Big Thief Takes The Hollywood Bowl With No Fear

On a warm Saturday in late September, Big Thief played the largest headlining show of their career at Los Angeles' historic Hollywood Bowl. It was near the start of the band’s seven week US tour, which followed the release of their latest record, Double Infinity, an album which dove more fully into endless atmosphere than its indie folk predecessor. That record, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, was Big Thief’s magnum opus and one of the best projects of the decade, making it near impossible to follow and almost necessitating some sonic changeups with the next. Thankfully, the new sound was the perfect evolution to accompany a tour with crowded stadiums and amphitheaters, and the music resonated fluidly through the endless rows of the Bowl.

Big Thief have played together seamlessly for years (even through an internal divorce), but this release cycle marked the beginning of a new chapter in more ways than just a sonic switch up, as it followed the departure of the group’s longtime fourth member, bassist Max Oleartchik. While the change can’t have been easy, the group reemerged with their best foot forward, recruiting Joshua Crumbly on bass and bringing more friends into the fold. Seasoned instrumentalists Laraaji and Greg Leisz joined Big Thief on stage for long stretches of the show, emerging to jam on the newer tunes. When the opening chords to “Los Angeles” rang out and lights swept over the packed Hollywood Bowl, a cheer erupted as Adrianne Lenker dedicated the song to everyone in the audience. Looking around, the shared air felt a bit sweeter. Even for their largest crowd to date, Big Thief created a sense of intimacy and made the amphitheater feel like a home. It was a night to remember. Below you can find a gallery documenting some of my favorite moments.

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