Empire of the Sun
Webster Hall // New York, NY // June 8th, 2019
Photos and review by Jess Williams
On Saturday night, electro-pop band Empire of the Sun played their third and final sold out show at New York City’s iconic Webster Hall. As doors opened, fans poured into the great hall and began to claim their spaces throughout the venue. The best thing about Empire of the Sun shows is that the band puts on a killer performance no matter where you are throughout the venue. There will always be a great view.
Opening act, The Invisible DJ took the stage around 8. Or should I say… didn’t take the stage because the whole point of the opening act was that it was simply just a playlist that Luke Steele, lead vocalist of Empire of the Sun, curated to play throughout the venue during the hour prior to the start of the show. The music was successful in getting the crowd amped for the show and just as fans started the Empire of the Sun chants, the lights went dark.
Suddenly, an LED screen at the back of the stage lit up. Scenes of outer space blasted across the stage and a deep, ominous voice began talking about the emperor, getting fans pumped for the arrival of Luke. First the dancers took the stage, climbing the stairs to the platform just beneath the LED screen, then Luke followed. He took his spot on the center of the platform and looked out into the crowd. From where we were standing, Luke was nothing but a silhouette but as soon as “Standing On The Shore” began, the lights erupted throughout the venue.
The energy started off with a band and didn’t dissipate for a second throughout the evening as Empire of the Sun played songs to celebrate a decade of their debut album, Walking On A Dream. The band played songs both new and old as well, including fan favorites “Walking On A Dream” and “Alive” as well as the romantic duet that Luke performed with the LED character on the screen during “Without You.”
The explosions of pyro coming from all angles of the stage, combined with the laser beams that shot out throughout the venue left fans with a mesmerizing light show and a fantastic performance on Empire of the Sun’s part. No matter how many times I see the band perform, I am always blown away and in awe of their talent, ability and stage presence.
