Concert Review - M83

A night at the Opera House.

Went to see one of my favorite bands the other night. Synth-gaze extraordinaire Anthony Gonzalez AKA M83 w/ School of Seven Bells.


After a cold 35 minute wait to get into the Opera House, a friend and I b-lined it for the best balcony seats in the venue to prepare for a night of soundscapes and dream like synths. The opener School of Seven Bells was just about as good a fit for M83 as there could be. Fronted by two beautiful twin sisters and male guitar counterpart, this trio blistered into a frenzy of fuzzed out bliss that was at times part Cocteau Twins, part Jesus and Mary Chain. Although there was a lack of merch for the band I will be seeking out their CD's for my collection.

Now, on to M83:

The set list was a great mix of old and new with a excellent stage dynamic that fit the transition. Two hulking keyboards occupied the front of the stage where Gonzalez bounced between guitars and standing at his electronic home base. The only critique I can make is some of the track list was a little low energy then I would have liked. Stand out tracks like "Don't save us from the flames" and "Teen angst" were met with roaring applause and sounded almost as if they were recordings.

M83 was a great way to end my 2008 live concert outings as Toronto doesn't have any worthwhile shows until the new year.

I guess I will have to find something else to write about.