The crowd for Empire of the Sun spilled out of the Gotham tent they performed at and into the open grass. Many fans were anxious to see their glamorous, spacey set. Lead singer Luke Steele called New York “the greatest city on the earth!” It was a funny statement, because he said it as if he wasn’t a member of the planet. And by the way he and crew were dressed—otherworldly helmets with long visors, dancers in tight costumes and tentacled arms—it would have been hard to argue otherwise. When it came to music, "Walking on a Dream,” earned the most cheers.
Before hitting the stage, Steele took a second to sit down with Billboard for an interview. He talked about what the vibe is like backstage and noted that after spending some time with rock legend Prince, “I love getting flowers in the dressing rooms, so backstage feels like a heavenly revelation. It feels like you’re a prince about to grace a whole crowd of princesses.”