Big Thief Play Unreleased Triple Album Horsepower in Full at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium

At Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Saturday, August 23, Big Thief set aside the expected setlist and played their new triple album, Horsepower, from beginning to end. The show had the markers of something different before a note was played: no opener, signs requesting no phones, and a stage arranged for a much larger ensemble than the core trio of Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia.

Lenker told the crowd early that familiar songs would not be part of the night. The album was presented over two sets with an intermission, performed mostly seated around a wooden table. The musicians remained in place for nearly the entire show. Guests included Iris DeMent, Gillian Welch, and Lucinda Williams, placing the performance inside the Americana and roots tradition the band has long drawn from.

Horsepower was recorded in Nashville last May, though Big Thief did not confirm the studio. Lenker noted that much of the material has already existed live in different forms. “Sadness Is a Gift” previously appeared on her solo album Bright Future, while other songs like “Happiness” and “Muscle Memory” have surfaced onstage over time. DeMent’s early appearance carried particular weight: Lenker has said she and Meek bonded over DeMent’s music when they first met.

The Ryman show framed Horsepower less as a rollout than as a working document, expanded and rearranged with collaborators who shaped its sound. It was a deliberate exercise in patience, and a clear signal that the album’s eventual release will not arrive as a simple collection of new tracks.