Adrianne Lenker shares intimate, raw performance at State Theatre

Adrianne Lenker performing at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 29, 2024.Steven Cohen for MPR

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July 01, 2024

Downtown Minneapolis during Pride was undeniably bustling. But across the street from the Saloon, a queer club with bass-heavy pop music booming out of its speakers, more than 2,000 people sat quietly in the State Theatre. We were staring at one person with an acoustic guitar: Adrianne Lenker, frontwoman of folk-rock band Big Thief, as well as a prolific songwriter in her own right. On Saturday, the first of two nights, the sold-out room included no lighting effects, visuals, props (except for two blue lava lamps), or backing instrumentation. Still, the poetic lyricism and emotional complexity of Lenker’s songs filled the space.

“I love Adrianne’s songs. They’re healing, aren’t they?” opener Staci Foster said. Foster doesn’t have much of an online presence: You can find her music is on Bandcamp, which only includes a self-titled album from 2013. Sitting on stage with an acoustic guitar and harmonica holder around her neck, the folk musician shared simple, nature-filled stories of visiting her late grandfather in the Blue Ridge Mountains in West Virginia, kissing someone alongside the Guadalupe river next to fireflies, and harvesting strawberries.

Foster is deeply sincere. In a tale about a city boy who says he doesn’t like country girls, she can’t hide she’s a country girl through and through. Speaking lovingly about Lenker, who is her partner, Foster said, “She’s just a really, really cool person. Good heart,” with a hint of accent from her home state of Texas. “Her family’s beautiful. Every single one of them.”

Lenker, who grew up in Minneapolis and its suburbs, spoke fondly of the area. “So many memories here,” she told the crowd. “Biking in the winter around the city and watching the snow fall on the street lamps and all the very wonderful cafes unique to this place. You don’t find ones like them in other places.” She doesn’t disdain the weather, either: “I love the winter here. I have grandparents who get disappointed if it’s not cold or snowy enough.”

A few songs throughout the night touched on the hometown energy. One was a cover of Lucinda Williams’ “Minneapolis,” a song Lenker loved before she met and befriended Williams. “Open up this wound again / Let my blood flow red and thin / Into the glistening / Into the whiteness / Into the melting snow of Minneapolis,” she sang with melancholy in her voice. Another, and more lively, was Big Thief’s “Cattails,” with the undeniable Minnesota reference, “Going back home to the Great Lakes / Where the cattail sways / With the lonesome loon.”

The setlist was evenly split between Lenker’s work as the artist who leads Big Thief and her solo work. Since 2018, the singer has released four commendable albums, in addition to three with Big Thief. Only two songs, “Vampire Empire” and “Sadness As a Gift,” came from her most recent release, Bright Future. (Big Thief has played the former for years, and Lenker recorded a scrappier version for Bright Future).

The heartbreaking words of “Sadness As a Gift” hit like a stab to the chest. “There is no such thing as loving without letting go also, because we have to, necessarily, because we have no choice. It leaves,” she said when talking about the song with The Current’s Ayisha Jaffer in March. “So the sadness that we feel from the passing of something, it's a direct indicator of how much love there was.”

A person onstage addresses an audience — Adrianne Lenker performing at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Steven Cohen for MPR

Lenker’s performance setup was just as fragile as her words. Without band members to back her up, a few falters were clear. While playing “Happiness,” an unreleased Big Thief track, Lenker said, “I forgot the chords here.” She admitted she had never played “Forgotten Eyes” solo, then forgot a line. With the words memorized, the crowd sang them for her. These mishaps didn’t seem like major embarrassing moments, just casual blips in the intimate setting.

The show included some quirky bits and warm humor, too. Lenker replaced the opening soft swoons of “Simulation Swarm” with sped-up, stop-and-start strums to make the crowd laugh. She welcomed her younger brother, Noah, on stage to play jaw harp to the twangy “Spud Infinity.” After he did a little improv with the boing-ing instrument, the elder Lenker giggled, saying: “This is going to change tempo y’all.”

What never wavered was the rich texture of Lenker’s voice. The combination of vocal grit and gentleness ensured none of her poetic depictions of grief, solitude, or trauma could sound cheesy or cliche. In a murmured tone she sang: “And your dearest fantasy / Is to grow a baby in me / I could be a good mother / And I wanna be your wife / So I hold you to my knife / And I steal your letter.” When she added “not a lot, just forever,” It rippled waves of chills through the room.

Sometimes Pride is loud: sparkly rainbow outfits, shots, and seductive dancing. Other times it’s quiet: a musician telling intimate stories about queer lovers, heartbreak, and self-affirmation, resulting in a standing ovation from an audience. It’s all beautiful.

Adrianne Lenker