The stage lights up red, smoke filling the floor as an automated voice begins to speak.
“Things aren’t always as they seem,” said Iris, the automated voice guiding the audience. “Everything, in fact, is not black and white.”
After an almost four-year hiatus, The Neighbourhood announced tour dates on Nov. 3, 2025, listing Austin as their first stop on “The Wourld Tour.” Separated into three acts, the band delivered a nostalgic performance spanning over 90 minutes, performing both newer songs such as “OMG,” “Planet” and “Good Grief,” while paying tribute to older ones including “Afraid,” “Daddy Issues” and “Sweater Weather.” The band began the show with “Hula Girl,” the first track off of their newest album, (((((ultraSOUND))))).
One of the night’s most intimate moments came during “Planet.” As the stage lit up with Planet Earth, the audience held up their flashlights, becoming part of the performance.
“That’s the right idea,” Jesse Rutherford, lead singer of The Neighbourhood, said in response to the lights.
Before entering Act Two, the audience was issued a warning: we were about to begin the ballad section of the show.
“Make sure tissues are accessible,” Iris said.
The band began the second act with “Baby Came Home 2,” marking the song’s first live performance since 2016. With the lyrics “don’t just sit in front of me and wait for me to talk,” the song served as a smooth, emotional transition into the ballads following Act One closing interlude, “Devil’s Advocate,” a notoriously moody track.
During “The Beach,” the second song in Act Two, ocean waves projected onto the stage floor and backdrop. Iris’s warning proved necessary with the lyrics “I can admit, I am not fireproof” and “I feel it burning me” as they echoed through the venue, the emotion undeniable.
“Cherry Flavoured” marked the midpoint of Act Two, featuring psychedelic patterns on the stage floor and backdrop. The images during the song encapsulated the false perception of love in the song. Lyrics “Sweet and sour motivation / Wish I could keep concentration,” and “Slow dancin’ with the devil / Sent my soul on a lil’ vacation,” displaying a deep disconnect from your body when you’re in love for the wrong reasons.
The second act ended with “Private,” the ninth track off their newest album. This part of the performance featured a call-and-response and a tutorial from Rutherford during the chorus.
Act Three began with the song “Lovebomb” and ended with the iconic “Softcore.” The act built anticipation from the audience, choosing to start with a more recent song before ending with one of their most known.
The performance of “Softcore” was the first time the band had played it live altogether since 2019. Multicolored lights flashed at the first beat of the song, the stage backdrop displaying the band members showed a visual like a cracked mirror, alluding to the lyrics “I’ve been confused as of late” and “I can hear the sound of breaking down.”
The Neighbourhood’s first show in over four years came to an end. The stage went black — band members waving goodnight to the audience and cheers echoing throughout the Moody Center.
