M83 lead singer Anthony Gonzalez may never have formally introduced Kaela Sinclair to the packed house at Dallas venue Bomb Factory Friday night, but all eyes were on the North Texas native, who last month landed the gig as the French band's keyboardist ahead of thousands of applicants worldwide.
Here in her hometown, Sinclair made friends, family and fans proud -- and if we're being totally honest, there were moments she stole the show.
The Dallas concert served as a sort of album release party for the electro-pop band, which dropped Junk, its seventh studio effort, on April 8. While Sinclair is not featured on the record, she did it justice with intermittent help from French singer Mai Lan, who guest stars on four of the tracks and is touring with M83.
When we spoke with Sinclair last week before the performance, she did not seem nervous in the slightest to be touring with a band of international acclaim, thanks in part what she called an "intense" rehearsal schedule of eat, practice, sleep, repeat. Instead she exuded confidence and excitement to get on the road, explore the world and headline high-profile festivals like Coachella this spring.
Dallas was the second stop on M83's tour behind New Orleans, and that first concert energized Sinclair, she told us.
“The most thrilling part is just getting on stage and feeling that energy," she said by phone. "It’s crazy! It is definitely a 'Pinch me, am I dreaming?' kind of thing."
To be clear, Sinclair is filling no mere backup role. She is the primary keyboard player, who flanked Gonzalez at the front of Bomb Factory's stage Friday night. Sure, she sang backup and harmonies during space odyssey "Steve McQueen," the ever-dreamy "We Own the Sky," and sprightly new tune "Do It, Try It," but M83's show afforded Sinclair moments all her own.
She commanded the spotlight on "Oblivion," a female-led track commissioned for the movie by the same name, nailing it note for note and sending chills through the audience. And the encore, which featured three tracks ("Intro," "For The Kids," and "Laser Gun"), seemed curated to showcase the Texan's talents with powerful yet whimsical solos.
Even if you didn’t know she was a local, Sinclair was impossible to miss, her waist-length pink and purple locks bouncing to the beat. Lead singer Gonzalez also seemed particularly fond of her, spending bits of songs in front of her keyboard as if he were telepathically high-fiving her for rocking the stage. (Talk about chemistry!)
Of course, M83 is widely popular because of what they were able to accomplish ahead of recruiting Sinclair -- namely energetic pop songs from beloved epic Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, swirling saxophone parts and enough melodic moaning to charm the pants off listeners -- all of which were in play Friday night.
But if the band was missing a piece, Sinclair is most definitely it, the secret ingredient that elevates an average apple pie to that crave-worthy slice like grandma used to make. We hope Gonzalez and company know just how lucky they are to have her.
See more pics of the show below:
