This past Monday was my third time covering a Dean Lewis show, and my second time seeing him at Boston’s Royale. He always puts on a great show, and this night was no exception. Lewis is currently on tour promoting his latest album, The Epilogue, which was released this past fall, and which Lewis described as his “entire life in an album” in a Facebook post promoting its release. The Epilogue has Lewis reflecting on his relationship with his music and success as a musician — for better or worse. Many of the songs go back to his acoustic roots, and Boston got to see live renditions of many of these new songs, along with Lewis’ older material and greatest hits.
Lewis opened the set with the first song off the newest album, “Empire,” which touches on his lost relationship with one of his best friends, partially as a result of his musical success. “Memories,” also played early on in the set, details this same lost relationship, which clearly has had a deep impact on Lewis in his life and songwriting. The next song, “7 Minutes,” Lewis told the audience was about both the “best and worst dates” he ever went on, lightening the mood slightly for a little while. A few lucky fans at the front of the audience got to hold the microphone for Lewis while he sang “Cold,” after which he took a moment to look around at all of the signs that fans had brought with them. Another lucky fan had a sign asking Lewis to sing “28” with her, which he did, for a chorus.
The audience’s flashlights came up for the next song, “Hurtless,” which also gave us a gorgeous violin solo by Lewis’ talented band member Jenny McCullagh. A couple songs later, the energy picked up when Lewis launched into a cover of “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams, to which the Boston audience knew every word. Lewis, who is from Australia, complimented their singing, telling them, “I love your accents!” multiple times. Of course, he made sure that “Waves” and “How Do I Say Goodbye” were on the setlist, along with a cover of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, which has become such a staple on his setlist that he is releasing a studio version of it on the deluxe version of The Epilogue coming out later this summer. He brought out supporting act Henry Moodie to help him with the cover, and both artists absolutely did the song justice.
After a brief exit from the stage, Lewis returned for the single song encore of “Be Alright” before thanking the audience and ensuring they knew they would see him again soon. The Epilogue World Tour continues throughout the US and Canada until the end of May before Lewis heads to Europe to play some summer festivals. If you’re looking for a beautiful emotional rollercoaster soundtracked by powerful vocals and vulnerable lyrics, a Dean Lewis show is just where you belong.
GALLERY: Dean Lewis at Royale in Boston (April 14, 2025)
