Photos by: Damian Ruiz
Lord Huron transformed 713 Music Hall into an immersive world where sound and storytelling collided. Touring behind The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, the indie-folk collective delivered a performance that felt more like stepping into a film than attending a concert, blurring the lines between music, memory, and myth.
For newcomers, Lord Huron’s music exists within a richly imagined universe where songs are credited to fictional characters and stories unfold through videos, short films, and even a Strange Trails comic book. Frontman Ben Schneider describes it as an “anthology of weird fiction,” connecting recurring figures like Frankie Lou, Buck Vernon, and the World Enders across albums. The band’s devoted fans dissect every lyric and visual online, uncovering clues that tie its mythos together. Knowing this backstory deepens the experience, especially when hearing Strange Trails live, a haunting western of ghostly narrators and lost souls brought vividly to life on stage.
Frontman Ben Schneider led the charge with a cinematic flair, opening with “Who Laughs Last” as Kristen Stewart’s haunting spoken-word recording filled the room. Dressed in sharp business casual attire, the band played amid a set decorated with a glowing jukebox, a broadcaster’s desk, and a payphone wired into the PA system, creating an atmosphere that was equal parts surreal and nostalgic.
Over the course of nearly two hours, the group weaved through songs both new and familiar. Fresh tracks like “Looking Back” and “Bag of Bones” intertwined seamlessly with long-time fan favorites including “Meet Me in the Woods,” “Wait by the River,” and the timeless “The Night We Met.” Each song flowed naturally into the next, forming a story that felt both cosmic and deeply personal. Ben Schneider’s vocals carried a sense of vulnerability and sincerity throughout the night, elevated by the seamless chemistry of Miguel Briseño, Tom Renaud, and Mark Barry, whose blend of guitar, bass, keys, and rhythm gave the band’s studio sound a vivid, live pulse.
The lighting and visuals gave the performance an almost cinematic texture. Golden beams, deep blues, and red hues danced across a light haze of fog as bassist Miguel Briseño took to the theremin during “Way Out There,” producing ghostly tones that hung in the air like a spell. Schneider’s warm, crooning vocals carried through every track, supported by the band’s tight harmonies and sweeping instrumentation.
When the night reached its closing moments with “The World Ender,” “Nothing I Need,” and “Digging Up the Past,” the crowd was completely absorbed. As the final notes faded, few were ready to break the trance. Lord Huron created an entire world, one steeped in emotion, atmosphere, and timeless storytelling.
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