Lucius: FUV Live At CMJ 2013

Next Tuesday, October 15, WFUV and The Alternate Side will host our own showcase, FUV Live at CMJ, at Rockwood Music Hall from 5-9pm. Our lineup of artists is eclectic and international in scope: Lucius, Claire, Saint Rich and James Bay. The entire showcase will be broadcast live on 90.7FM WFUV, streaming online too.

One band doesn't have to travel too far to the Lower East Side — Brooklyn's own Lucius. The FUV staff was enamored with Lucius' first self-titled EP, released last year, but we fell head over heels with the retro-leaning indie-pop quintet when they played Wilco's festival, Solid Sound 2013, this past June. Charismatic vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, drummer and producer Dan Molad (Wolfe's husband), guitarist Peter Lalish and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Burri pulled together a surprise pop-up show at MASS MoCA, one of the highlights of the weekend. Watch the band's glorious take on "Turn It Around" below.

In addition to admirers like Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Lucius has a very enthusiastic fan in New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who has blogged frequently about the Ditmas Park-based band.

Lucius releases its debut album, Wildewoman, on the same day of the FUV Live at CMJ showcase, October 15, on Mom + Pop Records. The album is streaming this week via WFUV and NPR Music.

FUV caught up with Lucius' Jess Wolfe — who also moonlights in the band San Fermin with Holly Laessig — and asked her what Lucius feels they might discover about themselves as a quintet at this year's CMJ.

"It's always interesting playing festivals like CMJ or SXSW," said Wolfe, "when you have minimal-to-no-time for soundcheck and your changeovers are rushed, but what's cool about it is that it forces you to reimagine your set up and your sounds. That can make for surprises — and when they're good ones, it makes for a most unique and memorable performance. Nothing can be overthought; it is all in the moment." 

And what fellow CMJ bands would they like to catch? "We live in New York," responded Wolfe, "so it's the perfect opportunity to see our friends Tall Tall Trees, Jennah Bell and White Denim."

FUV Live at CMJ is free to the public (first come, first served) and doors open at Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen Street, at 4:30pm. Set times are subject to change, but the preliminary lineup is listed below. 

FUV Live CMJ Showcase 2013:

5 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. EDT: Lucius
6 p.m. - 6:40 p.m. EDT: Saint Rich
7 p.m. - 7:40 p.m. EDT: James Bay
8 p.m. - 8:20 p.m. EDT: Claire

Funding for WFUV's ongoing coverage of live concerts and festivals comes from The Agnes Varis Trust, supporting affordable access to the arts, education and healthcare.