Welcome to the second edition of Moose on the Loose, U92’s concert recap series! This time, the Moose has already broken the rules of this panel and traveled farther than the greater Morgantown area, instead making his way back to my home in the greater Philadelphia area (go Birds!) to see the beloved folk singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker.
Lenker is the lead vocalist of the indie folk rock band, Big Thief, which, in large part due to her songwriting, has gained widespread critical acclaim. Additionally, Adrianne Lenker has a solo career that strips back Big Thief’s usual sound for some of the decade’s most memorable acoustic ballads. Her 2020 pandemic double album ‘songs and instrumentals’ has become a fan-favorite, which she has followed up with this year’s ‘Bright Future’ – an album with more folk and country influences recently in U92 rotation.
The November 25, 2024 show that I attended was the first of two sold out nights in Philadelphia that ended the ‘Bright Future’ World Tour at Union Transfer – a historical 1,200 cap general admission venue that many locals know as the place that opened in the former site of the Spaghetti Warehouse. While you wouldn’t realize this upon arrival, it makes the large lobby, big red doors, and rustic architecture make all the more sense. A balcony lines the general admission pit, and even standing in the very back of the hall, you never feel far from the artist.
Opening the show was South Dakota singer-songwriter Suzanne Vallie, and her performance set the precedent for Lenker’s act. Vallie sat to the stage’s far left with a single spotlight illuminating herself and a keyboard, narrating each song with her earnest, no-frills vocals. Like Lenker, she has led an exploratory life across America and was filled with stories from living on the Great Plains and Pacific Coast. As a first-time listener, I enjoyed her 2020 album’s title track “Love Lives Where Rule Dies” as well as “Ocean Cliff Drive.”
Shortly after, Adrianne Lenker took the stage, and I knew this show was going to be unlike any other I had attended. Immediately after walking out, an audience member in the front row handed her flowers, which she graciously accepted. Before a stagehand came to put them in water, she remarked that if that could not happen, she loves dried flowers too. This was the first of many testaments to Lenker’s genuine appreciation for the community and honesty present in live music.
Accompanying Lenker on vocals and acoustic guitar were Josefin Runsteen on violin and Nick Hakim on piano, which was exposed and facing the audience so you could see each mallet hit the strings. This instrumentation underneath Adrianne’s vocals made for a staggeringly beautiful take on the recorded songs, many of which are just Lenker and the acoustic guitar. That latter arrangement had its breathtaking moments, as well. It was exceptional to realize that all of the complex acoustic work you hear in Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief’s music is done solely by Lenker. Watching her perform the Big Thief song “The Only Place” and seeing the sheer amount of finger movement as she leapt across strings of the guitar will stick with me for a long time. I know that it is a cliche across concerts to say that “the artist sounds better live,” but I quickly realized that the difference between Adrianne Lenker’s live performance and recorded music is indistinguishable.
The audience/artist relationship at Lenker’s concert may have been the most unique element about it. Normally at shows, there is somewhat of a hierarchy in this dynamic; the audience comes and pays to watch a performer they idolize. However, this ladder was very noticeably absent to me at Adrianne Lenker’s show. It felt as if she came to perform WITH us, not FOR us. She had a sold out show, but I know that the level of passion in her performance would have been the same if it was just herself and her band. The audience responded aptly, standing on the same floor as shows that normally have thunderous applause and mosh pits in complete silence watching this once-in-a-generational songwriter. (Union Transfer was definitely a strange venue choice; most of the other tour stops were seated!) Crowd members sang along, but they were literally able to “read the room” and did so when it felt communal and natural – mostly during fan favorites. People echoed the anger in the climax of “Vampire Empire,” remembered the pleasantries of life during “Free Treasure,” and reflected the lullaby nature of her most popular solo song – as well as my personal favorite of hers – when singing along to “anything.”
Transitioning between songs, Adrianne Lenker was far from polished in a refreshingly honest way. She took a break to bandage what she deemed the “first broken nail of the tour” and said that if her B-string sounded funny, that was why (it sounded perfect). Practically every song required a new guitar tuning, and Lenker commented on the potentially awkward length of this meticulous process. She observed the difference between arriving at a new destination by plane and by car. By plane, you leave in one place, and you are rather jarringly transported to another. When driving, you see the gradual transition between cultures and landscapes and understand your arrival. That’s why she tunes her guitar – to show the path between songs.
Adrianne Lenker’s performance was a celebration of the process of songwriting and the joys present within. While these Philadelphia dates marked the last of the ‘Bright Future’ world tour, she keeps busy between her solo career and Big Thief; her newest single released November 22. I am grateful that Lenker’s stop at Union Transfer aligned with my visit home for Thanksgiving, and I would certainly recommend seeing her if you are given the chance.
Also, the Philadelphian in me always recommends a midnight cheesesteak after a show.