The lights of Roadrunner Boston illuminated the album cover of pop band Lucius’ Second Nature, released on April 8, on the backdrop of the stage as fans slowly filled the venue. Lucius drew a predominantly older crowd, many of which stood back and cradled their drinks while waiting for the singing duo to enter the stage.
Roadrunner showed off its polished stage and sparkling lights for the concert, only having opened its doors in March. The mood within Roadrunner was at times lackluster, but at others, it was heartfelt.
Lucius explored the tracks of Second Nature and stayed in the moment throughout the performance. The large-capacity venue, on the other hand, created a disconnect with the audience that did not match this more intimate show.
Indie pop singer Charlie Hickey opened for the pop band, serenading the crowd with songs about middle school and nostalgia for his youth. Hickey humbly thanked and introduced Lucius, but it was nearly another half hour before the main act made its appearance on Roadrunner’s stage.
Lucius made its dramatic entrance to cheering fans, singing the title track to Second Nature. The audience sang along to the chorus with enthusiasm while the band, consisting of drummer Dan Molad and guitarist Peter Lalish, supported the two lead singers, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, with exhilarating beats. Wolfe and Laessig wore complementary sparkly, black, feathered outfits, glistening against the stage lights.
After the opening track, Lucius immediately led into “Next to Normal,” featuring touring member Solomon Dorsey’s strong bass backing.
“Feel immortal / I’m high without the paranoia / When I’m close to you I’m next to normal,” Wolfe and Laessig sang.
Stage lighting flickered in mesmerizing kaleidoscopic colors that melded with Lucius’ music. In “Next to Normal,” the two lead singers both played white keytars, continuing with the matching theme of their outfits.
Over the course of the concert, both Wolfe and Laessing demonstrated the range of their musical abilities by each playing an array of identical instruments laid symmetrically across the stage.
The rest of the concert proved these two introductory songs as the sole crowd favorites, as the audience did not reflect back the energy that was on stage. While Lucius passionately rang out its hits, the audience replied with a strange stillness. Still, the band continued routinely throughout its set.
Lucius continued to perform the tracks of its new album, including “Promises,” in which the lyrics tackle living in denial and the search for honesty. In between the track list, the band also reverted back to old songs, such as “Tempest,” from Lucius’ first studio album Wildewoman. The song echoed its chorus within the venue.
“You gotta believe me when I say I know / You aren’t riding on this wave alone / Gotta believe me when I say I know,” the duo sang.
Lucius then sang “The Man I’ll Never Find,” a slow song from Second Nature, about the determination to find love. After the audience swayed to Wolfe and Laessig’s harmonies, the two paused the show to connect with their fans.
“This is exactly what we’ve been missing,” Wolfe said, “And we hope that we’re giving you an ounce of that.”
Throughout the show, among the sincere applause from fans were loud heckles from audience members that continuously fazed the two singers and disrupted their trains of thought.
When the singers paused to talk about being together for 17 years, heckles from the audience reverberated audibly throughout the silent venue. these heckles were heard clearly by much of the audience in the silent venue. The two singers awkwardly entertained these disruptions, as they attempted to continue with their story.
Loud conversation also would ensue in between songs. These intermissions were the result of the band having to sometimes change or readjust instruments, creating awkward pauses in the set.
During the second half of the concert, Wolfe prompted the audience to sing along to “Dusty Trails,” which she noted reminded her of being away from her fans and her home.
“It’s just interesting, because as you grow and learn and have wisdom, the words to your songs take on different shapes and hold different meanings,” Laessig said.
