Brooklyn based indie pop band Lucius have been selling out shows left and right on their latest tour. They recently hit the stage at the Independent in San Francisco and the crowd went wild. From the moment the lights flickered from white to a dramatic red hue the audience swooned over the quintet. Enthusiastically the crowd exhaled lyrics while keeping their bodies in motion to the beat. In-between songs, the words, “I love you Lucius!” would float across the room.
Lucius consists of Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Dan Molad, Peter Lalish and Andrew Burri. The fashion alone will make you fall in love with Lucius. Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig are absolute dolls. Between the girls haircuts, eyeliner, and the imagery on the groups latest album, Wildewoman, it is obvious that Lucius has a real love for the mod culture.
Wolfe and Laessig are songbirds front and center. It is possible that their vocal chords were made for each other. They harmonize beautifully in a 1960s, ass kicking, girl group kind of way. When they could take what they are doing to a very bubblegum place they turn it around to something a bit rougher which demands attention. The experience seems very light and dancy, but the lyrics are far from sugar-coated. Wax poetic songs are arranged full of honest love and heartbreak keeping the mood on solid ground.
The quintet made great use of keyboards, maracas, and for one song a saw was played. Pieces of drums spread throughout the stage kept the energy high as band members bounced from piece to piece. At one point the guitarist leaped from the stage landing into the sea of people. He was caught by ecstatic onlookers and then skimmed the room, being passed from person to person, before being returned safely back to the stage.
The set ended and it was only natural for the audience to called for an encore. Hope for Lucius to return was nearly lost people began to shuffle out into the streets calling it a night. To the lagging fans delight, the band returned to perform a few more songs smack dab in the middle of the venue. A circle formed, camera phones were out and active as Lucius seranated their admireiors. Before anyone was fully able to grasp the magic happening before their eyes, a guitar peeped up above the tops of the remaining heads and Lucius vanished. It was a very personable way to close out the show. The band’s website is http://www.iLoveLucius.com and it turns out now we know why.
Just incase you didn’t make it to the show here is a little peek at what you missed.