Show Review: Andrew Bird with the Central Texas Philharmonic @ Bass Concert Hall (9.17.25)
You know that feeling like slipping into an old favorite pair of jeans after a wash, familiar, but just a little different. You know the fit, the feel, and the comfort. But there’s a stiffness and a strangeness. And then slowly the fabric gives, and you remember why you loved them in the first place. That’s what it felt like stepping into the cavernous Bass Concert Hall on the UT campus to see Andrew Bird perform his 2005 LP The Mysterious Production of Eggs with the Central Texas Philharmonic in its entirety.
From the moment I entered, something shifted in me and my fellow audience members. Time seemed to stretch like a tight fabric, making space for the music to fully arrive. Andrew Bird has long been one of my favorite performers and the “Eggs” album has lived with me and so many other fans for years. So when I heard he was doing a limited orchestral tour to mark its 20th anniversary, I knew I couldn’t miss it. Only a handful of cities so far were lucky enough to host this reinterpretation, and Austin was one of them.
Earlier in the year, Bird had already joined us a performance with Madison Cunningham for Hi, How Are You Day, where they played their duet Cunningham Bird. That show was intimate, raw, and simply joyful in its own right. But this night this was something else entirely, tonight was all about Eggs.
As the lights dimmed and the orchestra settled in, a hush fell over the hall. Then, with the first stroke of a bow, the transformation began with a Antonin Dvořk number. This wasn’t just a concert. It was a kind of exhale, a release into something both known and yet newly discovered. Under the baton of Jacomo Bairos of the Nu Deco Ensemble and with arrangements by Nathan Thatcher, the album unfolded like a rediscovered manuscript.
The album opener Sovay arrived like a whisper, the orchestra weaving through its quiet spaces, revealing corners never noticed before. Bird’s guitar and the winds danced in delicate counterpoint, in soft conversation. In sparser moments, such as in A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left, the orchestra receded, leaving Bird’s voice and violin suspended in silence. Every pause felt intentional, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
Masterfade was one of my highlights, slow and deliberate swell, and the orchestra adding a gravity that made Bird’s whistling feel even more piercing and precise. Opposite Day served as the final song of the first set, its playful nature left the audience wanton for more.
The second set started off with a Ravel suite, which Bird stated was his favorite composer. It was a beautiful reminder of just how truly gifted he is given his classical chops. Another highlight was The Happy Birthday Song that truly felt like it was made for this moment. The mundanity of the theme, but with the vast ensemble was perfectly tongue in cheek.
Overall, there wasn’t one grand crescendo, but rather a series of smaller, climaxes. And when the final notes of Happy Birthday faded Bird looked out into the audience, gave a small shrug, and said, “Well, that’s the album, folks.” It was understated and funny, a subtle release after the emotional arc wed just traveled. Of everyone, Bird seemed the most relieved. This only being the second show on the tour, it was clear there were some jitters. But he’s simply a pro.
But the night wasn’t over. The encore opened a new chapter. Three White Horses, and Pulaski at Night arrived with a familiar energy, but transformed. The latter truly gorgeous with this treatment. Lastly, Weather Systems floated in as a solo number, and we rose up to the clouds and then gently landed place to land after a vast journey.
As I stepped out into the warm Austin night, the music was still echoing in my mind, I realized this wasn’t just simply nostalgia. Bird had reframed himself. The songs I thought I knew felt bigger yet more fragile. They breathed with new life. If this orchestral tour comes your way, don’t hesitate. Let Andrew Bird reintroduce you to his own songs, still in their original bones, but now alive with new air. Stunning performance.
Sketch and photos by jon.wagner @jwagnerviz