#peter lalish

Lucius – Brooklyn Steel – February 3, 2024

Lucius, celebrating 10 years since the release of their breakthrough Wildewoman album, arrived at a sold-out Brooklyn Steel Saturday night and so did nearly a couple thousand fans, some of the packed crowd clad in sparkly attire, some just feeling sparkly on the inside, all ready to help celebrate the best they could. The band, fronted by dual lead vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, was based in Brooklyn when the long-player was released, making the show a trip down memory lane in more ways than one. The album was more or less played straight through, opening with the title track, featuring clip-clop percussion, four-part harmonies, thumping bass and plenty of jubilant heys to get the audience stirring.

The first couple of songs featured red-and-blue-make-purple lighting and it seemed that the mixing of two primary colors to make a new palette of hues was a visual theme for the night, complementing the mixing of Wolfe and Laessig’s two voices to create a wealth of sonic hues. “Go Home” and “Until We Get There” were of the yellow + blue = organic green variety, both featuring slide guitar and slow-grow harmonies that drew in additional singing from across the room. Later in the set, “Dusty Trails,” featuring guest vocals from friend-of-the-band Louis Cato, found the stage bathed in a heartwarming orange. Ten years out, Lucius are experts at blending the folky elements and soulful elements, easily switching between the purple tambourine bounce of “Tempest” and the emerald single-microphone harmonies of “Housewarming,” a song that didn't make the final cut of the album but sounded right at home right in the middle of this live version. 

There wasn’t a ton of banter over the course of the night, but they made up for it by reading aloud letters that were left in a mailbox that had been stationed at the merch table for this tour. The notes were incredibly personal and touching and speak to the connection Lucius and Wildewoman have made with their fans over the past decade. Following this with a gorgeous rendition of My Morning Jacket’s “Wonderful” drove the emotional punch even deeper. The set closed with “Genevieve,” the lights a pure fiery red, the full band a singular force of dance-now rhythm. The show ended with an encore that found Lucius in the middle of the audience, the lights a joyous all-encompassing white, the band and their spectrum of fans indistinguishable, together singing, “So turn off the lights when you leave / ’Cause we’ve got everything we’re gonna need.” —A. Stein | @Neddyo

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