Audio By Carbonatix
In 1998, electronic pop royalty Air released their debut album, “Moon Safari,” which gave them instant mainstream success, allowing them to compose and produce the score for Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides.” A year later, one of their singles was used for a scene in “10 Things I Hate About You.” This teed them up for several decades of popularity among loyal fans and cult classic enjoyers alike.
On Friday, the quintessentially French band graced the Arizona Financial Theatre with “Moon Safari,” after DJ Vegyn’s reprisal of it. They left the crowd on their feet, begging for an encore twice.
The stage was furnished with a white frame, encapsulating all three touring band members in a box that projected an explosive light show, and images of lips painted in red and 60s-style mascara-covered eyes.
The show kicked off with a sweet, dreamy performance of “La Femme d’argent,” before electrifying the audience with a loud and buzzy rendition of their triumph, “Sexy Boy.”
The most impressive aspect of their set was the quality of the production — each hit of the drum pierced through the hum of the synthesizers and guitars, creating the perfect balance of sound. At points, they traveled between being reminiscent of a distortion-heavy Sonic Youth breakdown and the clean, electronic style of Aphex Twin. But consistently, they kept that misty, romantic vibe that makes them Air.
The bandmates, in their matching white jumpsuits, guided the crowd through the rest of the album in a short 30 minutes, before saying “Merci!” and leaving the stage with wine glasses in hand.
The audience, charmed with Doc Martens and septum piercings, clapped in unison, chanting for more. A man who had earlier boasted to the woman in front of him about seeing the Cocteau Twins and Ride in Ireland put a peace sign in the air and screamed at the top of his lungs.
As requested, the band returned with the second portion of their set, beginning with their 2001 song “Radian.” They followed up with “Cherry Blossom Girl” and the screen behind them lit up in tones of calming powder pink. Earlier this year, the band went viral for bringing Charli XCX out to sing the vocals for the song — instead of light pink, the screen blasted “Brat” green, of course.
They later played “Highschool Lover,” which was nothing short of tear-inducing and magical. The group then played their second selection from “The Virgin Suicides” score, “Dirty Trip,” a mysteriously eerie song that perfectly follows the theatrical highs and twisting lows of the film.
Once again, the members set their guitars down and stepped out from behind their keyboards and drum kit to bow and say their goodbyes. As expected, the audience hadn’t yet seen enough.
After a few minutes of shouting and pleading for the final encore, the beginning sounds of “Alone in Kyoto” began to play. The familiar song was featured in Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.” The audience recognized it instantly.
After a few seconds of teasing, Air walked back on stage to finish the song, a mysterious and melancholy ode to soul-searching in an unfamiliar place. Finally, they broke into the final song of the night, “Electronic Performers.”
The song was the perfect ending to the night, not only encapsulating exactly what the band is about, but also giving the audience an invigorating note to end on. Bright lights flashed and danced as the singers repeated, “We are electronics,” into a voice modifier as the song’s uniquely electronic beat played on.
More photos from Air and guest Ionna Gika:
