Rising stars from Los Angeles, Senses, stole the show at Empire Live as the opening act. Stage theatrics detracted from headliners Marianas Trench‘s set, while the Summer Set solidly delivered on the nostalgia.

(l-r) Marianas Trench’s Matt Webb, Josh Ramsay, and Ian Casselman at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (September 30, 2025) – photo by Pat Rogers for NYS Music

It wasn’t irony. It wasn’t a TikTok wink. It was their conviction that turned Empire Live into their house. Pure, high voltage. For nearly thirty blistering minutes, Senses weren’t an opener. They were the main event.

– Pat Rogers for NYS Music