Lord Huron & Allison Ponthier Provide New Yorkers With Two Nights of Folky Indie Rock

As part of their headlining US fall 2021 tour, indie rockers Lord Huron played two sets at the Pier 17 rooftop in New York City along with singer-songwriter and opener Allison Ponthier. 

From rowdy, upbeat folk tunes to romantic, fingerpicked ballads, Lord Huron and Allison Ponthier treated New Yorkers to two shows on September 16 and 17 at the Pier 17 rooftop overlooking New York City’s Financial District. With cowboy hat-wearing attendees, a stage full of fake cacti, tumbleweeds, and elevated, makeshift “mountains,” both acts played into a western, folk-rock feel. Lyrical themes of love, loss, journeys, and traveling through nature brought country-inspired flair although brightly lit skyscrapers surrounded the stage. 

With a set dedicated to their latest record, Long Lost released in May, Lord Huron played several live renditions of tracks off of it, including blue, reflective, and lovestruck songs such as “Not Dead Yet,” “Love Me Like You Used To” and “Where Did The Time Go.” They also paid homage to their past records and most noteworthy career-spanning hits. 

Before Lord Huron began their set with “The Moon Doesn’t Mind,” Allison Ponthier opened the night with her heartfelt, acoustic, and country-tinged indie-folk. The singer-songwriter thanked the crowd while telling them that this tour was her first major one across the country and that “Cowboy” was an immensely significant track to her. Before playing it, she shouted out her girlfriend, who was watching and honored her Texas upbringing and love for her new home of New York. She garnered cheers and claps in return while treating the audience to confessional and stripped-back tracks such as “Harshest Critic,” “Tornado Country,” and the title track to her 2021 EP, Faking My Own Death, released in August. 

After Ponthier’s set, Lord Huron began setting up, preparing for an evening of cheerful and buoyant tunes that encouraged concertgoers to dance and sway as well as steady, earnest and wholehearted love songs with fingerpicked instrumentals. Memorable fan favorites, including the spirited and jovial, “Meet Me In The Woods,” “Fool for Love” and “Ends of The Earth” received overwhelming applause and audible praise from many in attendance. Lord Huron performed live performances of beloved tracks from each of their records, including 2018’s Vide Noir, 2015’s Strange Trails, and 2012’s Lonesome Dreams, their debut.  The group also brought out Ponthier for their collaborative track, “I Lied,” which featured harmonized vocals from frontman Ben Schneider and Ponthier.

While climbing elevated “mountains” onstage and emulating cowboy-esque dancing styles, Schneider’s infectious stage presence entertained and amused throughout the night before closing with a sentimental four-song encore. The band’s most popular track, “The Night We Met” was played second-to-last with the final track being “The Stranger,” off their debut record. 

Lord Huron will continue to tour the US with opener Allison Ponthier this fall and tour dates can be found here.