LORD HURON: OUTSIDE FESTIVAL DAY 2
BY EMMALEE SULLIVAN
After a long, weather-heavy day, the energy at Outside Festival never wavered—especially as the crowd eagerly awaited Lord Huron’s set. Around 8:45 p.m., the sun had dipped low enough to cast a light blue haze across the sky, while the Denver City and County Building glowed red and blue in the background.
Lord Huron opened with “Meet Me in the Woods” from their album Strange Trails, and the moment lead singer Ben Schneider stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted. As he sang “Oh, the darkness got a hold on me,” the mood of the night fell into place—moody, cinematic, and electric.
Though the fog machines at times overwhelmed the stage (and my photos), the swirling smoke made the songs feel even more magical—almost spiritual. Later in the set, “Ancient Names Pt. I” became a standout moment as Schneider sang through a payphone turned microphone, adding a theatrical, Southern-desert rock feel that transformed the track into a full-blown performance.
By this point, the crowd had spilled beyond the official festival grounds. Even people seated on the lawn of Denver’s Capitol Building stayed to soak in the music. Lord Huron brought the entire space to life.
The band closed with “Not Dead Yet,” an energetic finale that perfectly wrapped the night and the festival itself. With lyrics like “If she asks about me, tell her I ain’t dead yet,” it left fans not in mourning of the weekend’s end, but joyful—alive, fulfilled, and buzzing with everything they had just experienced.
