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McCarter Theatre presents Lucius - A History Worth Repeating

originally published: 01/25/2026

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre presents Lucius - A History Worth Repeating on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 8:00pm in the Matthews Theatre. Known for their engaging live performances and spell-binding harmonies, Grammy-nominated indie-pop band Lucius are a mesmerizing experience of mirrored kinship and honesty.

In 2025, the band released their fourth studio album, Lucius, which Rolling Stone called “the best album of their career.” Lucius' most personal and purposeful album to date explores relationships, motherhood, and life’s complexities with a unique vulnerability only made possible due to the familial nature of the band. The New Yorker praises, "The band’s new self-titled album reaches the pinnacle of a vibrant, harmonic enterprise," while Paste describes their sound as "girl-group revivalism, cosmic pop, and a kind of bicoastal harmonizing that once echoed through western canyons."

Lucius' self-titled record follows an impressive history of critically acclaimed full-length projects. Their debut, Wildewoman, introduced their signature dual lead vocals and retro charm. It was widely praised for the album’s throwback sound with NPR declaring it "perfect, magnetic pop music" Meanwhile, The Guardian called lead singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's voices “powerful … melding beautifully in harmony.

With the release of Good Grief in 2016, Lucius traded some of their folk roots for polished synth-pop. The band’s acclaimed 2022 record, Second Nature, marked a striking return, and was produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb. Released to overwhelming acclaim, the Los Angeles Times praised, “dazzling…Second Nature mines an ’80s-pop sound with lush synths and sleek disco grooves under the women’s laser-guided vocals,” while Relix proclaimed, “stunning…a 10-song, smart-pop masterpiece.” 

Tickets range from $35-$75 and are available for purchase online or by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787. McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.




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Throughout their acclaimed career, Lucius has performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, BBC’s Later! with Jools Holland, PBS' "Austin City Limits” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show”.

Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe are some of the most sought-after collaborators in popular music due to their “otherworldly” vocals (Los Angeles Times). The duo have recorded and performed with many artists including Joni Mitchell, Mumford and Sons, The National, Harry Styles, Ringo Starr, Ozzy Osborne, Sheryl Crow, and Brandi Carlile including appearances on the Grammy stage and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Lucius are Laessig, Wolfe, Dan Molad, and Peter Lalish.

One of the country’s leading nonprofit professional theatres, McCarter Theatre Center is a multidisciplinary creative and intellectual hub offering theater, music, dance, family programs, spoken word, and educational experiences for all ages. Located on the campus of Princeton University, McCarter inspires conversations, connections, and collaborations through a vibrant season of classic and contemporary plays, musicals, and special events, as well as robust community and education programs. To learn more about McCarter’s history, the 2025–26 season, and its community and education initiatives, visit mccarter.org.




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COLUMNS


Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 03/19/2026

"I do, "Floating on the Dreamline;" I'm a music professor at The University of Massachusetts in Lowell, I'm a musicologist by training, that's what my doctorate is in but I've been a singer songwriter in several different formats since I was a teenager," began Alan Williams as he talked about his latest release, a crisis in confidence and more. "So, all of these songs had been closest to my heart in terms of music making; I grew up in North Carolina in Asheville. When I grew up there, there was not a whole lot of music, art or any of the wonderful things that are there now so I was desperate to get out and now I'm kind of desperate to get back because it's such a lovely place on earth and there is such a vibrant music and arts scene there that it sort of calls back to home." 




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