It was 1997 and I was browsing an AOL message board(ack! remember those?!) about music, when I came across a post about Radiohead. A woman on the other end of the screen implored me to go listen to them, pronto. I’d read about them, and heard the song, “Creep,” but that was it. She told me that “OK Computer” had just been released and I had to hear it. As soon as I could, I hopped into my Subaru and went to Barnes & Noble(the closest thing I had to a record store in the suburbs of CT). I found a listening station, and pressed play.
Within moments, I was smitten. As the first song, Airbag, says “I am born again…” That’s how I felt discovering Radiohead. It was a transformative moment for me, and for my musical life. The music of Radiohead has become a layer of my life, tucked in between singer songwriters like Dylan and ethereal crooners like Jeff Buckley.
Since that day, I’ve seen them 4 times and recently saw Thom Yorke, solo. Every show has been beautiful, more than just music, they felt like an art piece that I had the privilege of being immersed in. Their songs have been the backdrop for some wondrous times in my life, and for this I am grateful.
If you had asked me two years if I thought any other band could come close to their place in my heart, I would have said no. And then I heard Big Thief, thanks to the folks at KEXP . The first time I heard them I didn’t have quite the transformative moment I did with Radiohead, but it was close. I bought “Capacity” and listened to it over and over again. Then Adrianne Lenker released a solo record, and the band put out “U.F.O.F” and “Two Hands,” within a 2 year span All of it, every song, had my attention. I could sink into it, allow myself to get wrapped in her thready, beautiful voice. The lyrics feeling more like poetry than a song. The feeling of it, darkly romantic, stark, but at the same time, incredibly full on an emotional level.
I missed the chance to see them last year, but made sure to grab tickets for the show at the Crystal Ballroom. I don’t really care for the venue, as the sound quality isn’t good, but I still blissed out when they played “Shark Smile” and “Not.” The crowd seemed equally happy as they cranked through one beautiful song after another.
I suspect Big Thief will remain with me as a soulful favorite as the years pass, tucking itself into my perennial playlist along with Radiohead. They’ll be a backdrop for tender moments, for sweetness and in the end, maybe even as I shift over into the ether and join forces with the stars.
Everything's A Song 