There are a handful of staple bands that undoubtedly carried the alternative music scene in the 2010s and sure enough the eclectic electronic duo, Empire of the Sun, is one of them. Upon their 2008 debut album release, Walking On A Dream; it felt as though everyone knew who these guys were almost instantly. Their rapid viral success in the years to follow earned them their household name among music fanatics and branching out even to the general public. I had the wonderful opportunity to cover their Walking On A Dream 10-year anniversary tour back in 2019 at the Metro and my anticipation for their show at Radius could not be underestimated. Empire of the Sun left me stunned and impressed after their last show so naturally I had no clue how they could have been able to top this.
It came with no surprise that their set at Radius exceeded my rather high expectations for their much-awaited return to Chicago supporting their fourth installment in their discography, Ask That God. Just when I thought they couldn’t outdo themselves they went ahead and proved me wrong. Frontman Luke Steele is fully committed and clearly passionate about the project that effortlessly transcribed into the energy of the evening. Aside from their jaw-dropping performance; the band always takes that extra step to truly immerse the fans into the universe of their music.
Backed by impressive dancers in an array of garments and costumes; Steele also sports an avant-garde robe and headpiece that beautifully portrays the “emperor” persona in a stately yet ethereal manner. Alongside all of the extravagant fashion; the stage design was also one for the books. Galactic visuals paired with a giant inflatable head were the cherry on top of the already ambitious and magnificent flair on the stage. The costumes, theatrics and set design made the universe Empire of the Sun has been sculpting over the years truly come to life.
The setlist was about an even split of songs off of Ask That God and their greatest hits from across their earlier albums. The energy was carried highly throughout their whole set; it was one of those shows that seemed to end a little too fast as a result of everyone being so engaged and knowing every song! I am just grateful that we still got to hear “Half Mast” and “We Are The People” performed live as they are among some of my all-time favorite songs from the duo. The Radius crowd even got spoiled with some gems off of Ice On The Dune and Two Vines including “DNA” and “Way To Go,” which was a delightful little surprise.
Luke Steele is undoubtedly a star and Empire of the Sun as a whole are a band that have already and will continue to go down in music history as one of the most iconic bands to dominate the alternative music scene in recent times. In my opinion their discography is a flawless front-to-back listen and is so consistent with their aesthetic that I’m sure most people that don’t live under a rock could recognize even their most popular tunes. As the band continues to impress and ride their stardom into the horizon; I can’t help but see the next piece of the Emperor’s universe.
All photos by Andrew Lagunas.