Lucius performs at The Vic in Chicago on Jan. 27, 2024.
Lucius was originally formed in 2007 by lead vocalists/songwriters Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig who were school friends at Berklee College of Music and ultimately moved to Brooklyn, NY. They self released their first album, Songs From the Bromley House in 2009, a biographical ode to their Brooklyn home (a Victorian mansion complete with its own recording studio and vintage pianos). Quickly during this time the band grew up from just the pair of singers to a quintet. Along with this growth came a distinct air of style and visual presence in a uniformly identical stage persona.
In an interview with Pitchfork in 2016 Wolfe stated, “There was a good while at the beginning of our musical partnership where we were uncomfortable onstage, and the moment we started dressing alike, there was a moment of relief,…It’s like a uniform. We’re an automatic unit the moment we get dressed.”
The band caught some attention with their self-titled EP on numerous TV shows in 2012 to build the audience’s excitement for their debut album, Wildewoman on Mom+Pop Music in 2013. The band’s momentum has done nothing but grow with two additional albums and consistently collaborating with other musicians and building a strong fan base on the road.
Lucius performs at The Vic in Chicago on Jan. 27, 2024.
Along the way the duo have always styled their band creating color palettes generally based on the mood and sounds of the music they’re creating. It has been exciting to watch this aesthetic evolve this past decade and stay fresh and original.
That mutual love was clear and present on Saturday, Jan. 27 at The Vic when Lucius stopped through Chicago on their Wildewoman Anniversary tour. Many faithful fans made it out in the dreary weather donning their own Lucius-style outfits. It goes without saying how much the city has meant to both Laessig and Wolfe over the years as they recounted their stomping grounds of experiences at various venues.
The love was literally palpable as was the band’s passion to lay it all out on the stage. It was super difficult to leave the evening’s performance not smiling. I agree wholeheartedly with the band’s Instagram name I Love Lucius!
Check out photos from Lucius’ Jan. 27 performance at The Vic in Chicago below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information can be found at Ilovelucius.com.
(Photos and recap by Josh Darr)
