There was something in the Austin air on Tuesday night that smelled Like Magik as L.S. Dunes took the stage at Parish Underground for the first show of their North American tour.
“Goddamn, Goddamn, Goddamn,” lead singer Anthony Green kept muttering into the mic in between songs, eyes glittering across the audience.
“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” stated guitarist Frank Iero, after a particularly wild part of the set.
The rest of L.S. Dunes shared the same mixed looks of awe and joy, totally amazed at the reception. In other words, it’s safe to say that at least in terms of energy, Europe; we’ve got you beat.
Born of the COVID-19 pandemic, supergroup L.S. Dunes rose from the most textured bits of fabric from Circa Survive, My Chemical Romance, Thursday and Coheed and Cambria in 2022, going on to play their first set as a band at Riot Fest that same year. This was followed by a debut record, some singles and their 2025 sophomore effort, Violet.
Mega-fans lined up early outside the venue for a meet-and-greet, making friends as they traded friendship bracelets and homemade stickers before going inside for a Q&A with the band, signed journals and early merch access. The floodgates opened to the rest of the throng, allowing for the night to be set by openers Derek Zanetti and From Indian Lakes.
The choice in openers was perfectly complementary. Zanetti was humorous, likeable and a talented storyteller. It almost hurt to not see him fronting an introspective emo or similarly melancholic band. Almost. The world would be lost without his constant stream of ‘protest songs’ and complimentary Garbage Pail Kids trading cards he handed out.
From Indian Lakes was just as unique, whipping out a stick of incense at the start of the show and almost seeming to time their set to the burn. They shared their dry, nonchalant humor in between tracks that sounded the way flying low into a canyon must feel. The band finished off their set with a casual “Thanks” before ceding the stage to the headliners.
L.S. Dunes climbed onto the stage without any theatrics, going straight to their stations under a haze of purple lights. Some were in theme, like Green, sporting a purple t-shirt, and Iero with touches of lavender in wardrobe, guitar strap and amps, but no one as much as drummer Tucker Rule in a full-on soft violet jumpsuit and signature ascot.
They opened with “Like Magik,” soft and shifty, like finding your footing in a choreography you haven’t danced in a while. But then the stage lights morphed from violet to crimson as the song climbed louder and richer. Instruments tightened, Green dominated in vocals, and the song came together like a well-oiled machine. Oh, we are so back.
“Fatal Deluxe” followed, a song released as a stand-alone single that really could have set the tone for an album in its own right. When delving into a new band, a trained ear will always try to pick out who the lead guitarist is. In “Fatal Deluxe,” Iero and Travis Stever played ping-pong with the sound, rising together to one of the sicket crescendos of the year.
The crowd seemed to agree, surging forward as Green met them at the edge of the stage. Movement was harsh but coordinated, and those up on the frontline of the surge were likely grateful that their rib cages were met with a three-foot stage rather than a harsh metal barricade. It was intimate and aggressive; no artist was more than a foot from the closest fan save for Rule. The illumination was more than sufficient to make full eye contact with the drummer regardless. Green ran and bounced on the small stage, nearly slipping on a poorly-taped setlist on one end, accidentally kicking somebody’s half-drunk screwdriver over on the other, holding outreached hands and sharing his microphone with the crowd.
“Holy shit,” Green said once the song ended. “Welcome to the first show of the Like Magik tour! It feels so good to be here with you. Let’s keep it going!”
Iero called for the rise of the house lights to call attention to something more important than the next song.
“I’d like to point out that there’s a basketball hoop in the back of the room,” Iero said. “Every break, I’d like to give Tucker the chance to make a shot.”
The drummer tried, then failed, then failed again despite the audience’s encouragement. Undeterred, the band hopped into their next track with a smile.
Green is an interesting frontman. What some may call an ‘acquired taste’ feels more like a breath of fresh air to me. Magnetic, sure; most frontmen have to be. Connected to the crowd? Yes, he and Rule shine best at that while Payne, Stever and Iero more so focused on the craft. But Green seemed to have a symbiotic relationship with the crowd’s energy, feeling the ebb and flow with his hands during “Benadryl Subreddit,” feeding it back rather than setting it himself.
They fed the crowd well Tuesday night, treating them to the live debut of “You Deserve to be Haunted” and “Holograms.”
“You Deserve to be Haunted” is a personal high-ranker, keeping ears perked up and listeners on their toes. For someone who’s spent years familiarizing themselves with Iero and Stever’s projects and styles to the point of being able to pinpoint who’s playing what within a few notes, it was delightful getting to hear them so invested in a different path.
Meanwhile, “Holograms” featured a droning bass line from Tim Payne, absolutely failing to break a sweat despite the way he made the room rumble. Meanwhile Rule is impossible to watch without smiling. He’s a very present musician, putting his full body into the performance and seeming to enjoy himself as much as front-row fans.
By now, Everyone was more than comfortable, Payne spreading out to a better stance, Rule at peace with (still) being unable to make a shot into the toy basketball hoop, and superhero ‘Hayley,’ a crew member sitting side stage, finding the perfect rhythm and for safely dragging crowd surfers off stage. It’s a good thing, too, as the final part of the night only brought more out in droves.
The final four tracks were stacked, starting with titular song “Violet.” Crowd surfing near the end got even more intense, almost too much for Hayley to keep up with safely. Fortunately, fans were mostly respectful. The one dodging them the most on their way out was Iero, occasionally making eye contact or responding to a wave before Hailey jerked the crowdsurfer away.
A mosh pit took up the whole back half of the floor during “Permanent Rebellion,” a fan still in their wheelchair was surfed and tossed to the front, another even yanked her animal print dress completely up as she posed on the floor before being dragged off. It was complete and absolute pandemonium, leaving the performers in just as much awe as the viewers.
“Thanks for making the first night of the Like Magik tour so much fun,” Green said. “As a band, we don’t get to do this that often, so when we get to do it, it feels really special. So thanks a lot for being a part of it.”
Cheers erupted from people able to catch their breaths while Green spoke. The band then stepped up to finish their politically charged set with one more political song.
“Destroy the system,” Green said, nearing the end of his speech. ” Let go. This is a rock ‘n’roll song about destroying the industrial military complex.”
From the cheers emerged the first notes of “2022,” putting the room in a frenzy.
It’s refreshing to see the band openly taking stands true to their roots in this way. Although they’ve never shyed away from their views as individuals, the size of their bands sometimes prevents them from being as vocal on some topics as they were earlier in their careers. It’s the price of getting too big. More spoons in the pot, more people unwilling to take ‘unnecessary’ risks. But L.S. Dunes is a liberating outlet for the musicians within, allowing them to express and explore in ways both familiar and new.
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
I am a photographer, musician, and cosplayer, based in Austin! I spend a lot of time traveling around for events, and am constantly creating things, listening to music, playing bass guitar, or finding new hobbies to indulge in. I love being surrounded by music, and you can almost always catch me listening to some emo or pop-punk music.
