Lucy Dacus | via Matador Records
Lucy Dacus released a “Dancing In The Dark” cover for Bruce Springsteen’s birthday and it is pretty much perfect
Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has spent 2019 releasing periodic one-off singles, and while most have been themed around holidays — a cover of Édith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose” for Valentine’s Day, the sentimental original “My Mother and I” for Mother’s Day, the stirring “Forever Half Mast” for Memorial Day — today’s entry is not tied to any day of observance in particular. Or maybe it’s an argument that Bruce Springsteen‘s birthday should be a national holiday, or at least a state holiday in New Jersey that’s observed in Philadelphia and New York City?
In any case, Dacus has taken the occasion (Springsteen turns 70 on September 23rd) to record her rendition of “Dancing In The Dark,” one of his very best songs (cheesy 80s production on Born in The U.S.A. nothwithstanding), and it more than holds its own alongside other stellar renditions of the song in recent years by Hurray for the Riff Raff and Ted Leo. The strength in this song are the lyrics, some of Bruce Springsteen’s most vulnerable and introspective, reflecting on identity, self-worth, and feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, and Dacus delivers them with conviction while her band builds the energy with some legit rock and roll rumble.
Listen to “Dancing in the Dark” below, along with a few other covers for The Boss’ b’day, and find Dacus’ 2019 tour dates…which sadly do not include any local appearances at the moment, but we’ve got our fingers crossed that something very cool from her and the band is on the horizon in Philly.
Tour Dates
Thursday, September 12 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH ##
Saturday, September 14 Grand Point North Festival, Burlington, VT
Sunday, September 15 Ottawa Cityfolk Festival, Ottawa, ONT
Monday, September 16 L’Astral, Montreal , QC ##
Tuesday, September 17 Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ONT ##
Thursday, September 19 El Club, Detroit, MI ##
Friday, September 20 Mr Small’s, Pittsburgh, PA ##
Saturday, September 21 Bristol Rhythm & Roots, Bristol, TN
Wednesday, October 9 Headliner’s, Louisville, KY !
Thursday, October 10 Park West, Chicago, IL !
Friday, October 11 Majestic, Madison, WI !
Saturday, October 12 Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN !
Monday, October 14 Slowdown, Omaha, NE !
Wednesday, October 16 The Rialto , Bozeman, MT !
Thursday October 17 Top Hat Lounge, Missoula, MT !
Friday October 18 The Olympic, Boise, ID !
Saturday October 19 The Bartlett, Spokane, WA !
Monday October 21 Hollywood Theatre, Vancouver, BC !
Tuesday October 22 Neumo’s, Seattle, WA !
Wednesday October 23 Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR !
Friday October 25 August Hall, San Francisco, CA !
Saturday October 26 Teregram Theater, Los Angeles, CA !
Monday October 28 Belly Up<, San Diego, CA !
Tuesday October 29 Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ !
Friday, November 1 Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO !
Monday, November 4 Delmar Hall, St Louis, MO !
Tuesday, November 5 Woodward Theatre, Cincinnati, OH !
Wednesday, November 6 Covenant Fine Arts Center, Grand Rapids, MI
Sunday, November 17 Corona Capital Festival, Mexico City MX
Wednesday, December 4 Royale, Boston, MA*
Thursday, December 5 Webster Hall New York, NY*
Saturday, December 7 9:30 Club, Washington, DC*
## w/ Quinn Christopherson
! w/ Liza Anne
* w/ Hayley Hendrix