Transporting the audience into their vivid, haunting world, Lord Huron blended ethereal visuals, expressive stagecraft and nostalgic melodies at their Moody Center performance on Thursday.
The band’s opener, Feist, set the stage for a night of cinematic folk-rock storytelling. Transporting the audience into their vivid, haunting world, Lord Huron blended ethereal visuals, expressive stagecraft and nostalgic melodies.
Following the release of their sixth studio album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, the concert opened with “Who Laughs Last.” Frontman Ben Schneider sang into a vintage rotary phone while static flickered across the screens, immediately pulling fans into the surreal narrative. “Looking Back” followed, featuring a lone man in a wide-brimmed hat standing under stark white light, gradually dissolving into dust, a striking moment that drew quiet awe.
Red lights bathed the stage during “Bag of Bones,” Schneider’s emotive vocals cutting through the haze. The mood brightened with “Ends of the Earth,” his voice soaring beneath an orange glow reflecting onto the audience. Fans swayed together as Schneider sang, “What good is livin’ the life you’ve been given / If all you do is stand in one place?”
“The Ghost on the Shore” slowed the tempo, soft wind chiming as blue fog transformed the stage into a moonlit background. The intimate, almost lullaby-like performance lingered in the air before a ringing phone signaled a shift. “Secret of Life” erupted with sparks of electric guitar, claps and playful interaction as Schneider led the crowd in a rhythm that united band and audience alike.
Green lights set the mood for “Used to Know,” ending on a near-angelic note from a church choir, while “Ancient Names (Part I)” featured dueling red and blue lighting as a man and woman danced across the stage, mirrored and illuminated like star-crossed lovers. Tender moments followed with “Long Lost” and “I Lied,” Schneider singing a duet with a female vocalist, voices intertwining in a story of nostalgia, longing and reflection.
“La Belle Fleur Sauvage” brought the stage into an eerie, abandoned landscape projected behind the band. Purple fog swirled as soft guitar strings complemented the haunting visuals, screen showing a man illuminated by moonlight. The combination of light, fog and visuals created an almost cinematic moment that made the performance feel simultaneously intimate and otherworldly.
“Frozen Pines” followed with intricate technical sounds and flashing white lights, adding a pulse of energy before the reflective finale. Schneider let the audience take over the chorus, creating a moment that felt suspended in time, an echoing, shared memory that defined the night.
By the time “The Night We Met” began, the arena erupted. Fans raised phone flashlights, singing along to the popular nostalgic hit.
The concert’s finale included “The World Ender” and “Nothing I Need,” gentle guitar, lyrics and smooth howls led towards a gentle end of the night. For the encore, Lord Huron returned to the front of the stage for “Not Dead Yet,” stepping forward for a collective bow.
“Thank you, Austin, you’ve been so good to us,” Schneider said, smiling as the audience roared in applause, clapping long after the final neon glow faded.