Hello, Hello, Hello Austin! Yungblud brings IDOLS WORLD Tour to Moody Amphitheater with The warning and Hometown rocker Emily Wolfe
Austin is heating up, and outdoor concerts are about to get intense. Here, we don’t move shows indoors for the summer. Instead, we grab our refillable water bottles and cooling bandanas. We brave the heat and humidity to see our favorite bands. Moody Amphitheater is no different; there are no breaks from the weather. Fortunately, for the Yungblud Idols Tour show in late May, we enjoyed sunny skies and a few breezes. Moody Amphitheater is an open-air venue that holds 5,000 people in the 11-acre Waterloo Park downtown, surrounded by office buildings and high-rises. The venue offers a VIP pit, seated sections, and a raised lawn for general admission. Even when it’s sold out, Moody Amphitheater feels busy but not overwhelming. You can still step away to the skywalk for some fresh air.
A good concert opener can become your next favorite band. That was the case with Emily Wolfe, Austin’s own guitar powerhouse. She stepped on stage with her white double-neck guitar and immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. Her set mixed rock and blues, both modern and nostalgic. Recently, RØKKR Contributor Nathan published the piece “Why Skipping the Opener Is a Rookie Move,” and Emily Wolfe’s set proved that point. Those who did were rewarded. Anyone stuck in I35 traffic missed a performance that could have headlined the show. The standout moment was her new song, “Lips,” the first single from her upcoming album and a perfect pick for Summer 2026.
The energy kept going with The Warning, a trio of sisters from Monterrey, Mexico. Though young, they have played together for years and gained a massive following. Fans watched them grow from playing Rock Band at home to becoming a global act. The band includes sisters Daniela (guitar and vocals), Paulina (drums), and Alejandra (bass), who started the band in 2013 when they were just 13, 11, and 9 years old. I always get excited when I see a drum kit front and center. As a photographer, I know I’ll get great drummer shots, but I also know I’m in for a show. Daniela, the singer and guitarist, greeted the crowd with a cheery wave, then blazed through their set. She dissolved any audience preconceptions that this was just another girl guitar band. Watching the audience, it was clear by the adoration of folks as far back on the lawn that they were there for The Warning. For those seeing the band for the first time, I'm certain they added their songs to their playlists on the way home.
Yungblud took the stage shortly after. As a side note, this was an impressive changeover. I’ve been to shows of that size with fewer or no special effects, yet the headliner took three times as long to appear. Though he didn’t ride to the venue on a horse, like in Dallas, Yungblud broadcast his arrival on the screen. Anticipation built slowly among the fans. The folks at the barricade gripped the railing tightly and had their phones ready. Fog filled the stage, and the War Pigs riff teased his entrance a few times. Once the stage was full of fog, Yungblud appeared. Fans filmed, jumped, clapped, and SCREAMED. As someone who has spent countless hours in a pit, I identify this as a “you traveled the world to play for me" scream. You couldn’t help but get the chills. Dressed in a cheetah-print vest and sunglasses, soon to be gone, since we know he does not perform with a shirt, he launched into his epic 9-minute anthem "Hello, Heaven, Hello." The first chorus was punctuated by cannons blasting confetti into the crowd. When the confetti cleared and the fog dispersed, tracking Yungblud across the stage was like following a race car. He was everywhere at once, racing side to side, back and forth. It was baffling and mesmerizing. I can’t recall the last time I witnessed that type of energy on a stage.
As concert photographers, we get a unique view of live shows. We’re tuned in to everything happening around us. We’re just a few feet from the band in the pit and right in front of the most dedicated fans at the barricade. We stand between the performance and the crowd’s reactions. Usually, at bigger venues, we have only a short time to capture that energy. After that, we can move through the crowd. Sometimes, we still take photos; other times, we just watch to see how people react farther from the stage. Often, as you get to the back, even at sold-out shows, the audience feels less connected. You might see groups chatting or people on their phones. Sometimes there are empty seats from those who left early to beat the parking garage slog. But at Yungblud’s show, from the barricade to the last row on the lawn, seats were full, and everyone was fully engaged. It was one of those unforgettable shows that gives you chills even days later.
