Tindersticks played Sony Hall and Big Ears on first North American tour in 16 years (pics, setlists, video)

Tindersticks’ lush, frayed elegance was on full display at the first shows of their first two in a decade and a half

Mar 31, 2025 - 20:06

Tindersticks played Sony Hall and Big Ears on first North American tour in 16 years (pics, setlists, video)

It’s been a long time coming but Tindersticks are finally back in North America for their first tour here in 16 years. Frontman Stuart Staples told the crowd at Knoxville’s Tennessee Theatre on Sunday that Big Ears Festival founder/programmer Ashley Capps had been trying to get them there for nearly that long, and that they were very glad to be there.

Tindersticks’ lineup has changed a lot over the 30+ years, with Staples being the only constant, but his quality control is clearly very high. The current iteration of the group, which includes drummer Earl Harvin (The The, Seal), are fantastic and sounded amazing at their performance on the final day of Big Ears. They are a band who really shouldn’t perform in the day, but in the gorgeous setting of the historic Tennessee Theatre, they turned 3 PM into a midnight set: moody, darkly romantic, and glowing from their signature frayed elegance.

Their Big Ears set was heavy on newer material, including seven songs from last year’s great Soft Tissue, but they peppered it with a few vintage tunes as well (“Willow,” “The Bough Bends”). The Soft Tissue songs, warm and soulful, were the highlights of the show. I did wish we’d gotten something off the first two albums, like “Marbles,” but the sound, the lighting and Staples’ voice were so spot-on I really have no complaints.

OK, one complaint. Big Ears is a festival known for one-of-a-kind collaborations, and there were certainly no shortage of talented musicians in Knoxville over the weekend, so I was disappointed that they didn’t have a brass section, as the horns are such a big part of Soft Tissue. It didn’t stop “Nancy,” “Always a Stranger,” and “New World” from sending shivers down my spine on Sunday, though.

Tindersticks’ two headline shows at Sony Hall had considerably longer sets than at Big Ears, though both were nearly identical save for one song (3/27 had “Show Me Everything” while 3/28 had “Pinky in the Daylight”). Check out photos from Sony Hall by Ben Stas, plus fan-shot video and setlists below.

Tindersticks’ tour continues on Tuesday (4/1) in Montreal and from there hits Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

Tindersticks (photo by Ben Stas)

SETLIST: Tindersticks @ Big Ears 3/30/2025
Trees Fall
Falling, the Light
Nancy
Second Chance Man
Lady With the Braid
Willow
The Bough Bends
Always a Stranger
The Secret of Breathing
Turned My Back
Don’t Walk, Run
New World
For the Beauty

SETLIST: Tindersticks at Sony Hall 3/28/2025
How He Entered
A Night So Still
Trees Fall
Falling, the Light
Nancy
Second Chance Man
Lady With the Braid
Willow
The Bough Bends
Medicine
Always a Stranger
The Secret of Breathing
Turned My Back
Don’t Walk, Run
Slippin’ Shoes
New World

Encore:
Stars at Noon
Pinky in the Daylight
For the Beauty

SETLIST: Tindersticks at Sony Hall 3/27/2025
How He Entered
A Night So Still
Trees Fall
Falling, the Light
Nancy
Second Chance Man
Lady With the Braid
Willow
The Bough Bends
Medicine
Always a Stranger
The Secret of Breathing
Turned My Back
Don’t Walk, Run
Slippin’ Shoes
New World

Encore:
Stars at Noon
Show Me Everything
For the Beauty