the years, slowly developing record-by-record. On this latest tour, their evolution is mixed with the range of styles from their back-catalogue. Tracks from their 2022 album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, such as “Certainty” and “Simulation Swarm” tapped in to this newer, fully-realized space. These live versions of their hits were not only great for audience members to sing along to, but they were incredible examples of the band members’ musicianship in a variety of genres.
Drummer James Krivchenia and guitarist Buck Meek had near-perfect chemistry throughout the set. Lenker had her own rockstar moments with face-melting guitar solos that you rarely see at these types of folk shows. Their touring bassist, Joshua Crumbly, kept the group paced and brought the live versions of songs to the fantastic level they were at.
The set initially closed with the currently unreleased song “Beautiful World,” a track that is not only effective in its message, but one that demands to be heard live. Eventually, the group came back out for an encore of their beloved album-opener, “Change.”
Met with highly-positive responses from fans, Big Thief proved their projection for legacy status. However, they are nowhere near finished with plenty of tour dates ahead. With the setlist changing every night, each show builds upon the group’s craft. Their night at The Fox Theatre will definitely go down as one of the defining dates of the tour.
Thank you to Big Thief, their team, Zero Mile, and The Fox Theatre for a beautiful night of live music! Please enjoy a gallery of highlights from the evening below.
Big Thief's new album Double Infinity is out now via 4AD
Article and photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
