Lucy Dacus, indie singer-songwriter stopped in New Haven, Connecticut for one of the first dates of her fall tour on Sept. 30. She has teased that new music is on its way and that this would be the last tour in support of her 2021 album “Home Video,” making attendance mandatory for anyone wanting to hear the record live.

I got to College Street Music Hall a few minutes before the opening act Crooks and Nannies started playing. A stop at the Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill booth is crucial to any night at College St, so that’s where I began my night.

After grabbing an order of chips and guacamole, I made my way to my favorite spot in the venue – to the left of the sound booth and in front of the merch table. Highlights from Crooks and Nannies’ set included their new single “control” and the fan favorite “Crying at the Dog Park” off their 2016 album “Ugly Laugh.”

In between sets, I got to stop at the merch table. I picked up a “Lucy Dacus: Music For Hot People” t-shirt that will undoubtedly become part of my weekly rotation of concert shirts for months to come. 

I also grabbed a sticker pack that included Lucy-themed designs based on the “I Love Lucy” logo, the band Hatebreed’s logo, and a classic vintage diner. Other gems from the merch collection included a design based on Paris Hilton’s “Dump Him” tee, a “Lucy Loves Me, Dads Fear Me” fishing hat and some super cute tote bags. 

Dacus hit the stage just after 9 p.m., but before she did, she ran an announcement through the venue reminding everyone to wear their masks and welcomed two people to the stage for an indigenous land acknowledgment. I really admired both of these choices, since artists are so often ridiculed for standing up for what they believe in – she wasn’t afraid to make her beliefs known and to make herself (and others) feel safe and respected.

Throughout the night, Lucy always made sure that the crowd felt like the venue was a safe space, from when she opened with “Triple Dog Dare” until the very end of the night. Towards the end of the set, she asked the crowd if anyone in attendance was gay, and was met with nearly everyone in the room cheering – it was one of the most welcoming concert environments I’ve ever been in. 

My favorite moment from the set was finally getting to hear “Hot & Heavy” live after listening to it non-stop for over a year. Lucy took a fan’s BeReal photo for the day right after this song which was pretty cool too.

She also took requests from the audience, playing fan favorites “Cartwheel” and “Yours & Mine.” What I really loved about this performance was that, even though almost all of “Home Video” was played, the older songs weren’t forgotten about, and everyone got to sing along to “Addictions” off of 2018’s “Historian” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” from 2016’s “No Burden.”

Towards the end of the night, Lucy covered Cher’s “Believe” before leading the crowd in a sing-along of her most popular song, “Night Shift,” which went viral on TikTok a few months ago. She closed the show with a cover of Carole King’s “Home Again” and an unreleased song that she asked the audience not to record – trust me, it was amazing.

At WQAQ, we’re super excited to be revamping some old partnerships and starting new ones with local venues, one of those being with College St Music Hall – huge thanks to them for allowing us to cover this show! Keep an eye on our website and social media platforms for more information on upcoming shows, reviews and photo galleries of past concerts, and ticket giveaways for some of your favorite artists!