Tennyson, Yeasayer, M83 perform at the Greek Theater

On Friday, electronic band Tennyson, indie-rock band Yeasayer and indie-electronic music group M83 performed at the Greek Theater. Tennyson, a Canadian brother-sister duo, opened the show with Luke Pretty on keyboard and Tess Pretty on drums. Throughout their performance, the music group showcased their instrumental abilities accompanied by their recent foray into lyrical invention.

Luke Pretty especially engaged the audience with “Fault Line,” from their EP Like What. Percussive trills from his performance on the xylophone complemented the song. The lyrics, upon a return to the chorus with, “Why can’t we escape / You and I could leave this all behind / Now is not too late / I know we can get it right this time,” underscored the chemistry between the two. They moved along to the beat and smiled through the music with such synchronization and ease that it came as a surprise when Tess Pretty revealed their “stage fright.” Nevertheless, Tennyson’s talents exceeded their limited resume, leading Yeasayer, who followed, to say that the duo “tore it up” on stage.

Bookended by two electronic groups, it would have been easy to get drowned out by reverie from the same vein. Instead, Yeasayer held their own, presenting some of their old favorites and new ventures.

Formed in 2006, the Brooklyn-based band featured their setlist in an almost chronologically influenced fashion. One of Yeasayer’s first performances, “Madder Red,” demonstrated the exuberance of rock bands from the 1970s, like Led Zeppelin or Kansas. With “Never gave a thought to honorable living / Always had sense enough to lie / It’s getting hard pretending / I’m with your time,” audience members could feel the nomadic spirit in the piece. Later, “O.N.E.” and “Sunrise” evoked influences from 1980s rock groups.

The energy from Yeasayer’s act transferred over when M83 took the stage. The French group opened with “Reunion,” a fitting piece as this year marked the band’s reassembly after a five-year hiatus with Junk.

The audience felt the remarkability of the band, on stage together again, as well. As lead singer Alex Gonzalez sang, “There’s no more single fate / You make me feel myself,” fans responded with the chorus as a fluorescent light show pontificated the beat.

Songs that followed highlighted the multifaceted talent of each band member. Gonzalez, the lead singer, was a triple threat, playing bass and keyboard in other sets. He riffed with guitar player Jordan Lawlor, who also provided vocals in addition to drums. Kaela Sinclair, the most recent addition to the band, lent her vocals to songs such as “Oblivion.” As the background synth swelled with “And in your dreams you’ll see us falling, falling / And in the night you’ll hear me calling,” Sinclair personified a range not unlike Grimes or Joanna Newsom.

The most beautiful presentation came with “Wait.” The song, popularized by the movie The Fault in Our Stars, featured a performance from an interpretive dancer who followed the somber tone of the music with the contortion of her body. “Wait” lacks lyrical density, so the presentation of the dance, with drummer Loïc Maurin’s acuity, elevated what otherwise could have been a stale production.

Of course, when the opening of “Midnight City” — the single that catapulted M83 to stardom in 2012 — blared across the amphitheater, the audience roared with excitement. The song was particularly special, since Gonzalez found the inspiration for the piece from observing downtown Los Angeles at night. The lyrics “Waiting for a word / Looking at the milky skyline / The city is my church / It wraps me in a milky skyline” were then aptly sang before a midnight blue backdrop.

After concluding their set, the group came back after the audience demanded an encore, with “Moon Crystal,” “Couleurs” and “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun.” The pieces were completely instrumental and featured the M83 members completely in their element.

And with that, M83 left the stage for good, concluding a show that was all about the music. Each act, from Tennyson to Yeasayer to the headliner M83, was completely dedicated to staying true to their sound. The result was a show with no frills that stirred the audience no less.