House of Music

The Darkness

Emo’s

Austin, TX

November 8, 2025

Photos and Review by Roy Vergara

Emo’s felt alive before the lights even dimmed. Fans filled the floor early, settling into their pre-show routines. Some lined up at the bar for tallboys, others flipped through shirts and vinyl at the merch table tucked into the back corner. The buzz in the room grew as the crew made final adjustments on stage. It wasn’t just another Saturday night in Austin. This stop on The Dreams on Toast Tour marked The Darkness’s return with a new record and the same bold energy that made Permission to Land impossible to ignore when it first dropped in 2003.

At 7:50 pm, Mark Daly opened the night with a short but strong set. His voice carried the kind of grit that wins a crowd quickly, and his sincerity came through between songs. “From the bottom of our heart, America is the best place to play,” he said sincerely with a grin. He closed with “Better Off Alone,” thanked the crowd, and his band stepped off at 8:29 pm to well-earned applause.

At 9:03 pm, the lights dropped and The Darkness exploded onto the stage with “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy.” Justin Hawkins appeared in a maroon velvet western-style top with matching pants and a brown wide-brimmed hat, looking every bit the glam rock cowboy Austin never knew it needed. The first notes hit, his falsetto soared, and the room erupted. You could feel how much people had missed this kind of show: loud, theatrical, and full of life.

The set moved fast. The band’s chemistry was tight, their sound sharp and heavy without losing its playful edge. Justin worked the stage like it was home, cracking jokes, jumping on monitors, and pulling the crowd into every moment. His brother Dan kept the riffs tight while Frankie Poullain locked in on bass with effortless groove. Midway through, drummer Rufus Taylor dedicated a song to his son’s fifth birthday, and the entire crowd joined in for an off-key but heartfelt version of “Happy Birthday” that somehow fit the moment perfectly.

At 10:27 pm, Justin leaned into the mic and asked everyone to put their phones away. “This is the one,” he said. A pause, then the unmistakable riff of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” tore through the room. The crowd erupted, voices rising over the guitars. For a few minutes, every person in Emo’s felt connected, singing the same words with the same joy.

After a short break, the band returned at 10:36 pm for a two-song encore. “I Hate Myself” came first, raw and heavy, followed by an interlude of “The Power of Love,” closing the night with a mix of humor and heart. Justin thanked Mark Daly, the fans, and the city before waving goodbye at 10:54 pm, smiling as the lights came up.

As the crowd spilled into the cool Austin night, you could still hear voices carrying bits of the final chorus down Riverside. People smiled, still buzzing from what they’d just witnessed. More than twenty years after Permission to Landfirst made them unforgettable, The Darkness proved they still have the heart, humor, and sheer joy that make rock feel alive. For a few hours, everyone believed again.

Check out the gallery below to relive the night or see what you missed.

Mark Daly

The Darkness