I haven’t Jammed in a long while; in fact, I haven’t posted in a spell. But in the midst of being swallowed up by the obligations of real life over the past few months, I’ve still managed to not let live music slip out of my life. For this week’s Traffic Jam — a sporadic, several-things-at-once catchup on what I’ve been listening to and otherwise absorbing in the world of music — here are a couple of recaps of notable shows.

Cam @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater (taping), June 2
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cam places a sizable emphasis on onstage storytelling. British music presenter Bob Harris once referred to country music as “the home of the song,” a moniker that brings to mind the sort of traditional-sounding, down-to-Earth compositions that this single-named songwriter (born Camaron Ochs) has made the centerpiece of a successful country career. While breeze-shooting and backstories aren’t uncommon during “Austin City Limits” tapings, every or nearly every song Cam offered during her taping for season 51 was prefaced with a story of its origin or inspiration.

The “VH1 Storytellers”-type approach worked because Cam — known of late for her songwriting contributions to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter — has an engaging way of making personal experiences and thoughts seem worth the time she spends talking about them. And the performances themselves pleasantly delivered as well — even if “Diane,” Cam’s well-wrought inversion of Dolly’s classic “Jolene,” apparently wasn’t up to her standards on the first try, prompting her to lead her band through it again in the encore. Other offerings such as her 2015 hit “Burning House” also effectively bared her soul while avoiding both the grating twang that sinks so much pop-country. Musical chops, charm and a sharp-enough edge were all in evidence, likely leading to a good watch once Cam’s ACL TV debut finally airs.

Lucy Dacus @ Moody Amphitheater, May 10
Of the three boygeniuses, Dacus is the one whose music I have the least affinity for. But that’s really only because somebody’s gotta be last — she and boygenius bandmates Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers all boast plentiful talent and songwriting voices with a proven ability to compel. With this show on a perfect night at Waterloo Park, Dacus became the first of the three that I’ve seen live, and she exceeded expectations by offering the right helpings of both intimacy and bigness.

Opening strong with “Hot & Heavy,” one of the benchmarks of her career, Lucy and her band quickly established that they had the goods to both drive hard through the likes of “First Time” and “Nonbeliever” and to dial down into a different atmosphere for “Limerence.” For the latter — a piano ballad about thoughts of romantic cheating that also has to the prettiest song ever to invoke Grand Theft Auto — Dacus took a seat, which she would do again on an ornate, old-timey blue couch for the show’s cozy midsection. Some of the band’s best performances of the night happened with Dacus on the couch, from the lonesome pedal steel-mimicking violin of “For Keeps” to bandmates sitting down around her for an intimate-quintet feel on “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore.”

Dacus’ encore covered all the bases for fans of all things Lucy, wrapping up with the boygenius standout “True Blue” and her own career-defining (thus far) breakup epic “Night Shift.” Throughout her time onstage, Dacus’ presence mirrored the demeanor and tone of her songwriting — vulnerable, real and warmly in command.