Electronic duo Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore took the world by storm with their 2008 debut album Walking on a Dream. 10 years may have passed since its release, but the music still holds up in today’s music landscape. The 10 year anniversary tour kicked off in Chicago last week when the band took over Metro for three sold out, wild nights!

The last time I saw Empire of the Sun live was at Lollapalooza 2010, and last week’s show had all sorts of memories flooding back to me! Singer Luke Steele came on the stage just as I remembered him years ago–face paint, long robes, and a headdress/crown that made him look like some sort of sun god. The crowd just about lost their minds as he entered the stage and the band jumped right into a crowd favorite–“Standing on the Shore.” Their electronic beats overlaid with vocals and Steele’s wailing guitar had people off all ages and backgrounds dancing and singing along passionately as Empire of the Sun made its way through the entire Walking on a Dream album througout the night, peppering it lightly with songs from their other albums. For long time fans of the band, it was exciting to hear their favorites reimagined as they made subtle changes to the compositions of the songs. The music, coupled with the background dancers, the stage, and visual effects had concert goers transported to another place in another time for the night!

Review and photos by Abby Walter