REVIEW: Buck Meek: Live at The EARL - ATL
- Magali Rivera
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The Big Thief guitarist stops by one of Atlanta's most intimate spaces to play his latest work, The Mirror
Buck Meek brought the 10th stop of his 2026 North America to Atlanta’s The EARL on July 19th. The singer-songwriter and guitarist, whose full name is Alexander Buckley Meek, was born and raised in Wimberley, Texas. From 2005 to 2010, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston until he moved to NYC upon graduating. Since then, Buck Meek has been making radiant music nonstop, whether that be his own solo work or under his other bands Big Thief and Kisser. Meek’s set at The EARL last week flowed nicely between old songs from his first three albums, a welcomed solo version of a Big Thief track, and almost all the songs off his dazzling new record The Mirror.
During his time at Berklee, Buck Meek met Adrianne Lenker, the Midwestern-grown singer-songwriter. They reunited in a Bushwick bodega after they had both finished school and went on to collaborate and create music together indefinitely. They made the breezy, folky tracks from a-sides and b-sides in 2014 as two pieces of a whole. In 2015, they founded their musical group Big Thief and wed later that year. The band put out their first two records Masterpiece and Capacity before Meek and Lenker divorced, but they still continue to collaborate and play music together to this day.
Meek remarried in 2023 to Germaine Dunes, who became the lead singer of his newly-formed band Kisser, Meek’s opener on all 2026 North America, EU, and UK tour dates. This allows him to play double sets and share more of his art with his already sizable fan base, grown by his Big Thief fame. At its core, Kisser holds all the folk influence that Meek knows and loves, both from his solo music and other band. Dunes’ accented vocals add a raspiness to the overall sound that once combined with Meek’s smoothness, as well as the guitars and bass, have this addicting dissonance to them. There is also just something special about how bandmates play when they are also partners, and how charming that exchange of emotions comes off while performing.
The Mirror, Meek’s fourth and newest album, takes the smallest step back from the melancholy-drenched releases of before and delivers more on the sweeter side. That introspective, and even philosophical, songwriting is still present, especially in lyrics like “When I meet my maker, when I lose my life / I hope to find a phone line / So I can call you just to hear your voice”, from track 10, “Deja Vu.” The alt-country/folk sounds from this album continue to lend themselves to the most romantic sentiments and moments, which are what make this project particularly exceptional. Standout songs include “Pretty Flowers,” “Worms,” and “Outta Body,” though this record is quite full of singular and unique expressions.
Meek gave two sets full of the softest melodies between him and his band members. There were some bouncy drums, hefty bass moments, and of course, guitar solos that fit right in with the lyricism and time of the songs. Meek’s vocals were wiry and matched in each key he sang, as if he was balancing perfectly on a wire of tone and voice. Both he and his band took liberties to explore their own rhythms in the jam, but always found their way back to each other seamlessly. Meek covered “Capacity” from Big Thief’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, as well as played an unreleased song he said he had written with Lenker called “Kiss My Mirror,” one fans eagerly await the release of.
Buck Meek is a talent in the alternative folk/country space. He has been at its helm with Big Thief, who have commanded the genre for years now, in the most sad and touching fashion they know how. His talent is so grand, it expands beyond the confines of just that band and bleeds into his solo work and other band. It must be rewarding for him to go from playing large theaters with one band, to then do a tour of smaller, more intimate venues across the world with another. The crowd was certainly filled with Big Thief fans, but by the end of the night, I’m sure Buck Meek left his own imprint on them and won them over with his personal and emotional expressions.
Article and photos by Magali Rivera. Please credit @magliriver or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.