After the frenzied guitar and drum driven rock and roll of the Japandroids over in the shade of the B-stage (my favorite set of the entire weekend), I strolled over to the A-stage—which was awash under the first completely clear and sun drenched sky of the festival—in order to catch the spacey sounds of the French band M83. I have seen M83 a few times before, in the relatively dark, dank Triple Rock. With that in mind it was truly a revelation to hear the band’s atmospheric music lifted skywards without being constrained by a club. I think it was the perfect combination of the sun overhead and the sounds onstage that really made this set work for me. M83’s set was relatively the same as others I’ve seen before, but the surroundings and the timing just seemed to make it marvelous.

The band kicked off its uplifting set with the driving rhythms of “Graveyard Girl” that was exalted and sublime. And that momentum carried through the remainder of the set, with all three members smiling and enjoying themselves throughout the entire performance (I still don’t know what became of guitarist Pierre Marie-Maulani, who had joined the band the previous two times I’ve seen them). The diminished lineup left more of the responsibility for crafting the band’s epic, sprawling sounds squarely on the shoulders of Anthony Gonzalez, who spent most of the show alternating between guitar and keyboards, often coaxing sounds out of both at the same time. “We Own The Sky” was a song that really benefited from being heard outdoors, and the majestic sounds floated all over the park and seemed to cause everyone to smile. “Kim & Jessie” is a full-blown hit for the band now, thanks to the utter catchiness of the track and the affectionately retro video, and the crowd responded with their largest roar of the set once the familiar strains of the keyboards kicked in.

“Skin Of The Night” was gorgeous, with the pounding drums of Loic Maurin locking in with the angelic vocals of Morgan Kibby throughout the stirring song. The band dug into its back catalog for a couple songs from 2005’s Before The Dawn Heals Us, hitting the crowd with the dynamic one-two punch of “Don’t Save Us From The Flames” and “A Guitar And A Heart,” which were both fantastic, and again soared under the early evening sun. The band closed with the epic “Couleurs,” which has been a regular set closer in each of the last two shows I’ve seen. It’s such a wonderful song, with an exuberant, almost disco-like beat and an energy that is palpable and contagious. It seemed like everyone was dancing or at least moving something around me and was a definite highlight of not only M83’s set but the entire day. The band came out for a group bow to a rousing ovation, and both the band and the crowd were smiling and satisfied with a set that energized us all.

[review by Erik Thompson, photos by Jon Behm]

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Also: M83 “We Own The Sky” Video