In another universe, Anthony Green is a cult leader.
The way in which the darkly charismatic frontman of L.S. Dunes commands his feverish audiences, getting them swarming to the front of the room for the chance to shake his hand or receive a simple acknowledgement from the post-hardcore veteran, is almost frightening.
Thankfully he and his talented and equally renowned bandmates; Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria), Tim Payne (Thursday) and Tucker Rule (Thursday), are benevolent forces of their scenes, ensuring their electric performance at the Belasco theater on Friday the 9th was one all fans could leave from beaming. I unfortunately arrived too late to the show to see the opening acts Plague Vendor and From Indian Lakes, so can’t report on their sets that night. But trust me when I say L.S. Dunes gave enough of a performance to make the schlep to downtown Los Angeles worth it.
When the band came on stage, Green instantly went to the front of the stage to embrace the audience, and they in-kind rushed the stage to reciprocate. The band then went into the slithery “Like Magick”, followed by a raging “Fatale Deluxe”. Anyone familiar with Green’s work with Saosin, The Sounds of Animals Fighting or his solo work will have a sense of what to expect musically from any band he’s a part of. His voice is one of a kind, and while certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, those who love it truly LOVE IT.
What his supergroup of a band bring to the table is a vast sonic landscape that allows the L.S. Dunes to traverse the boundaries of their genre. While tracks like “Fatale Deluxe” are intense, fueled by Green’s piercing screams, songs like “Bombsquad” (which came next) are mid-tempo burners that haunt with complex guitar configurations and off-kilter rhythms. Stever often brought in epic, stadium-worthy riffs that elevated tracks like “Past Lives” and “You Deserve to Be Haunted” into punk epics. Tim Payne provided ample support to Green throughout the set, bringing a dynamic presence to the stage whenever Green would steady himself to focus on the mic. And Tucker Rule showcased incredible chops that allow the band to explore various time signatures and beats.
Since the band’s earliest shows, their audience has clearly grown and solidified. No longer are they just folks familiar with the band members’ other projects – these fans knew the words, and were ready to sing and mosh along to all of the hardest songs. Crowd surfers rode waves to the stage, and credit to Green as he always seemed to be looking after each and every fan who made it to the front, ensuring security helped them down safely and slapping their hands for completing their journey.
Throughout the show, Green mentioned how much he “needed this”, meaning a high-energy show where the fans were responding with as much enthusiasm as the band. He seemed endlessly grateful, and to me, knowing Green’s battles in the past with addiction, that he was allowing himself to get a natural, healthy high from playing in front of audiences. Green also was not afraid to dive into the political climate, clearly not happy with the current administration, and acknowledging how we all have to keep our spirits high during these times.
One reason this band has collected such a strong following is likely because these tracks actually contain some surprisingly pop-friendly melodies. The best example of these would be “Grey Veins”, which has the fingerprints of Iero all over it, and which received an incredible response from the crowd. Other stand-outs from the band’s debut album, “Permanent Rebellion” and “2022” were met by equally rapturous fanfare.
After a short break, the band encored the show with “Paper Tigers” and my favorite track off their latest album Violet, “Forgiveness”. This song is the epic closer of the album, and made for a perfectly epic ending to the show.
Catch the band on tour, and listen to their music here.
The Indy Review 