Lord Huron at Merriweather Post Pavilion

July 29, 2025 - Columbia, MD

Photographed and Written by Caden Forrester @flicksby4ster

Lord Huron’s stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion was a night of immersive storytelling. The stage itself included part of the story through jagged canyon rock structures and a mysterious payphone. The background was included as a holographic backdrop changing with each song as if progressing the setting and story. At 9:00 Pm the story began with roaring applause.

Lord Huron put on an incredible show that blurred the line between indie/rock/theatre. They opened with the track “Who Laughs Last”, a moody, psychedelic tune that immediately set the tone. What followed through the set was an amazing mix of fresh material as well as older fan favorites. One moment the ampatheatre was jamming through the “Ends of the Earth” and next slowly swaying to “Bag of Bones”, a standout from their latest album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1. Frontman Ben Schneider’s vocals were on point and perfectly matched his fellow musicians' vibe of dusty folk storytelling with a touch of rock. Each song brought to the stage felt like a chapter in a larger narrative.

For this tour, Lord Huron brought a grand visual appeal to back the musicianship. The production could be described as rock opera meets vintage western film. There was definitely an old-timey Americana aesthetic featured on stage, along with actual black and white movie clips flickering in the backdrop and on a set of analog televisions on stage. At one point mid-show, during the waltz “Long Lost,” two dancers in period costume appeared and began to waltz across the stage, and even up into the crowd, acting out a scene of star-crossed lovers. In those moments, the performance transcended the typical concert performance and became something closer to theatre.

As the set progressed, the stage visuals evolved with the music. Later in the set, a canopy of vines with twinkling fairy lights descended, turning the stage into a moonlit forest, with constellations of stars shimmering on the stage behind the band. The amount of detail and care in the staging was absolutely extraordinary and was like nothing I had ever seen. It totally paid off in the performance, by deepening the emotional impact of each song, immersing the attendees in the world Lord Huron crafted that night.

Fittingly, one of the night’s most powerful moments came towards the end of the show when the first opening chords of “The Night We Met” began playing. Since its 2015 release, this song has taken on a life of its own, collecting a massive 3 billion streams on Spotify alone. The crowd erupted, and yet right before Schneider began singing, there was a moment of silent anticipation. Then, as Schneider sang the first lines, the thousands of voices returned to join him. It was loud, passionate, and cathartic. By the end of the song, I could see fans with tears welling in their eyes and just as many fans with a satisfied smile on their faces. Come the end of the song, the loudest roar of applause from the night began.

Lord Huron finally ended the night with “Digging Up the Past,” a serene and introspective piece that brought us down from the high of the night. The band gathered at the center stage and took a bow to a standing ovation from the lawn to the pit. The band delivered a spectacular performance that felt epic, and yet had a very personal feel. The crowd of nearly 20,000 attendees was expressing that to the band.

Waxahatchee

Waxahatchee opened the stage, performing with a five-piece band immediately drew the attention of the filling venue. Waxahatchee has a strong voice, singing about honest topics in her music. I would say that the element of honesty is what separates a good songwriter from a great one, and I would say Waxahatchee is a great one.

Her music explores topics of love, loneliness, and self-discovery. She exuded a humble sense of confidence and filled the air with rich vocals and guitar. Despite being the opening act, Waxahatchee made a lasting impression. Her newer material from Tigers Blood (her 2024 album) blended seamlessly with the quiet acoustic to alt-country vibe she brought. By the time she strummed the final chords of “Fire,” she had easily won over those in the audience who weren’t familiar with her. It felt as if Waxahatchee’s set had set the emotional tone for the night. Her performance set the tone of authenticity. It's not so often that a headliner and opener complement each other so well, but in this case, it felt like two halves of the whole experience had come together. Together, they delivered a memorable experience at Merriweather that was both sincere and spectacular.