By Roy vergara | may 17, 2025
There was a restless kind of magic in the air as the heat hovered above 90 degrees. Fans trickled into Moody Amphitheater with glistening skin and shimmering faces. Neon paint, glitter, silver makeup, and festive costumes filled the space. Some wore headpieces and full-body metallics, making the crowd feel less like a typical audience and more like part of a shared dream. Behind the stage, the Texas Capitol peeked through, steady and still, as the night slipped into something surreal.
Roi Turbo opened at 7:01 PM and set the tone right away. Benjamin and Conor McCarthy from Cape Town let their sound lead, layering analog synths and smooth disco grooves into a tight, confident set. “Bazooka” pulsed through the air and brought the crowd in. They didn’t need theatrics. Just rhythm and soul. It was the kind of set that didn’t rush but made you ready for whatever came next.
At 8:17 PM, the world of Empire of the Sun began to unfold. Two jeweled, masked figures stepped onto the stage first, each carrying a bonsai tree in a slow, ceremonial procession. Then Luke Steele appeared, wrapped in a red robe with glittering accents and a crescent-shaped headpiece, sun-burst guitar across his chest. “Changes” opened the set, and the energy shifted in an instant. Alongside longtime creative partner Nick Littlemore, Steele brought the Ask That God Tour to life in full form—a visual and sonic experience that felt part concert, part dream sequence.
The stage design was otherworldly. A giant sculpted face rested on the right side, quietly staring off into the night sky. Steele’s costumes felt pulled from distant realms, futuristic and dreamlike, like fragments of imagination stitched together. Some looked mystical, others eclectic and spiritual. Paired with the stage’s video artistry and shifting lights, each change reshaped the atmosphere, turning the night into a living, breathing vision that never stayed in one place for long.
At one point, Steele paused to reflect on one of their earliest shows in Austin twenty years ago during SXSW. The memory landed quickly and quietly, like a nod to how far they’ve come. Later, just before launching into “Concert Pitch,” he smiled, peeled off his top layer, and said “Woooo, the heat.” The crowd cheered, and it easily grounded everything in the present.
Midway through the set, Steele introduced “an old friend from Hawaii”, Supachai. A glowing mop-like, fuzzy character drifted onto the stage and was posed a simple question: “Are we ready to dance?” The answer didn’t need to be spoken. “Music On The Radio” followed and the entire space lit up.
The emotional high came with “Walking on a Dream.” It wasn’t just a crowd singalong. It felt like release. Arms lifted, people turned toward each other, and for a few minutes, we all moved as one. After a short break, the band returned to close with “Alive.” It didn’t feel like a finale. It felt like the last note of a dream you weren’t quite ready to leave.
Empire of the Sun didn’t just play a show. They built a world, let us step inside, and gave us the time and space to live in it for a while.
Check out the gallery from the show.
Roy Vergara is a freelance photojournalist for Majestic Music Magazine. See more of his work here
