Going to concerts on a Tuesday night may seem like a young man’s game. So does enduring a mosh pit for three songs to get some photos.
But I am over 40 and still here to tell the tale, just a bit worse for wear.
Arriving at The Majestic in Madison, I was greeted with a beautifully lit marquee with Wisconsin’s state capital in the backdrop. I arrived just in time to catch most of Plague Vendor’s opening set. They commanded the crowd and sounded tight. Driven by heavy bass grooves and a class act performer of a frontman, Plague Vendor was such a fun band to kick off the night.
From Indian Lakes took the stage next. They offered some intricate star-gazey tunes and pushed through a chill set. I took most of it in from the balcony and was met with dreamy pastel colors bouncing off instruments that glimmered through the darkness and surrounded the inside of the Majestic. As the set progressed, the house turned on octagon-shaped lights that flickered through the ceiling. The lights swirled and gave glimpses of what this majestic venue once was and what memories these walls would share if they could talk.
L.S. Dunes took the stage right after 9:00pm. This would be my fourth time seeing them live, but the first time in a non-festival setting. (Thank you, Riot Fest) The crowd was near-completely silent. The room was filled with darkness. The band emerged one by one, taking their places on the stage. Anthony Green stepped to the mic and kicked off the night with the hauntingly beautiful intro to “Like Magick.” I’d been jamming this song (and many others) in the car nearly non-stop since their sophomore album Violet dropped back at the end of January via Fantasy Records.
I don’t think the album lives up to hearing it live. It was a perfect balance of raw emotion and an angelic voice seemingly hypnotizing the crowd. But that didn’t last long. As soon as the band kicked in, the crowd went wild. A pit formed instantly in the center of the room, and I wanted to be a part of that energy. Carrying my cameras and hoping my aging body didn’t give out, I pushed into the center and stationed up to grab as many photos as I could in three songs. They followed up with “Fatal Deluxe”, and the horde of moshers wouldn’t relent. The supergroup powered through song after song, playing almost constantly for an hour straight.
Before coming back for an encore, L.S. Dunes closed their set with “2022”. This song has been such an earworm for me. The lyrics carry so much emotion and have been circling my brain for months. It’s a helpful reminder that we all struggle and mental health is such a beast. Green’s comment on the song is such a great reminder to have on the backburner, “If there’s a positive take away, it’s that it’s never a burden to the people you love to share your feelings no matter how dark or painful it might be.”
L.S. Dunes came back out to finish the night with two more songs. “Paper Tigers” which lead into the closer on Violet, “Forgiveness.”
There is a reason they are a supergroup. The members carry years and years of making music at some of the highest levels in the industry. They are an embodiment of making good music. They command the stage and pour their hearts into each performance. All said and done, the evening was perfect from the crisp sound of the venue to the sparkling light, shining through from the disco ball that spun in the center of the room. I can only hope we are lucky enough to see and hear more from such an amazing group.
Buy L.S. Dunes Music and Merch here:
https://amzn.to/4mgXyna
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RANDAL HICKS
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