Big Thief offered fans a preview of their next musical chapter on August 22 2026. Big Thief turned Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium into a stage for the live debut of Horsepower a forthcoming triple album. Of mixing new songs with familiar favorites Big Thief performed the entire 29-song Horsepower project during a long three-hour show.
The surprise performance showed one of the signs of the size and ambition behind Horsepower. Frontwoman Adrianne Lenker reportedly told the audience that anyone hoping to hear songs they already knew would have to give up those expectations. The decision set the tone for a night devoted entirely to material that most of the audience had never heard before.
A Rare First Look at Horsepower
The Ryman Auditorium concert was not simply a preview of a few new songs. Big Thief played all 29 tracks from Horsepower although the songs were not performed in the order that Horsepower will appear in the release.
The approach gave the concert an arc. Of treating the performance like a normal album playback Big Thief gradually expanded the sound throughout the evening adding musicians and guests as the set progressed. Stereogum described the performance as a three-hour experience in which the stage steadily grew from a group into a much larger ensemble.
The result was especially fitting for a band known for letting songs evolve in ways. Than presenting Horsepower as a finished studio recording Big Thief introduced Horsepower as a living communal performance.
Big Thief Built the Show From the Ground Up
The concert began with Adrianne Lenker performing the title track, "Horsepower," alone with a guitar. From there the rest of Big Thief gradually entered, creating an expansion of the arrangements.
The instrumentation became richer as the performance continued. Pedal-steel players Russ Pahl and Greg Leisz joined Big Thief while fiddlers Hannah Read, Richard Bowden and Zosha Warpeha added another layer of texture.
The guest lineup grew further with appearances from acclaimed singer-songwriters Iris DeMent and Gillian Welch. DeMent joined Adrianne Lenker onstage. Stayed for much of the performance while Welch contributed vocals, banjo and tambourine.
This gradual buildup became one of the defining features of the night. Of bringing celebrated guests onstage for isolated cameos Big Thief incorporated them into an increasingly expansive ensemble.
A 29-Song Journey Through Unreleased Material
The full setlist offered a glimpse at the breadth of Horsepower. The songs moved between folk passages, spacious ballads, country-influenced arrangements and more energetic moments.
Among the songs performed were:
- "Horsepower"
- "Baby Honey Sweetheart Darlin'"
- "Wait A While"
- "Space And Time"
- "21"
- "Casual Touch"
- "Muscle Memory"
- "Highway"
- "Stay"
- "Carry"
- "Sadness As A Gift"
- " Love"
- "Where Will We Go"
- " World"
- "Faker"
- "Loneliest Boy"
- "Happiness"
- "Oldest"
- "Bright Future"
- " Powerful"
- "Avalanche, Hurricane"
- "Snail"
- "Spatchcock Chickenshit Bingo"
- "Trade Tomorrow"
- "6-7-8-9 Shes Fine"
- "These Are The Days"
- "No Matter What"
- "Born For Loving You"
- "Gift Pleasure Joy"
The complete performance was divided into two sets followed by an encore.
Some Songs Have Already Appeared in Different Forms
Although Horsepower is largely a project several of its songs are not completely unfamiliar to Big Thief followers.
“Carry". Space And Time " for example were performed earlier this year during a session for Belgium’s Radio 1. The title track has also existed in Big Thief’s live set for longer while "Sadness As A Gift" appeared on Adrianne Lenker’s 2024 solo album Bright Future.
That history makes Horsepower particularly intriguing. Some songs appear to have developed over years before finding a home, within the triple-album project suggesting that such
