Justin Nuoffer
L.S. Dunes
w/ From Indian Lakes + Plague Vendor
4/29/25 – Majestic Theater – Madison, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
A gorgeous day in the city of Madison, WI. The sunlight bounces off the capital dome, and Lady Wisconsin’s golden color radiates. With the weather extremely comfortable, the streets are filled with Madisonians on restaurant patios. Still, a line builds out front of the classic vaudeville theater better known as the Majestic Theater. The red brick facade runs three stories high, and there are 4 sets of doors underneath a vintage and manual marquee. The building itself has many of the vintage features alive and well. Even the building’s footprint is something out of a 1920s city planning map.
Tonight, however, it will be filled with a very modern sound. The glass doors opened up, and patrons rushed through the security checkpoint. The balcony for tonight was closed off. This fed everyone straight ahead into the main room. On the right was the tour merchandise and a ramp down to the floor. Directly in front of the entrance were stairs down to three levels of standing room and the main floor. On the left-hand side, a wrap-around bar with plenty of bartenders slinging drinks. The vintage hardwood stage stands roughly three feet up on the lower general admission floor. Ornate lighting wraps around the stage. Above the floor, a vintage chandelier adds to the vibe.
First out of the gate for the night, Plague Vendor. This foursome starts at ten and does not let up for anything. The band from Whittier, California, has a strong track record of wild and out-of-control performances, and that starts with frontman Brandon Blaine. Blaine’s vocals and dance moves are a special form of chaos themselves. He wasn’t afraid to reach out and introduce himself to the fans.
To his right, Jay Gordon ripped riff after riff, flinging his hair around or reaching back to crash on drummer Luke Perine’s cymbals. Bassist Bill Cash head banged and swayed while keeping in tempo with his bass licks. Their sound is incredibly mixed. Post hardcore, rockabilly, and punk and mixed in. After a five-year hiatus, according to Blane, it was a surprise considering how time they have been as a band. The fans who came early took immediate notice.
They headbanged and jumped around. Plague Vendor may have been the opener, but they looked like future headliners.
Smack dab in the middle is From Indian Lakes. The band is a four-piece whose sound is much, much softer and better described as indie rock. Frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Joey Vannucchi is by far the main focus. He hangs out front and center, often singing into his mic with eyes closed, just taking in the atmosphere around him.
Anchored on each side of him is guitarist Justin Stanphil, who bounces and rocks back and forth. Across the stage, bassist Chris Kellogg bounces and jumps around with a low end that rattles the floor. Often head bobbing and weaving, he compliments the sincere and steady hand of Vannucchi, who got the crowd riled up by mentioning the legendary beer brand Spotted Cow. The Majestic audience ate it up and moved with the sweet rhythms. Their brand was their own, and it was riveting.
The supergroup L.S. Dunes filling the 600-person capacity Majestic Theater on a Tuesday night is a fantastic sign that they are starting to enter a more popular phase of their short history. With a fresh record release, Violet, that dropped nearly three months ago, they have created their identity, and with two full-length albums in their back pockets, there is plenty of material to go around. The setlist was full of bangers. L.S. Dunes know how to do it right, and they should. They are considered a supergroup. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, Guitarist Frank Iero, bassist Tim Payne, drummer Tucker Rule, and Travis Stever, who is out with his other band on tour. Filling in for him is Evan Nestor.
Regardless of their past history in the music business, L.S. Dunes are a fiery brand of rock music that captivates. You walk into the show thinking you’ll hear one thing and be blown away by another. Opening with “Like Magick” and “Fatal Deluxe” they came out swinging, and the new material hit. The fans up front were singing along as Green strolled along the front edge. Tim Payne is an impressive watch. During “Bombsquad” and “Like Forever,” he really came alive. Almost as if he had to get a couple of songs warmed up before you see him with expressions of joy and happiness. His glance at the rest of the band only proves the camaraderie between them all.
Frank Iero, whose stoic and controlled nature let loose during “Past Lives,” the sneaky up-tempo punk rock anthem. As the fans in front of him headbanged and danced around, the pleasure was written all over his face. It was obvious that what they have built is a personal journey for Green. The lyrical content hits on many topics, and the emotional responses he displays are open for all to see. The monstrous chorus builds on his emo roots and is layered with backing vocals that add to the impact, and is executed to perfection.
Heading toward the encore break, L.S. Dunes dished out “Permanent Rebellion,” the straight-ahead punk rock teeth-clencher that had the general admission floor moving around. Followed by a track that was clearly personal to Green, “2022”. He reached out to the fans over and over, holding their hands and leaning over the monitors into the crowd. The stark contrast in songs made no difference in reaction. There was nothing L.S. Dunes could not be but supremely strong performers.
With the chants of “One more song” ringing out, the band walked back out after a very short-lived encore break. Green says, “You could’ve been anywhere in the busy town, but we are glad you’re here,” and gives a very large smile. L.S. Dunes decided to close with two tracks from their new album, Violet. With “PaperTigers” out of the break, the energy remained at a peak level, but closing with “Forgiveness,” whose lyrics are a nod to love and acceptance of one’s self, are littered throughout. It was an extreme high note to end on, and the crowd enjoyed every moment of it. This isn’t a flash in the pan moment. L.S. Dunes are for real, and they are better than most bands going right now. The creativity of the music is at its peak, and the performance of it is right there too.
Check out our concert photos from L.S. Dunes below:
As the night ended early due to weekday noise ordinances, the revved-up crowd started to make their way out into the streets. Some stopped by the merchandise stand, and others closed out tabs at the bars, but it was obvious to anyone with a pulse that no one wanted to leave. Despite how fantastic the performances were, it was hard to push the doors open to exit. Outside on the street, the air was filled with chatter and laughter. This is what is important and an underlying message in many of the songs tonight. No matter how rough the days are, these nights with incredible artists leave you feeling great, and it is worth the sacrifices to get through the day to see them. Tonight was certainly one of those nights.
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