Lotus kicks off 2027 at the Bottleneck, its first Lawrence show since 2010

The livetronica band opens a 17-date winter run on Jan. 21 in the same room it last played here more than 16 years ago, with Moon Hooch's Michael Wilbur in support.

The last time Lotus played Lawrence was Nov. 9, 2010, at the Bottleneck. The band's next show here is in the same room, and it's also the first night of their year.

Lotus plays the Bottleneck on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027, opening a 17-date winter tour, according to the band's announcement as covered by Relix and Jambands. Michael Wilbur of Moon Hooch is supporting on every headline date except Feb. 9 in Santa Fe, so Lawrence gets him. Tickets went on sale Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. local time through the Bottleneck's ticketing partner, Etix.

From Lawrence, the run goes to two nights at Cervantes' in Denver on Jan. 22 and 23, then through the Midwest, the West Coast and Texas, and ends at The Heights Theater in Houston on Feb. 13. That makes 737 New Hampshire the first stop on the whole tour. Opening nights bring nerves, fresh setlists and a band that hasn't settled into habits yet. That's not a bad first show back after 16 years.

A lot has changed since 2010. Lotus started out as a band formed at Goshen College in Indiana in 1998 and became one of the steadiest acts in the jam-meets-electronic world. The biggest change came in 2023, when drummer Chuck Morris died. The band's eleventh studio album, *How to Dream in Color*, came out July 11, 2024, as their first studio record since his death. They framed it as a tribute to him. It's mostly instrumental, with vocals on a few of its 12 tracks. Instead of tracking live in the studio as on earlier records, the band built it up in layers, collage-style, according to Grateful Web. "How Do I Come Down" led it off. Anyone who knows the band only from the 2000s and early 2010s will hear the difference.

The room is part of the appeal. The Bottleneck holds about 350 people, which is small for a band that plays rooms like Cervantes' the very next night. Lotus can fill a dance floor much bigger than this one, so this is a chance to see them up close.

As for Wilbur, Moon Hooch is the horn-driven dance trio. Expect his set to get the crowd moving before Lotus even starts.

Practical details: the Bottleneck lists doors at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m. Tickets have been on sale for almost two weeks, so buy through the venue's Etix link rather than a marketplace.

Sixteen years is a long time to wait for a band to come back to a 350-capacity room. A Thursday in January isn't usually a big night, but this one's worth getting a babysitter for.

Sources: Relix: Lotus Confirms 2027 Tour Dates With Michael Wilbur (relix.com); Jambands: Lotus Confirm Initial 2027 Dates (jambands.com); Lotus — Music (band history) (freeswim.lotusvibes.com); Relix: Lotus Preview Forthcoming Album 'How to Dream in Color' (relix.com); Grateful Web: Lotus Announces Forthcoming Studio Album 'How to Dream in Color' (gratefulweb.com); The Bottleneck (thebottlenecklive.com); Moon Hooch - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.com)