Holly Laessig & Jess Wolfe of LUCIUS
The alluring frontwomen of Lucius and their opening band, The Cactus Blossoms, came by Belly Up this past weekend to soothe the souls of Solana Beach.
Matched, coupled, synced, paired… pick your prefered synonym, but regardless of what you choose, it would be an apt description of the night of duos at Belly Up on a smooth Saturday night. The Cactus Blossoms and Lucius both treated the crowd to two (sensing a theme?) different variations on a theme.
The Cactus Blossoms’ plane was late, and they played without doing a soundcheck, though you’d never know it listening to Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, brothers, play songs that would feel at home mid-dustbowl. The openers sounded like a Johnny Cash record played at half speed, remeniscent of a time before bands figured out they were allowed to play guitar quickly. But that backing sound was clearly designed to highlight the brothers’ voices, and their musical stories in the country music tradition.
LUCIUS
Lucius, fresh off of backing Pink Floyd at Oldchella, is on tour in support of sophomore album Good Grief. You’ve heard “Born Again Teen” and “Turn It Around” – both of which they treated the crown to on Saturday – but the frontwomen clearly had a blast playing through their favorites from the cataloge. They encouraged crowd participation three songs in during “Go Home,” but only one person took part, albeit vociferously, causing both of the normally composed Holly and Jess to lose it in laughter as the band played on behind them.
Lucius puts a conscious effort in to their aesthetic that goes with the music, and the matching outfits – overcoats with a pink third eye, and what I think were flamingos, coupled with the blonde Miley Cyrus-esque (or Street Fighter’s Chun Li, take your pick) pigtail buns created a visual designed to be as as powerful as the harmonizing voices captivating the crowd. They acheived their goal, leaving the crowd grooving and dancing, most of them with (you guessed it) their partners.