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Apr 12, 2012 M83 By Laura Studarus Photography by Laura Studarus

Over the last year I’ve spilt more (digital) ink over Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming than any other album. It’s a fantastic trick that M83 frontman Anthony Gonzalez plays, heavily referencing childhood in his work. Deny M83, and you’re denying your childlike wonder of the world around you…at least, if your childhood was as 1980s-synth driven as mine was.

The band’s set at KROQ was brief—but a major landmark for the group, who over the last year has gone from indie darlings to household names. (Well…music lovers’ households anyway.) “I can’t believe they’re interested in shitty music like M83!” frontman Anthony Gonzalez joked, before adding that the first time he heard “Midnight City” on the radio it was on KROQ. “I couldn’t believe it, surely it wasn’t real. Was it coming from my phone?”

The four-piece band (which includes keyboardist/vocalist Morgan Kibby who has been tour blogging for our website) crashed through the five-song set, which heavily favored material from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. The surprise holdout was Daft Punk cover “Fall”—which M83 remixed alongside fellow Los Angeles act Big Black Delta for 2010 film, Tron Legacy. The song featured Kibby on guitar—clearly, having fun on a new instrument.

The set closed with “Midnight City,” the band’s riotous live take inciting the room to enthusiastic amounts of head bobbing. Perhaps most enjoyable (if not all-together-unexpected) was the inclusion of a live saxophone player to round out the song’s unironic, anthemic climax. With everything working against the M83 (daylight, super short set, audience roughtly two inches away) it was impressive/reassuring to see that—in short—they still rock.

Setlist:

1. Intro

2. Reunion

3. Fall

4. Steve McQueen

5. Midnight City

(www.ilovem83.com)