A little help from my friends: Traveling through time and space with M83

This was probably my most memorable concert that I have recently attended. No, it wasn’t the band. It wasn’t the spectacular lighting. This time, instead of fighting a crowd or standing behind the tallest guy in the room praying that my iPhone would take a decent picture that wouldn’t come out blurry, I had an actual photo pass.  I was in front of the rail right against the stage. I could literally reach up and touch the musicians playing right in front of me.

My photo pass gave me up close and personal access that I wouldn’t normally have. Having the ability to be so close to the band meant I didn’t have to worry about fighting the drunken girl next to me in order to get a shot.

I returned once again to The Mill and Mine, and this time I was seeing a band that I was already a major fan of, M83. Even if you don’t recognize the name M83, you’ve probably heard their music. It has recently popularized the screens of some of today’s most popular movies such as “Oblivion”, “The Fault in Our Stars” and the “Divergent” series. The band has been around since 2001 and is what I would consider a pioneering band in alternative electronic music.

This French electronic band formed in Antibes, France, is currently based in Los Angeles and has released seven albums and two soundtracks including Grammy-nominated “Hurry Up We’re Dreaming.”

The band was electrifying. Not only was the music mixed into a symphony of electronic music and vocals, but the lighting also was beyond spectacular. Through the span of three hours, I was taken through the time space continuum that was created by the musical geniuses that are M83.

The music created a celestial ambiance that could only be described as mesmerizing. Each new song carried you to a different time and space. When Midnight City began to play, the audience fell into ghostly silence—captivated by the music they had once only heard from the speakers of their headphones.

I was entranced by the sheer energy of their lead guitarist/bassist, Jordan Lawler. His presence on stage was something that could not be ignored, and his ability to switch from base to guitar to percussions was infatuating. Along with his undeniable talent, he was fascinating to watch. He moved around the stage with an intensity that was “cool” yet direct.

Kaela Sinclair, keyboardist and vocalist, sang in a voice that could only be described as heavenly. With help from M83’s front man, Anthony Gonzales, the two created a harmony that was unearthly satisfying. That combined with the rhythmic Loic Maurin on drums was enough to send any music fan into complete euphoria.

I was so lucky to finally be able to photograph as a journalist instead of an audience member. I will hopefully return to The Mill and Mine in the future whether its fighting a crowd or enjoying trying to capture the perfect moment praying that they will “do something cool” This opportunity will hopefully lead to more advances in my journalistic future or at least better pictures for my Instagram. In any case I was finally where I needed to be as a journalist reviewing a band.