Big Thief Debuted Ten New Songs At Project Pabst, First Show With New Lineup
Camille Bruya
A few weeks ago, Big Thief announced the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, citing only vague “interpersonal reasons.” That’s a huge change for a band that seems to communicate on a telepathic level, especially while onstage. Last night, a new Big Thief lineup headlined Portland’s Project Pabst festival. This was the group’s first show in nearly a year, and it was the world’s first glimpse of how they might sound going forward. Big Thief marked the occasion by playing a set that was almost entirely new material.
For Project Pabst, Big Thief had a five-person lineup, including a percussionist and a bassist who Adrianne Lenker reportedly introduced as “Justin.” People who were there report that the new songs sounded both jammier and heavier than some of their past music. Per Setlist.fm, the set included 14 songs, and 10 of them were live debuts. One of those songs was “Incomprehensible,” which Lenker debuted during her solo set at the Newport Folk Festival on Friday. The other nine, as far as we can tell, were entirely new. Below, check out some live videos and last night’s setlist.
