Concert Review: Empire of the Sun at The Moody Center
Powered by puzzling, maximalist displays, the Australian act exhibited unifying synth-pop classics with instrumental prowess.
Written by Valeria Mota
Photos by Makenna Morgan
Darkness swallowed the Moody Center at 9:25 p.m., and when the lights hit the stage, a floating inflatable head and an upturned palm were already waiting.. The heavy ’80s synth stood in stark contrast to the futuristic Egyptian imagery on the screen, while two masked backup dancers struck sharp poses as if trying to conjure a spirit. These elements made little sense on their own, but as the opening set-up for the unreleased “Desire,” Empire of the Sun’s opening track for its ‘Ask That God’ Austin tour date, the pieces strangely fell into place.
The Australian duo has never strayed far from eccentric visuals, always looking more like alien royalty than an electronic-pop band over the past two decades.Though producer Nick Littlemore is notoriously focused on working behind the scenes, he and frontman Luke Steele built on their now signature aesthetic for the ‘Ask That God’ North America tour, turning the Moody Center into a sort of eclectic spaceship. Through this outlandish showcase and the band’s rather upbeat tracks, audience members suspended their disbelief as Empire of the Sun revisited their catalog.
As the headlining act was deemed otherworldly, the ‘Ask That God’ tour’s two openers brought their own sonic worlds to the stage. The Mexican synth-pop quintet Midnight Generation kicked off the night with killer bass, funky guitar riffs, and a tasteful use of a talk box, while still managing to prance around the stage for a moment in a concise 30-minute set. The French electronic duo Polo & Pan followed with an uninterrupted DJ set that alternated between dark jungle rhythms and their signature beachy beats, even showcasing a new song they recently cooked up on the tour bus. Both opening acts kept minimalist visuals that emphasized their meticulously crafted production, and while their sound certainly drew parallels to the headliner, their effortless performances only made Empire of the Sun’s lavish imagery and extended instrumental solos even more notable.
Though the duo’s opening “Desire” drew reactions from some die-hard fans, the show seemed to finally kick into gear by “Changes,” with Steele’s energy increasing significantly as he sang the song’s simple chorus with the crowd: “This time, we're going through changes / This time, not like before / This time, we're going places / Letting go, letting go / Letting go, letting go.” The singer sauntered around the stage like an intergalactic dictator, complete with his classic red tunic and half-moon hat, before beginning the slower “Half Mast,” instantly recognized by the Austin crowd from Mac Miller’s 2010 sample of the song. The tune did have some technical difficulties, namely when Moody staff frantically scrambled to pick up a fallen microphone. Still, Steele’s borderline Machiavellian guitar solo left the small hiccup in the dust.
After a bizarre video promoting “Afterlife Insurance,” the fourth track from their recent release Ask That God, the duo launched into the cheerful “Cherry Blossom,” with Steele feeding off the crowd’s energy as the Austin audience expressed their love for the song. But the moment was soon overshadowed by the following song. As Steele left the stage to change into another robe, supporting guitarist Ian Ball held an acoustic guitar in the air, and the crowd screeched in excitement. They knew what it meant even before Ball strummed the familiar chords: the duo would now perform its smash 2008 hit, “We Are The People.”
“We Are The People” would prove to be the first chill-inducing song of the night. Steele’s evident attachment to the song heightened the crowd’s excitement as they all sang the anthemic track word for word. Steele’s glimmering suit under flashing spotlights elicited cheers of wonder from fans, proving that even with otherworldly aesthetics, Empire of the Sun still manages to harness a grounded sense of community through their nostalgic, synth-filled tunes.
Steele finally took a moment to address the crowd after the magic of “We Are the People” settled down. After joking about facing technical difficulties despite rehearsing “for like, 300 years,” the eccentric singer thanked his fans — or at least, tried to. His failed attempt to compare his fans’ diversity to the attendees at his father’s funeral, referring to it as “kind of beautiful,” didn’t exactly evoke gratitude from the Moody Center crowd, more so just confused looks. His mumbling voice, unlike his enunciated vocals, didn’t help with the delivery either. Still, he eventually shifted the tone of his monologue to one of fun and appreciation before launching into the glitchy “Television.”
The sudden interludes and bizarre visuals of “Television” weren’t enough to evoke the pure joy of “We Are the People.” Still, the instrumental solos in the subsequent “Awakening” almost reached those heights. The flashing lights accentuating drummer Olly Peacock’s fills, along with Peacock’s growing ardor, reminded audiences that the best parts of the show have been the parts that focus on the live music, not the plotless, theatrical visuals. Steele’s roaring guitar riffs confirmed this, with his Axis: Bold as Love-reminiscent costume further cementing him as a true emperor of the sun.
After an intimate start to the duo’s “High & Low,” the audience faithfully followed Steele’s lead as he waved his arms, and his easy, meandering movement paired with his intricate guitar playing showcased the singer’s underrated instrumental talent. Soon enough, the set’s tone went from bizarre to borderline silly with the entrance of two jellyfish-like creatures, clearly intended as comic relief. The singer talked to both of them, even having a “TMZ Brittany Madonna” moment and kissing one of them where a mouth was supposed to be. The creatures went from goofy to charming as they pranced around during the ironic radio-perfect hit, “Music on the Radio.” Again, Steele effortlessly fed off the crowd’s excitement, making the small funky interlude and autotuned vocal moments feel truly genuine, not rehearsed “for like, 300 years.” The Austin show continued with “Revolve,” which once again showcased Steele’s innate guitar abilities. The way the frontman smoothly slid his fingers across the guitar’s fretboard made it seem as if there weren’t any strings on the guitar at all, and a back-and-forth outro between him and keyboardist Nicholas Semrad further verified that Empire of the Sun is at its best when it emphasizes its production, not its visuals.
“Revolve” was followed by “Swordfish Hotkiss Night” and “Two Vines,” each equally strengthened by Peacock’s masterful solos and Steele’s hypnotic, siren-like guitar. The celebratory atmosphere quickly shifted when the show got unexpectedly patriotic. After thanking the U.S. for always providing him with a warm welcome, the Australian — yes, Australian — singer pulled out an acoustic guitar to sing a swift rendition of the American classic “This Land is Your Land.” The crowd hesitantly joined in after the first verse, and while it did result in a wholesome moment for the American audience, the spontaneity of the moment felt more outlandish than any of the hallucinogenic visuals that aided the set so far.
The patriotic moment soon vanished as the thumping bass of “Celebrate” kicked in, and the subsequent “I’ll Be Around” featured an infectious, guitar-plucked riff that once again proved that Steele deserves more credit as a guitarist, not just an intergalactic-like emperor. Yet, as soon as the iconic electronic pulse of “Walking On a Dream” kicked in, the Austin audience knew they were in for another goosebump-inducing listening experience, á la “We Are the People.” The attendees did most of the legwork as they faithfully sang the entire chorus, and the track’s chant served as an encouraging mantra as the crowd yelled it in unison: “Don't stop, just keep going on / I'm your shoulder, lean upon / So come on, deliver from inside / All we got is tonight, that is right 'til first light.” The song turned the crowd into a single body as strangers belted out the 2000s classic as if they had rehearsed it before the show.
After a brief exit from Steele, met with an even shorter crowd demand for an encore, the singer strutted back in to perform the more contemplative “Tiger by My Side.” Though the disorienting rock outro led by Steele was certainly impressive, attendees still began shuffling towards the exit, as the track clearly failed to live up to their expectations for an effective encore. Unfortunately for the early leavers, those expectations were soon met with the concert’s closing song, the euphoric “Alive.” After a strange, ritual-like choreography, the frontman fully let himself loose to enjoy the iconic chorus, evoking the pre-chorus’ line “Freedom is within you.” Steele took one last time to be fully energized by the audience’s palpable fervor, while Peacock’s fills and the punctuating bursts of smoke from the edge of the stage heightened the grandiosity of the set’s final track. And just like that, at 10:59 p.m., Steele and his supporting band took a bow, with the two frenetic backing dancers following suit and the still Australian frontman shouting a “God bless America” into the Moody Center crowd.
For a show clearly relying on spectacle for staying power, Empire of the Sun shone most when it highlighted its live instrumentals. The stellar drum fills from Peacock, along with Steele’s natural guitar skills, had more impact than the unrelated visuals and the colorful yet somewhat meaningless imagery. However, perhaps that’s what Steele’s empire is made up of: surreal montages and mumbled crowd interactions that ultimately pair sweetly with bold live instrumentals and electrifying moments of community.