Lord Huron – Armory – Minneapolis MN – July 22nd 2025

Lord Huron live at the Armory with special guests Lee Fields on July 22nd 2025

Review and photos by Peyton Rondeau

Lee Fields Warms Up the Armory with Timeless Power

Before the swirling desert mirages and cinematic visuals of Lord Huron took over The Armory in Minneapolis, it was Mr. Lee Fields, the legendary soul crooner from North Carolina, who set the emotional tone for the night. Backed by a tight, groovy band, Fields turned the massive venue into a time capsule of love, heartache, and raw, human truth.

A Voice That Holds the Years

At 74, Lee Fields doesn’t just sing soul, he embodies it. The man moves like a preacher, sings like a prophet, and commands a stage like he’s still playing a packed juke joint in 1973. From the very first note, the crowd was pulled into his orbit. His vocals, raspy yet soaring, poured out like molasses over a slow burn.

The setlist leaned into his most recent record, Sentimental Fool (2022), including the aching title track and the smoldering “Ordinary Lives”, which drew appreciative applause from an audience mostly there for Lord Huron, but visibly moved. He also dipped into past favorites like “Honey Dove” and “You’re the Kind of Girl”, which landed with timeless charm.

A Masterclass in Groove & Grace

Though Fields was the opener, there was nothing secondary about his presence. Dressed sharp in a suit that caught the lights with every twist and turn, he worked the room like a man on a mission: to remind us what it feels like to feel.

Behind him, his band delivered punchy horn lines, rich organ fills, and steady funk-infused rhythms. They were vintage but never dusty, bringing a warmth and soul that contrasted beautifully with the futuristic visuals that would follow later in Lord Huron’s set.

Crowd Connection

While some opening acts struggle for attention in a big venue like The Armory, Fields had the crowd in his pocket within two songs. Between tracks, he offered brief but heartfelt reflections on love, perseverance, and the importance of “real music that comes from the heart.”

He wasn’t preaching nostalgia, he was delivering authenticity. When he belted the final chorus of “Forever”, eyes were closed, arms were swaying, and at least a few tears were shed.

A Contrast That Worked

What made Lee Fields’ set so effective, especially paired with Lord Huron, was the emotional and stylistic contrast. Where Lord Huron leans into surreal, cosmic storytelling and ambient mystery, Fields stands flat-footed on Earth and sings about real, tangible heartache. That grounding presence made for a perfect prologue: the raw soul before the dreamscape.

Final Thoughts: A Living Legend at Work

Lee Fields didn’t just warm up the crowd, he transformed the space. In 45 soul-drenched minutes, he reminded Minneapolis why live music matters: it connects us, humbles us, and tells us truths we sometimes forget we need to hear.

A soul singer of rare sincerity, Lee Fields proved, yet again, that some voices only get more powerful with time.

A Night at The Armory: Lord Huron’s Cosmic Selector Tour

On July 22, 2025, indie-folk collective Lord Huron descended upon The Armory in Minneapolis in support of their freshly released fifth studio album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, which dropped just four days earlier on July 18.

Opening the Cosmic Record

At 8:35 PM, Lord Huron made their entrance with “Who Laughs Last”, immediately immersing the crowd in pulsing rhythms and eerie spoken-word flourishes from Kristen Stewart—a surreal collision of indie-folk mysticism and cinematic drama

They flowed straight into “Looking Back” and “Bag of Bones”, standout tracks from the new album which showcased their ability to fuse haunting reflection with a gritty, Western-tinged energy

A Cinematic Setlist Journey

With a runtime near 1 hour 50 minutes, the evening’s setlist was a tapestry weaving together new material from Cosmic Selector with beloved staples like “Frozen Pines,” “The Night We Met,” and “The World Ender.” The band moved effortlessly between introspective soundscapes and anthemic crescendos, creating a live experience that felt both intimate and epic.

Sound, Vision & Atmosphere

The stage visuals, production, and live band tightness; where to even begin? The lighting and stagecraft seemed to echo the album’s cosmic metaphor, with projections and cinematic backdrops shaping an atmosphere of drifting wonder and intimate introspection.

Musically, Ben Schneider’s vocals felt vulnerable and sincere throughout, supported by Miguel Briseño, Tom Renaud, and Mark Barry in a tight interplay of guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussive textures that brought the studio compositions to life.

Closing the Journey

The encore, featuring “The World Ender,” “Nothing I Need,” “Not Dead Yet”, and “Digging Up the Past”, wrapped the show in a sense of cosmic wandering: existential, hopeful, and emotionally charged. It was a journey of reflection and acceptance in the existential jukebox of life.

Final Take

Lord Huron’s night at Minneapolis’ Armory was a masterclass in immersive storytelling through music. The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 served as both launchpad and narrative spine, while the band’s live execution elevated it into something atmospheric and visceral. If you seek music that dials into the cosmic uncertainties of choice, loss, nostalgia, and possibility—this was your soundtrack.

Whether you’re deeply familiar with the band’s catalog or encountering them live for the first time, the show hit with emotional resonance and cinematic flair.

Lord Huron didn’t just perform—they built a world. And for an evening at the Armory, we were glad to drift within it.