Back when bands were still showing up in late-night talk-show studios to perform, Big Thief were one of the best out there — a group who could somehow conjure small-club intimacy and intensity for television cameras. In the pandemic era, Adrienne Lenker is turning out to be a pretty special TV performer on her own, too. Last year, Lenker released her twin solo albums songs and instrumentals. Earlier this year, she was on Colbert to play a lovely version of “anything.” And last night, Lenker did a powerful version of “dragon eyes” on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.

Big Thief won a Grammy last year, and they’re up for another one this weekend. Big Thief also debuted the new song “Simulation Swarm” on Instagram last month. But on Fallon, Lenker’s focus was elsewhere. With the camera in tight on her, she did “dragon eyes” completely by herself, with one mic for both her voice and her guitar. She was fully in it. Watch the performance below.

songs and instrumentals are both out now on 4AD. I would like to believe that Lenker named “dragon eyes” after a 2012 straight-to-DVD action movie that had Cung Le and Jean-Claude Van Damme and Peter Weller in it. You ever see that movie? Pretty good!