On a scorching evening at the Moody Amphitheater, Empire of the Sun commanded the stage with their signature production and captivating soundtrack.
Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic pop duo, consisting of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore. The two have been making music together since the early 2000s. The first single they released was “Walking on a Dream,” which peaked at number 10 on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart. Their stage presence is known for being very over the top thanks to the giant metal headpieces Steele wears and the elaborate set design. Years back, Littlemore stopped performing with the band live and stuck to writing and producing for the band.
Touring and performing live alongside Luke Steele are musicians Nicholas Semrad (keyboard/synth), Ian Ball (guitar), and Olly Peacock (drums). They are also joined by two dancers who remained anonymous the entire show, wearing intricate masks the entire night. Early this year, Empire of the Sun released their latest album titled Ask That God. They followed that with the release of an EP of the same title but with remixes of select songs from the original album.
Opening for Empire of the Sun is another electronic duo, Roi Turbo. Roi Turbo consists of two brothers, Benjamin and Conor McCarthy. They are from South Africa, and their music draws lots of influence from African disco and psychedelic electronic funk. In April, the duo released their second EP titled Bazooka. During their set, they performed songs like “Hyper League” (2022) and “Volcano Cigarette Shop” (2023).
At about 9:15 PM, Empire of the Sun’s concert began with a bang. Their introduction video lit up the back LED screen, showing lightning striking while wind swept across the crowd. The suspenseful opening was visually powerful and set up the show for the night. After Steele, his band, and dancers came onto the stage, they opened with “Changes,” the opening track from their most recent album release. Steele was dressed in his kabuto headpiece and war paint. They kept the beat lively by following with “The Feeling You Get,” another track from the new album. The stage was designed with boulders and a giant blow-up head and hand that corresponded with the graphics on the LED screen behind them.Following this was the fan favorite “Half Mast,” which was sampled by the late rapper Mac Miller on his song “The Spins” (2010). The set was broken into five sections, each involving an extravagant costume change. The next few acts featured songs such as “DNA” from Ice On the Dune (2013) and “High and Low” from Two Vines (2016). After performing the iconic “Walking on a Dream,” everyone left the stage. After chants of “encore,” they returned to a roar across the crowd. When “Standing on the Shore” began to play, the energy throughout the audience intensified. Empire of the Sun closed their set with “Alive” (2013).
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ROI TURBO
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