Empire of The Sun Takes Chicago Through Their Mystical Dreamscape of a Discography
Chicago, Illinois - April 24th, 2025
Empire of the Sun took their Chicago sold-out crowd through a portal into the mystical dreamscape of the band’s music. Thursday, April 24th, saw fans packing into Chicago's iconic EDM staple venue, Radius. Tons of fans were rocking the band's signature white makeup, radiating potential energy and ready to explode into song for the iconic band’s Ask That God Tour.
The set design, lighting, and choreography for this show seriously blew me away. Lead vocalist Luke Steel was accompanied not only by his ultra-talented band members creating otherworldly sounds through synthesizers and drums, but also by two backup dancers with ever-evolving costumes that changed throughout the night depending on the mood of each track. The performance was more than a person singing into a microphone - it was an impactful and long-lasting experience that had fans radiating grateful, electric energy. The massive LED screen behind the band featured trippy, colorful, and surreal visuals that synced with the choreography and sonic elements being played on stage.
The band performed tracks from their 2025 album, ‘Ask That God’, as well as some absolute classics like “Walking on a Dream” and “We Are the People” from their beloved 2008 album, ‘Walking On A Dream’. These tracks had the crowd drenched in nostalgic memory and joy, which was visible from the fact that they sang each and every lyric. Empire of the Sun's decision to lean into their 2008 debut album really struck a chord within me personally since I used to listen to their tracks growing up with my whole family in Virginia.
I've been listening to this band for over a decade, and the fact that I was accepted to cover a band that soundtracked my childhood was an incredible full-circle moment. Between squeezing through the crowd to try and capture the best shots, meeting fans who shared the appreciation to hear such timeless tracks live, and hearing such a talented band perform songs both old and new, this was a super memorable night that I'm sure no one present that night will forget.
This band has been putting out transformative and otherworldly tracks for years and years, and it's clear that they still know how to take the crowd to an awe-inspiring place. If you have the opportunity to catch Empire of the Sun on one of their remaining tour stops.
