I’ve heard “Walking On A Dream” many times growing up. It’s a song that’s timeless yet nostalgic – if only I didn’t grow up being a dumbass thinking it was an MGMT song this entire time.

Once I realized it was actually by Empire of the Sun, I quickly saw that this electropop duo was its own beast. It was unreal to see them bring their show to life at the Moody Amphitheater.

This was the sold-out Austin stop on their “Ask That God Tour,” named after their most recent album, keeping their eccentric style going strong. I’ve been to a few shows at the Moody Amp over the years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that packed.

Guest check-in was behind the venue, so Lauren, my friend and terrific photographer who accompanied me, and I got a great, perfect look of how huge this crowd was.

I loved seeing Lauren’s perspective on this whole experience, as she knew not a single thing about the band going into this show.

“34 million listeners?!” she yelled with surprise as I played her their songs on the drive up I-35.

When they took the stage, it felt like 34 million people were right there with us as the band just absolutely killed it during their hour-and-a-half set.

The elaborate stage design, the zany costumes, the random assortment of wacky characters that came on and off the stage; it was the most theatrical fever dream I’ve ever experienced.

The duo of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore was incredible the entire night, and Steele, in particular, was such a fun frontman. I hate using TikTok brainrot words, but the “aura” that he had was unbelievable.

From one costume change to the next, he made himself and the band feel otherworldly. He continuously interacted with the fans, danced with the ones in the pit a few times, and on top of all that, he had the coolest Australian accent I’ve ever heard. 

I’ve seen Tame Impala live twice — Steele’s still clears.

When the MGMT classic “Walking On A Dream” came on, the crowd lost their fucking minds. Everyone was up on their feet, dancing to the feel-good melodies, with people on stage wearing full-on matching sun and moon costumes, waving along. 

I mean, it truly never gets any better than this.

They played through a great mix of new and old songs, with “We Are The People” and “High and Low” being some of my favorites off the setlist.

“Alive,” though, was the perfect conclusion to the show. Lauren looked over at me to give a nod of approval, almost as if she was telling me, “Okay, yeah, I get the hype now.”

Also, shout-out to the band for ending the show before 10 p.m. on a weekday. It was truly a gift to actually get some decent sleep before work the next day.

If you missed seeing the hype for yourself, don’t stress too much. Empire of the Sun will be back for both weekends of ACL in October. If this set was any indication, there’s no question they’ll be one of the best acts there.