Lucy Dacus Dazzles New York City Fans On Her ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ Tour

It’s remarkable how Lucy Dacus’ career trajectory has changed in almost a decade. In June 2016, the same year she released her debut LP No Burden, the indie singer-songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, played a very modest-sized stage at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn, New York. Afterward, with each subsequent record and steady touring, Dacus built up critical acclaim for her exquisite alto singing and heartfelt music about the complicated and tender moments of love and relationships.

Fast forward to the present, and Dacus’ fame has grown exponentially as a member of the popular supergroup boygenius (with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker), which culminated in their hugely popular 2022 debut album The Record, which racked up three Grammy Awards for the trio.

Dacus has recently released her first solo album in four years, Forever Is a Feeling, another fine notch in her belt. In a recent Newsweek interview, she said of that album. “I’m not obsessed with the stories of my past. What really interests me right now is my present moment. It’s primarily about love and what love means and how it functions in my life and society.”

The album’s lush atmospherics and cinematic sound translated quite well on stage during Dacus’ appearance Thursday at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, for the second of two sold-out shows. This venue was much larger and housed a bigger crowd in contrast to her 2016 show at the now-defunct Rough Trade NYC location in Brooklyn—further proof of Dacus’ growing fan base. Another example of how far she had come is the stage backdrop, which was modeled after a museum gallery with electronic screens shaped like hanging picture frames.

Despite all the bells and whistles of being on a legendary stage and with an elaborate stage setup, Dacus kept the focus on the music and the results were spellbinding. Accompanied by ber ace band, she performed a majority of the songs from Forever Is a Feeling—among them “Best Guess,” “Ankles,” “Talk,” “For Keeps,” “Modigliani” and “Limerence,” the latter sounding more heartbreakingly beautiful live than it was on the record. Some of Dacus’ old favorites were sprinkled into the set, including “VBS,” “Hot & Heavy” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore.”

A highlight during her New York City run was the surprise appearance of the Irish singer Hozier, who duetted with Dacus on the song “Bullseye,” reprising his role from the studio version of sht song that appeared on Forever Is a Feeling. Hozier didn’t make a return for the Thursday show, but the artist jasmine.4.t, one of the opening acts for Dacus’ shows on the tour (the other being MUNA’s Katie Gavin), ably filled in for him.

After performing the tear-jerking songs from Forever Is a Feeling — “Lost Time” and the title track — Dacus and her band returned to the stage for the encore. That included a performance of the song “Bus Back to Richmond,” which has not yet been released on record; the boygenius song “True Blue” and “Night Shift from Dacus’ second album Historian.

Dacus had the crowd in her pocket and expressed genuine affection towards the fans in between songs. In turn, the fans reciprocated their love towards the singer not only by cheering with passionate fervor but also by singing the words to the songs. For those who have followed Dacus since the beginning of her career 10 years ago, this Radio City appearance felt like a well-deserved victory lap for an artist who has consistently stayed true to her musical vision.

Setlist:

Hot & Heavy

Ankles

Big Deal

Modigliani

Limerence

Best Guess

First Time

VBS

Talk

Nonbeliever

For Keeps

Partner in Crime

I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore

Bullseye (with jasmine.4.t)

Most Wanted Man

Lost Time

Forever Is a Feeling

Encore:

Bus Back to Richmond

True Blue (boygenius song)

Night Shift