Words and Photos By Darryll Magboo
The Velvet Underground was buzzing with anticipation on April 22 as L.S. Dunes prepared to take the stage. After killer opening sets from From Indian Lakes and Night Sins, the crowd was fired up and ready. The noise only got louder when the band’s silhouettes appeared—and when Anthony Green hopped on last, the place practically exploded. The audience was more than ready for Violet.
Green wasted no time, climbing over the pit to connect with the crowd before launching into Like Magick, a fitting start, being the first track on the album. His haunting vocals pulled everyone in, building tension before the full band hit with hypnotic, wailing guitars. It was a slow-burn opener that showed off the band’s complexity and perfectly set the tone for the night.
Then came Fatal Deluxe, and with it, a full shift in energy. Green stretched his vocals sky-high while Frank Iero matched that intensity on the guitar and mic. It was a masterclass in contrast—two songs in, and L.S. Dunes had already flexed just how much ground they could cover without losing their grip on the crowd.
Midway through, Green took a moment to call out Toronto’s rep for being a tough crowd, waving it off as a total lie, which only amped up the energy right before Benadryl Subreddit crashed through like a runaway truck. Payne and Rule locked into a crushing rhythm that had the whole room moving, and the momentum never let up, even through the show’s encore.
Call them a supergroup if you want, but L.S. Dunes is more like an all-you-can-eat buffet plate: carefully selected, endlessly satisfying, and can have you going back for seconds. They’re that rare side project that doesn’t feel like a side project at all—it feels like something brand new, and Toronto got the full taste.
Aron Harris
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