Judah & The Lion Concert Review: Trust the Process

Some shows start with a bang. Judah & The Lion’s concert at House of Blues Boston on Oct. 17 was different. As the lights dimmed, a calm wash of white light illuminated the stage, and a spotlight glowed behind the figure of Judah Akers, the group’s lead singer, as he softly crooned the lyrics of their 2024 song “DENIAL.”

Soon, the band dialed up the energy by transitioning into a more driving song, “Quarter-Life Crisis.” This oscillation between the somber and the dynamic defined Judah & The Lion’s entire set. The show centered around the band’s newest record, “The Process,” which thematically cycles through the five stages of grief. Judah & The Lion took Boston on an emotional tour through the highs and lows of life — and reminded the audience that every part of life’s processes are worth sticking around for.

For the most part, the group accentuated its performance with a simple ring of stage lights, but they occasionally used visuals to signify the different segments of “The Process.” After the band performed “DENIAL” and “ANGER,” for example, the word “bargaining” was projected behind the group in simple cursive to nod to the next step of the grieving process. Beyond these projections, though, the stage was kept quite bare. Certain songs seemed to be associated with primary colors, but otherwise, the spotlights were kept white. Akers spun in circles, jumped around the stage, and led the audience’s singing like an orchestra conductor, providing most of the night’s visual excitement.

Certain songs seemed to be associated with primary colors, but otherwise, the spotlights were kept white. By Courtesy of Hannah E. Gadway

While the setlist focused on the group’s newer sound, its performance harkened back to band’s past. Over the last few years, the band has been pared down to only two of its original members: Brian Macdonald on guitar, keyboard, and backing vocals, and Akers on guitar and leading vocals. This duo alone created “The Process.” To some fans’ delight, though, Nate Zuercher — one of the band’s original members and a talented mandolin and banjo player — has joined the group’s current tour. Zuercher’s onstage presence brought a low-key vibe that balanced out Akers’s and Macdonald’s more crowd-focused and energetic performances, while also adding a note of nostalgia to the show.

Akers punctured the deluge of music to occasionally dole out hopeful messages to the audience. “The Process,” besides dealing with grief, tackles Akers’s recent divorce and struggles with mental health. Akers addressed his music’s serious subject matter multiple times and expressed a love for performing his songs in Boston, where he said that “people feel passionately.” After performing two of the night’s most melancholy tracks, “DEPRESSION” and “Why Did You Run?,” Akers added that he was “effing proud” of the crowd for getting through personal difficulties and being able to enjoy music together. These asides made the night feel more personal, as if every song was addressed to the Boston audience.

Not every moment was so serious, though, and the show ended the cycle of grief with, of course, “ACCEPTANCE,” as well as the group’s most popular single, “Take It All Back.” The show’s latter half displayed Judah & The Lion’s range, as well as the power of music to help us get through tough times.

Judah & The Lion’s live performances are a comforting reminder that we are all in this journey of life together, even though it may seem our struggles are singular. The group’s performance at House of Blues combined the duo’s new sound with figures of their past, giving the overall the sense that sometimes it’s best to just sit back and trust the process.

—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.