Did Lord Huron Cause the Flash Flood? Sources Will Get Back to Us.
BY EMMALEE SULLIVAN
On August 2, Washington, D.C. experienced a flash flood that brought nearly three inches of rain to the city. Was this caused by fans at The Anthem after hearing Lord Huron perform “The Night We Met”? Sources will get back to us soon.
I saw Lord Huron at the Outside Festival in Denver, Colorado, just over a year ago, so I was beyond excited to step back into the desert with Lord Huron and watch frontman Ben Schneider sing into a floating phone once again.
The opener, August Ponthier, took the stage around 8:00 p.m. and immediately created such a lovely atmosphere. They interacted with fans throughout the set while maintaining their own essence, bringing an expressive energy to every song.
August also used their outfit to highlight both their pride in being from Texas and the underrepresentation of trans people, as well as how unsafe the state’s current political climate can be. Their look incorporated the shared Texas prom tradition of a Homecoming Mum, turning something familiar into a beautiful way to highlight an important issue.
My favorite song of their set was easily “Faking My Own Death.” The moment I heard the chords, I was immediately reminded of boygenius. I had never heard August’s music before this show, but their set was so meaningful and so strong vocally, melodically, and sonically that I’ll absolutely be at their next show in D.C.
Then, around 9:00 p.m., a phone booth appeared on stage, and Lord Huron began their set with “Who Laughs Last.” The second song, “Looking Back,” shifted the energy, showcasing Ben under a single spotlight as he sang.
“Bag of Bones,” however, brought us right back into the desert. A deep red light illuminated the stage while a bright moon glowed behind the band. The visuals were insane even from a fan’s perspective, but as a photographer, this was truly an incredible show to cover.
When I saw Lord Huron last June, the smoke machines covered the band almost completely, so when I saw smoke begin to emerge this time, I was nervous that history was about to repeat itself. Instead, the smoke covered the band’s feet and lower bodies perfectly, making it look as if they were walking away from an explosion in the middle of the desert in slow motion. It felt like a scene straight out of a Western.
Throughout the night, fans kept screaming “WOODS! WOODS! WOODS!” between songs in anticipation of their favorite track, “Meet Me in the Woods.” When Ben finally sang the opening words, “I took a little journey to the unknown,” fans immediately threw their hands into the air or wrapped their arms around the friends beside them in celebration.
It was genuinely refreshing to watch a band have so much fun and simply jam together on stage, and even more rewarding to see how directly that energy translated to the crowd. Fans danced, hugged their friends, screamed every lyric, and seemed completely immersed in the world Lord Huron created around them.
As the night went on, I ventured into the upper levels of the venue to see what the stage looked like from farther away. While the view itself was stunning, I was even more taken by how moved the fans were by these songs, even from all the way in the back.
One pair of younger women stood in the very last row, hugging and crying as they sang along to “The Night We Met.” From that far away, they were barely more than silhouettes against the crowd, but their emotions were unmistakable.
And maybe that is what makes Lord Huron so special. You don’t have to be pressed against the barricade to feel their music. Whether you’re in the photo pit, somewhere in the middle of the crowd, or standing in the very last row of The Anthem, Lord Huron somehow makes the entire room feel like it belongs to you.
So, did Lord Huron cause the flash flood?
We’ll let the sources get back to us on that one.
