There are positives and pitfalls to be had by being bashful. On one hand, you don’t wear out your welcome. On the other, a lack of confidence can turn the room red with discomfort. Incidentally, Big Thief were asking for the softest blue lights they could in between many of the wonderful songs performed last night at the Cedar Cultural Center. Frontwoman Adrianne Lenker didn’t want to be underneath a spotlight of any intensity during her songs. As such, there was an awkward relationship between performer and back of house throughout much of the show.

Incidentally, none of this shyness translated to the performances themselves. After all, people don’t go out and see a band like Big Thief for the stage performance. They go to hear the songwriting. I only mention the strange banter and awkwardness because anything that upset the soft vulnerability of songs like “Mythological Beauty” was uncannily felt. That is to say, the folk rock sounds the band put out were a blanket of warmth. When they ended, it was as if someone had ripped the covers off.