by Daniela Trajtman //
You could feel it in the crowd, an audience that was both giddy and reverent, filled with people who had followed this Brooklyn band from tiny rooms and backyard shows to one of New York’s most storied venues. The stage setup was simple: soft amber light, a few instruments, and the open air above.
Big Thief performed at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on October 25, the New York City stop of their Somersault Slide 360 tour. The show spotlighted their new album Double Infinity, released in September, and featured all of the record’s collaborators on stage for the first time. The venue was full, the weather was clear, and the atmosphere felt calm before the band even appeared.
They began with “Change,” that tender, looping song that instantly slows your heartbeat. Adrianne Lenker’s voice floated through the early autumn air, thin but magnetic, like she was singing to each person one by one. Big Thief’s shows have always had that strange intimacy: thousands of people gathered in near silence, collectively holding their breath between verses. Buck Meek’s guitar lines shimmered and tangled around Lenker’s, while James Krivchenia anchored everything with understated precision. The opening stretch: “Change,” “Vampire Empire,” and “Simulation Swarm,” established the tone for the rest of the night.
After a few songs, Lenker mentioned that they would perform Double Infinity in its entirety and introduced the collaborators from the album. The group expanded to include violin, pedal steel, and a few additional singers, like Laraaji, and percussionists. The change was immediate. The band felt complete. “Los Angeles” and “All Night All Day” gained clarity with the added instrumentation, and “Double Infinity” itself had more depth live than on the recording. This album was meant to be listened to live. The expanded lineup gave each song a stronger pulse, and the arrangements avoided overcomplication. The guests blended in naturally, emphasizing how the record was built through collaboration rather than layering.
“Grandmother” was the center of the night. It started with Lenker alone on acoustic guitar before the band joined quietly, building toward a subtle peak that never turned loud. It’s rare to see a band this big still play like they are discovering the songs as they go. The restraint drew the audience in; people stayed silent until the final chord ended.
The encore shifted the pace. Lenker returned with “Forgive the Dream,” dedicated to her mom, then the rest of the band joined for “Not” and “Masterpiece.” The contrast between the new material and the older songs was clear. “Not” felt sharper than usual, with Krivchenia driving the tempo harder than earlier in the set, and “Masterpiece” served as a familiar closing point that finally brought everyone to their feet. The encore reminded the audience how much range the group has developed since their early years.
Across the full show, the communication on stage remained constant. Lenker and Meek exchanged short looks before transitions, and Krivchenia adjusted his playing to match the pace of the larger ensemble. The new musicians seemed fully integrated, not just part of a temporary lineup.
Big Thief’s Forest Hills concert presented Double Infinity as a live document rather than a studio recreation. The inclusion of collaborators turned what could have been a standard album tour stop into something more complete. It was a clear, organized performance that favored precision and consistency over energy or volume. The band approached the material with discipline, and the audience followed their lead. Walking out of Forest Hills, I overheard someone say, “It felt like we were in a forest, not Queens,” and that captured it exactly.