L.S. Dunes Heals Lost Souls in Cincinnati
Words & Photos by Ashlyn Siples | View the full concert gallery here
July 21, 2023 - L.S. Dunes visited Bogart’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a stop on their summer tour, much to the excitement of all the Lost Souls here in the Midwest. Fans began lining up hours before the show, some with VIP tickets to the band’s pre-show Q&A and others just hoping to get as close to the stage as the barricade would allow them.
The band includes vocalist Anthony Green, guitarists Frank Iero and Travis Stever, bassist Tim Payne, and drummer Tucker Rule. They made their live debut on day one of Chicago’s annual Riot Fest in 2022, after only releasing their single “Permanent Rebellion” to the public. Soon after, the band announced their first tour and release date of their first album Past Lives. In June, the band released another single, “Benadryl Subreddit,” and has since teased more new music as well as a documentary.
Supporting act Pinkshift started off the night, quickly winning over the crowd with their contagious energy. Vocalist Ashrita Kumar invited fans to dance along with them to the music, and the crowd obliged without hesitation. The band even performed an unreleased song titled “Home,” which was received with cheers of approval.
The crowd's energy continued to escalate as they waited for L.S. Dunes, greeting the band with cheers once they took the stage. They opened up the set with “Bombsquad,” Payne excitedly taking the stage front and center for the majority of the tune. By the second song, Green’s antics for the night began as he proceeded to toss the microphone into the crowd to let a fan sing the chorus of “Like Forever.”
The antics continued throughout the night as Green encouraged fans to ignore the “no crowd surfing” signs, thanking the security for their hard work and fist-bumping and high-fiving fans as they made their way over the barricade. At another point, Green encouraged Iero to speak up about something he had on his mind, which turned out to be Iero’s distaste for Ohio’s chili, saying it was something only locals had the stomachs for. This moment resulted in a playful crowd versus guitarist moment, with Iero defending himself and shifting the blame onto Green for forcing him to speak.
The music throughout the setlist was electric, mirroring the energy of the crowd. Moshing continued in the center of the floor, with fans on the outskirts dancing right along with the band. The crowd cheered and screamed along to their favorite songs, most notably “Grey Veins” and “Permanent Rebellion.” “Benadryl Subreddit” also resulted in some of the most significant crowd reaction, with Green stopping his singing to let the fans scream out the lyrics “We won’t go back ever again!”
The night ended on a softer note, with the band performing an encore of “Sleep Cult.” This song brought many fans to tears due to the deep meaning of the song that hits close to home for many people with mental health struggles. These tears didn’t dull down the overall mood of the show, however, and instead brought an emotional closing to a night full of laughter and excitement.
L.S. Dunes still has quite a few remaining dates on their summer tour, and I highly encourage those who are fans of the band member’s other projects to swing by one of their stops, check them out, and have a great night filled with dancing and laughter. If those stops don’t come to a location near you, L.S. Dunes will also be performing at Riot Fest this September and were just announced as an opener for Pierce the Veil’s fall and winter legs of the Jaws of Life tour.
