LUCIUS PLAY UPSTATE CONCERT HALL

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, in a world where there is so much horrific news coming at you from seemingly every aspect of life every day, seeing live music can heal the soul. Taking a few hours out of your night and going to a show really can help. Of course the level of musicianship you see can affect that as well, and right now Lucius are on the top of their game and still rising. Watching the five piece deliver their music to you is very cathartic, as they always give it their all no matter how many are in the room watching them.

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Lucius Van Shopping

The same can be said for Margaret Glaspy. Confession first though, this happened to be the third time I saw her in a month’s time. She opened up for the Milk Carton Kids with a solo set and it was hauntingly beautiful, which was then followed by a performance at Bonnaroo with a backing band that opened up her songs even more so. She had the band with her again for this show and it was phenomenal. Margaret just released a new album in early June and she played a good portion of it to the welcoming crowd. There could have been some more guitar solos, as she’s a great guitarist, but the focus was more on being a cohesive band on this evening. She is definitely an artist to pay attention to at the moment and should have plenty of opportunities to continue to wow audiences down the road.

Margaret Glaspy

Lucius has always been a sight to see and it’s a pleasure to watch them do it in front of larger crowds now. From sets a small clubs in New York to big festival gigs at Governor’s Ball and Bonnaroo, they always have the crowd in the palm of their hands. The five piece band is ridiculously tight, seemingly hitting each note perfectly. They showcased many of the new songs off their latest record Good Grief, and they sound fantastic in the live setting. These songs were meant to be played for audiences to hear and sing along to.

Lucius

About half way through the show Holly and Jess sang “Almighty” in the middle of the crowd. Going into the crowd is nothing new for the band, but it was nice to see them keeping the tradition alive. From there Holly and Jess made a great speech about everything going on in the world today and how we need to look out and love one another. With them sitting on the stage talking about Orlando and other events happening in the world, it was a moment to all be in a room together full of love and have people embrace one another in these hard times. Following this moment was one of those you had to be there moments as the crowd overtook Holly and Jess on the vocals of “Go Home”, and all they could do was smile. A surprising reappearance of Margaret Glaspy for a cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” started the encores off and a rousing “Genevieve” closed out the night. They will be back in New York City at Summerstage in September and you should probably make sure you’re there.