On Wednesday, July 22, the Hudson Valley welcomed Lucy Dacus to Kingston. The show was one of the last in the final leg of the Forever Is a Feeling Tour, named after the 2025 album. Dacus, who is also one third of the supergroup sensation Boygenius, The Ulster Performing Arts Center hosted Dacus, with opener Smidley, for a night of catharsis in the heart of Ulster County.

To some, Kingston may seem like an unlikely place to host an artist of Dacus’ caliber. Dacus is also one third of the supergroup sensation Boygenius. She has performed in some of the country’s most renowned venues alongside bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. But, the Hudson Valley is actually a very fitting place for Dacus. Her alternative, yet folky and down-to-earth music fits in perfectly with the area.

Lucy Dacus at Ulster Performing Arts Center

Earlier in the day, members of the Kingston community planned events throughout the day for excited Lucy Dacus fans. Among these was a “Lucy Dacus Lookalike Contest” sponsored by the thrift store Rewind Kingston and hosted at West Kill Supply. The event also included a performance by the local artist Ginger Winn, who played a very fitting folky acoustic set. The winner of the lookalike contest even took home a gift card, tote bag, and some tomatoes. (An appropriate gift, given that Dacus’ most recent single is titled after the fruit).

At 8:00pm, opening artist Smidley entered the theater to set the tone for the night. The band is a side-project-now-turned-main-project featuring two members of the band Foxing, which went on hiatus in 2025. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Smidley is currently touring with Dacus to promote their debut album Murphy Horse, set to release in September. Toward the end of their set, Smidley performed the song “Capstone,” off the upcoming album, a song that coincidentally features Lucy Dacus. Dacus entered the stage, performed her part of the song, and promptly exited to prepare for her own set. Smidley’s performance left a lasting energy in the room that carried throughout the night.

Smidley at Ulster Performing Arts Center

Between sets, a representative of the venue stepped on stage to announce some upcoming events and initiatives sponsored by their parent organization, Bardavon Presents. One of these is the Dinner and a Show program, where concertgoers are encouraged to donate to fight hunger in the region. (Hence the name—you enjoy a show, and donate a dinner.) Bardavon Presents is a leading advocate for the arts in the Hudson Valley, providing the education and space needed for young people to engage in music, theater, and art.

Dacus took the stage sharply at 9:10, entering during a snippet of “Calliope Prelude.” First on the setlist was the 2021 song “Hot and Heavy,” a nostalgic track about reflecting on one’s past self. She later played the recently released single “Planting Tomatoes,” which has already proven to be a hit among fans.

After a handful of songs, an elegant gold and blue couch was brought to the stage. Dacus sat and urged the audience to sit as well, to play the next few slower songs, starting with “For Keeps.” Dacus also welcomed back Smidley’s Conor Murphy to the stage, to sing the duet “Bullseye,” which originally features Hozier.

The couch was removed and Dacus grabbed her guitar once again, to play the more upbeat “Brando” and the heartfelt “Best Guess.” To end the main portion of the set, Dacus closed with the album’s title track, “Forever is a Feeling.”

After exiting the stage for about ten whole seconds, Dacus and the band returned. She then explained that she doesn’t really understand the social concept of pretending to leave before an encore. She closed with two more songs, first playing “True Blue,” a Boygenius fan favorite that features Dacus on lead vocals. And, as any good Lucy Dacus show should end, she closed the evening with “Night Shift,” for which she gave the crowd permission to stand and scream as loud as they wanted.

All in all, Lucy Dacus’s highly anticipated Kingston show was an overwhelming success. The Hudson Valley has always been a great place to engage in the arts. Luckily, it seems that more and more artists have the region on their radar. After a show as incredible as this, there is much to look forward to for what’s next to come.

Setlist: Hot & Heavy, First time, Ankles, Nonbeliever, Planting Tomatoes, Partner in Crime, Talk, Limerance, Big Deal, For Keeps, Christine, Bullseye (with Conor Murphy of Smidley), Brando, Best Guess, Triple Dog Dare, True Blue, Night Shift