Live Review | Adrianne Lenker @ Bristol Beacon

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Adrianne Lenker took to the Beacon Hall for a wonderfully intimate and career-spanning set of solo and Big Thief material

When you listen to ‘Bright Future’, the new album from indie folk singer Adrianne Lenker, you might not imagine her playing in a 1,800 capacity concert hall. Instead, you might imagine yourself sitting by the fireplace in a cosy cabin living room, or the backroom of a lovely old pub. The songs are timeless, like found relics, and the album feels impossibly cosy.

Luckily for Lenker and support act/collaborator Nick Hakim, Bristol’s Beacon Hall was home to one of the most intimate and special performances I have ever experienced. The venue’s acoustics made every note and word sound softly sung just for you and it was the perfect advertisement of just how impressive the newly refurbished venue really is.

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As we were ushered to our seats, the crowd sat in complete silence for Nick Hakim’s performance, aided only by his piano, for several beautifully stripped back renditions of his work. Gone were the lo-fi drums, synths and guitars of his most recent album, leaving no room for anything but pure vulnerability.

With softly spoken interludes describing his lifelong friendship with Lenker, a connection between the us and the performers was made and was never broken for the rest of the night. A highlight was a cover of ‘My Mom’ by Chocolate Genius Incorporated, with Hakim’s jazzy piano arrangement perfectly complimenting the brutally sincere lyrics and story.

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When Adrianne took to the stage, she too looked vulnerable, sat in a small seat with her guitar, surrounded by the huge concert hall. We said it felt like being inside a musical instrument; she said it felt like being in a spaceship.

Lenker began her set with three Big Thief songs: ‘Sparrow’, ‘Pretty Things’ and ‘Orange’. These are not obvious choices and set the tone for the rest of the set. Her picks felt organic, not rigid, with a feeling that she was hand-picking each song specifically for us, for the venue and for what she was feeling right in that moment.

Throughout her career as vocalist for Big Thief, as well as her solo projects, Lenker has built arguably the most consistent catalogue in modern folk music, making each track a wonderful surprise, like bumping into an old friend on the street unexpectedly. She played every track at her own pace, taking time to pause and let some lyrics breathe for several seconds. The guitar sounded gorgeously warm, with every chord filling the room, while always sounding gentle.

Despite Lenker’s huge discography, we were even treated to some unreleased tracks, with the highlight being the incredibly wholesome and romantic ‘Cactus Practice’. Its lyrics are adorable and witty, proving just how funny Adrianne’s writing can be, as seen in other Big Thief tracks such as ‘Spud Infinity’. The crowd quietly laughed at each line, delivered softly by the smiling singer.

Lenker’s solo version of ‘Simulation Swarm’ was incredibly impressive, with the harmonics, slapping and rapid chord changes of the solo executed flawlessly. It is such a joy to see these wonderful songs in all sorts of different shapes and sizes.

The second half of the set was made even more lovely by the addition of Hakim on piano and Josefin Runsteen on violin; the trio’s chemistry was tangible, surely helped by their tight friendship and intimate collaboration on ‘Bright Future’. Together, they harmonised and fit together perfectly, never overshadowing Lenker, but instead choosing exactly when a piano flourish or violin sweep was truly necessary.

With “yet another version” of ‘Vampire Empire’ (Adrianne’s words), the devastating ‘Sadness As A Gift’ and fan favourite ‘anything’, the set was finished.

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Due to her complicated tunings, Lenker would often step on her tuner pedal where, as far as she was concerned, the sound would cut out for the crowd, before she pressed the pedal again and returned sound to the hall. In a moment of revelation half way through the gig, however, she realised that we could in fact hear every note, even when the guitar was not amplified.

Fascinated, she lifted her guitar away from the microphone, playing notes as softly as possible, and asked us if we could hear each one. Amazingly, for every note, the answer was yes. Adrianne Lenker said she could have carried on doing that all night and, in that special moment, in such a special venue, I really wouldn’t mind if she did.

Listen to ‘Bright Future’ here:

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