Now Reading: Big Ears Days 3 & 4: Flying Lotus, SML, Laurie Anderson, Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles, MJ Lenderman, Perfume Genius, more
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Big Ears Days 3 & 4: Flying Lotus, SML, Laurie Anderson, Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles, MJ Lenderman, Perfume Genius, more
Big Ears Days 3 & 4: Flying Lotus, SML, Laurie Anderson, Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles, MJ Lenderman, Perfume Genius, more
What t-shirts people are wearing tells you a lot about it. In Knoxville this past weekend during Big Ears, I spotted a few Stereolab and a couple Kraftwerk shirts, but what I saw most were Big Ears t-shirts from past years. As much as individual acts are a draw, it’s Big Ears itself — its wild eclecticism, its one-of-a-kind collaborations, its unique spirit — that has made people fans of the festival and the prospect of catching a performance that might never happen again.
For all the big names who played this year — David Byrne, Robert Plant, Pat Metheny, MJ Lenderman — it’s the surprises that stick with you. One of the hottest tickets was LA group SML (Small Medium Large), who had a three-night residency at The Greyhound, a disused bus station that was about as close to a DIY warehouse rave space as Big Ears will ever get. The group, who have released two albums on International Anthem, have only played a dozen or so shows in their existence, despite being a band that thrives on live interplay and improvisation. Every set starts with some improv playing, which Jeremiah Chiu then manipulates with a suitcase full of modular synths, samplers, effects, and enough brightly colored wires that you wonder how they get it all on a plane. SML are part jazz, part rave, and a whole lot of jam. You could feel the excitement in the room on Saturday night — I overheard one fan say he’d bought a pass to Big Ears just to see them. There were times during the set when it all just took off, and seeing them in the round was a real kick — the band, which includes bassist Anna Butterss (Phoebe Bridgers, Flea), really worked as a single organism — but there were other moments where it felt like they were pushing against the jam crowd that has embraced them. If they ever decide to really go for it and tour, they will be big.
The Greyhound was my favorite venue of Big Ears 2026, and I stopped by any time there was a lull. I caught an early set from Sō Percussion, where one kid bounced up and down for their entire set and was singled out by the band — “can you come on tour with us?” they joked. As nice as places like NYC’s Kaufman Center, where these four mallet-wielding musicians often play, are, it was clear a former bus station is a much more ideal setting for what they do. I also stopped by on Sunday for a six-hour “Lou Reed Drones” performance that featured a half-circle of amps turned all the way up, each with a plugged-in guitar leaning against it. Most people had their fingers in their ears.
Sō Percussion played again on Sunday as part of a much larger ensemble at The Mill & Mine for a set of Steve Reich compositions, which was fascinating to watch and listen to. That guy was there again, too, bouncing up and down for the entire set — maybe he has gone on tour with them now.
The Mill & Mine is Big Ears’ big indie venue, which on Saturday featured everything from Perfume Genius’ high-drama rock to a collaborative improv set from Thurston Moore and Shabaka Hutchings, to the 3D sensory overload that was Flying Lotus’ set, which nearly everyone I saw at SML made time for as well.
I also made time for Winged Wheel, the indie rock collective that includes Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, Fred Thomas (Tyvek), Whitney Johnson (Matchess), Cory Plump (Spray Paint), and Matthew J. Rolin. Their set at sports bar Barley’s was captivating from the first minutes, when they were playing mostly just shaker eggs, but their music would grow and undulate and hypnotize with motorik beats and drony jams. I would’ve been happy just to stay there but I had one more stop to make on Saturday
Having been shut out of John Zorn’s Masada I on Friday, I was determined to catch Masada II on Saturday night at midnight, which closed out the jazz innovator’s two-day takeover of the Bijou Theatre. It was a real treat watching Zorn, Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen, and Joey Baron play, their palpable chemistry still fully intact. Their set flew by.
I was out way too late on Saturday, so Sunday started a little slow, and catching Anna Tivel and her band at the Jig & Reel was the perfect way to ease into the final day of Big Ears. From there I headed to The Point, one of a few churches that double as venues during the fest, to see UK singer-songwriter Richard Dawson. “I am not a folk singer,” he told the very appreciative crowd, “which is why I’m opening with an a cappella English folk standard.” Dawson is hard to pigeonhole — his music can be proggy or loud, and he’s got a voice that sounds a little like Robert Wyatt, which adds to his mossy vibe. He was a little under the weather, apologizing to the people in the front row, but his voice and playing were in fine form.
Another big name treat: Laurie Anderson & Sexmob at the Knoxville Civic Center. It was a lot like her talk What War Is This? What Time Is It? that I caught the day before at the Tennessee Theatre, except with lots more music. You don’t need me to tell you what a unique force Anderson is — funny, thoughtful, still wildly creative at 78 — but if you have a chance to see her perform with the large, talented band that is Sexmob, you shouldn’t pass it up.
I would’ve stayed for all of Laurie’s set, but I had to hoof it across town (I walked about 35 miles between Thursday and Sunday) to catch the last set of the night: Low’s Alan Sparhawk with bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles at The Mill & Mine. They were transcendent, even better than their very good collaborative 2025 album, and you could tell that Sparhawk’s weird streak — which helped give us Low’s final two albums — had rubbed off just a little on Trampled by Turtles, while he clearly reveled in the band’s musicianship. At one point Sparhawk took it all in and let it flow through his body, dancing like there was no tomorrow (and looking a little like Thom Yorke while doing so). Their version of Low’s “Days Like This” was definitely one of my single favorite moments of the fest.
Other acts I caught the last two days: Afro-jazz legends Cymande, Sons of Kemet / The Smile drummer Tom Skinner leading his own ensemble, minimalist composer Charlemagne Palestine, tropicalia-mathrock artist Mei Semones, and Nels Cline’s Lovers playing with The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra.
Did I mention the guy doing an entire set of Autechre songs on acoustic guitar? I can’t say “only at Big Ears,” as Shane Parish released an album of Autechre songs too, but it’s probably the only place where there was a line of 50 people trying to get in after it reached capacity. Big Ears is its own kind of strange magic, and it’s discovering something like that that makes you want to come back next year — and buy a t-shirt.
Read my write-up of Big Ears Day 1 & 2 here.
Check out photos from Day 3 & 4 below.
