Lansdowne love at the underworld 27th April 2026

Lansdowne are a hard rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in the early 2000s by vocalist Jon Ricci alongside guitarist Josh Waterman. Over the years they’ve built a strong following through consistent touring, independent releases, and a very active online fanbase, especially in the US rock scene. While they’ve never relied heavily on mainstream exposure, they’ve quietly built a loyal audience through streaming success, rock radio support, and years of touring across North America and Europe.

Their sound sits between modern hard rock and alternative metal, with a strong focus on big choruses and melodic songwriting without losing the heavier edge underneath. There are influences from early 2000s radio rock in there, but they’ve managed to avoid sounding dated by keeping things sharp and modern production-wise. Songs tend to balance emotional themes with a more anthemic feel, which translates well live.

They’ve also built a reputation as a very solid live band. A lot of that comes from how long they’ve been doing it. Nothing about them feels over-rehearsed or forced on stage. They know how to pace a set and how to read a room, which makes a difference in venues this size.

That experience showed pretty quickly once the set started.

From the opening songs, the crowd were fully with them. The room wasn’t chaotic, but it stayed active throughout, with people packed right up to the front and singing along wherever they could. Lansdowne approached the set with a lot of confidence, but without overdoing it. There wasn’t loads of stage talk or attempts to force reactions. They just focused on keeping the momentum going.

Musically, everything sounded tight. The guitars carried plenty of weight without drowning out the more melodic parts, and Jon Ricci’s vocals stayed strong throughout the set. That balance between heavier moments and cleaner hooks is a big part of what makes the band work, especially live where some bands can lean too far one way or the other.

The smaller setting helped too. In a venue like The Underworld, there’s not really any distance between the band and the crowd, and Lansdowne used that well. The interaction felt natural rather than rehearsed, and the room stayed engaged from start to finish because of it.

Lansdowne came across like a band that’s spent years learning exactly what works for them. Nothing about the set felt forced or overcomplicated. It was just a strong live performance from a band that knows how to connect with a crowd and keep things moving naturally.