Rachael Price didn’t know what she was walking into. Standing on the stage of Mohegan Sun Arena, the Lake Street Dive frontwoman admitted she had assumed the band would be playing a ballroom at best, given that the venue is attached to a casino. The full arena that greeted her instead seemed to genuinely catch her off guard. It was a good problem to have.
The crowd that filled it was equally happy to be there. Lake Street Dive have been at this since 2004, and while the band cycled through plenty of different sounds and styles over the years, it was “Side Pony” in 2015, their first release under Nonesuch Records, that cracked them into the mainstream. More than two decades into their run, the most striking thing about watching them live in 2026 is how much fun they’re still clearly having. This was only the second stop on their current tour, and every member on that stage looked genuinely delighted to be standing on it.
Opener CARRTOONS warmed up the room before Lake Street Dive launched into “Hypotheticals” to kick off the evening. The set moved through familiar favorites like “Good Together” and “Bad Self Portraits” landing to the kind of crowd response that comes from songs their fans have been rocking to for years.
A mid-set highlight came when the band gathered around a single mic for an acoustic mini-set, a tradition for anyone who has seen them live before. A Jackson 5 cover of “I Want You Back” and a take on The Cranberries’ “Linger” had all the phones out recording, and a new song “It’s Getting Late” fit in perfectly to close out the mini-set.
The other new track of the night arrived earlier in the set. “Vegas Mattress,” written by drummer Mike Calabrese, tells the story of an Airbnb host who became deeply, perhaps unreasonably proud of a hotel mattress he had tracked down and installed in his rental. It’s exactly as silly as it sounds, and it fits the band’s energy perfectly. Lake Street Dive have always been a band that can move between genuine emotional depth and complete absurdity without losing the thread, and “Vegas Mattress” landed squarely in the latter category to the crowd’s delight.
The encore closed things out on a high note. “Rich Girl,” their Hall & Oates cover that went viral years back and introduced a lot of people to the band in the first place, followed by “Good Kisser” to send a full arena home happy. Twenty-two years in, Lake Street Dive are still figuring out new rooms to fill and new songs to write about mattresses. The party is clearly not winding down anytime soon.
Their 2026 tour continues through the spring and summer. Get your tickets here.
Nathan Smith is a Providence-based music photographer and journalist focusing on capturing the special moments and unfiltered magic of live performances. Whether he’s shooting established artists at sold-out TD Garden shows or documenting the rise of emerging local bands, his goal is the same: to pull viewers directly into the heart of the moment.
His writing spotlights rising artists and local scenes, with a focus on telling the stories that often get overlooked. A lifelong music fan and musician himself, Nathan approaches interviews and portraits as conversations rather than transactions, building trust with artists so their genuine personalities can shine through. Whether he’s backstage, in the photo pit, or at home in front of the keyboard, he brings the same curiosity and care to every assignment.
Outside of his press work with Juice Box Press, Nathan works regularly as a photographer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous bands in the Boston and Providence area. Nathan also plays violin with a local orchestra, follows Celtics basketball almost religiously, and is an avid fantasy reader.