Concert Review: Lucy Dacus – Tuning Fork April 4, 2019

American indie rocker Lucy Dacus made her New Zealand performing debut last night at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, finding an audience ready to revel in her songs.

“I know that there’s the internet, but I still don’t understand how y’all are here!”

It’s a long way from Richmond, Virginia to Auckland, New Zealand and Lucy Dacus seemed genuinely surprised that her music was able to reach this far around the globe.

But yet, The Tuning Fork was near capacity with fans young and old in attendance to get their first impression of the young singer-songwriter in the flesh.

And, to no one’s surprise, she did impress.

After a warmup set from local musician, Being, Dacus took to the stage on her own, starting the show with a brand new song, asking audience member to please not record the unreleased tune.

Ostensibly titled Fool’s Gold, the song addresses the issue of responsibility and blame…”You’ll blame the alcohol and you’ll blame the full moon”.

Then the members of Dacus’ band made their appearance. They include long-time collaborator and  guitarist Jacob Blizzard, drummer Ricardo Lagomasino and Dominic Angelella on bass.

The quartet immediately launched into Addictions… the first of four tunes in a row from Dacus’ acclaimed second album, Historian. The band’s sound is meatier, with a tougher edge than one might expect from listening to the record.

Lucy prefaced Yours & Mine by stating that “the US sucks” and “fuck Trump”.

That was the extent of her political commentary. The remainder of the evening was dedicated to more interpersonal topics.

After Green Eyes, Red Face, from debut album, No Burden, Dacus segued directly into La Vie En Rose, the Edith Piaf classic she recorded last Easter.

But the show’s centrepiece was the 7-minute version of Pillar Of Truth, a slow building tune that gave guitarist Blizzard a chance to make a big noise.

With the energy level raised and the crowd fully engaged, Lucy and the band wrapped up the set with I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore and then, perhaps her finest song to date, Night Shift. The crowd seemed to think so as they sang along with the chorus…”You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift”.

By then, the connection between artist and audience was complete.

For the encore it was just Lucy and Jacob on Historians, a slow burner in which Blizzard managed to make his guitar sound like a church organ.

Finally, the show wrapped with another new song. “I don’t condone violence”, she prefaced this song by saying. Possibly titled, I Would Kill Him, the song seethes with intensity as the singer aims her anger at the abusive father of her partner, as they meet for an uncomfortable reunion after years of estrangement.

It’s an indication of just how much Lucy Dacus is growing as a songwriter and evidence that her next album will be something to look forward to, as will her return to New Zealand.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Trevor Villers:

Lucy Dacus set list:

1. Fool’s Gold
2. Addictions
3. The Shell
4. Nonbeliever
5. Yours & Mine
6. Green Eyes, Red Face
7. La Vie En Rose
8. Pillar Of Truth
9. I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore
10. Night Shift
11. Historians
12. I Would Kill Him

Click here to listen to, or read, the 13^th Floor interview with Lucy Dacus.