Alt-country sextet Lucero brought a boozy swagger and a healthy dose of Memphis soul to the Bluebird Theater for two sold-out shows last weekend in support of its latest record, “Women & Work.”
The album treads similar territory to previous releases but with noticeably better production quality. While earlier records like “Nobody’s Darlings,” “Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers,” and “1372 Overton Park” showed the band’s grittier side, “Women & Work” is brighter, more coherent and, frankly, more fun.
While fan favorites “Chain Link Fence” and the Jawbreakers cover “Kiss the Bottle” had longtime fans cheering, it was the newer material, especially “On My Way Downtown” and its instantly recognizable guitar hook, that drew the biggest responses of the evening.
Larry and His Flask kicked off the night with a set of ferocious, take-no-prisoners punk/bluegrass songs that would have been more at home at CBGB than at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The band danced and played with such abandon that members literally rained sweat into the beers of fans in the front row.
In terms of energy, it was a tough act to follow. Even Lucero frontman Ben Nichols joked he and the guys were just “too damn old” to do that every night, a sly nod to longtime fans who may have very likely witnessed the younger, rowdier Nichols get too drunk to play a show.
Not that Lucero didn’t find a way to have a good time. The band took full advantage of its extended stay in Denver, playing acoustic sets at Illegal Pete’s and Twist & Shout. The members even tipped a few pre-show beers back at the Goosetown Tavern with a group of fans. Ryan Johnson
