(All photos copyright Juan Jusino and The Roarbots. All rights reserved.)

Like me, you’ve probably listened to thousands of songs during your time on Earth. Some of them you love, some of them you hate, and others you forget. There are those certain songs, however, that stick with you, burrowing deep into your brain, unlocking a portion of yourself that you never knew existed. It can be disconcerting hearing these songs at first, unsure of the new and unusual sounds you’re hearing until you start questioning how you ever lived your life without them. For many, that discovery comes with a band called The Midnight.

My gateway drug to synthwave was FM-84’s “Arcade Summer,” a soft, soothing instrumental song that hearkened back to a time gone by and a feeling long forgotten. In fact, until I heard that song, I didn’t even know what synthwave music was, but it opened the floodgates and my appetite was insatiable. I devoured Gunship, Timecop1983, and Lazerhawk before landing on Los Angeles-based power duo Tim McKewan and Tyler Lyle, better known as The Midnight.

The Midnight

Tim McKewan of The Midnight

Tyler Lyle of The Midnight

That was back in 2016, and with the instrumental and digital nature of a lot of synth bands, I never imagined the pair would launch a live performance tour. It makes sense that many of the most popular synthwave acts utilize catchy vocals on top of the synthesizer-inspired tracks in hopes of crossover appeal, but The Midnight stand atop most of the competition. Regardless, I’ve listened intently to their back catalog and played their latest LP Kids so many times that my children can probably sing along to their songs. When I saw that my travel schedule would intersect with their tour stop in Baltimore, Maryland, I knew I had to go.

Upon entering Baltimore’s Sound Stage on April 2, 2019, I knew instantly I’d made a good decision. A slight fog accented the stage lights and a decent-sized crowd was already enjoying the sounds of the opening act, Violet Days. Ironic or not, the several Members’ Only jackets I spotted felt entirely at home among the crowd. Violet Day’s female-led synth pop sounds perfectly prepared the audience for the main event.

As the instrumental song “Youth” played overhead, McKewan and Lyle took the stage for “Wave,” which features the lyrics “We are not a sentimental age” – somewhat ironic for a whole musical genre with retro roots of synthesized sounds of the 1980s. Regardless, Lyle’s smooth vocals, accompanied by McKewan’s rhythmic drum pads, instantly had members of the crowd singing along, which is surprising for an act whose first performance wasn’t even until 2017. Despite their short time on the scene, their fan base is sizable and growing.

This night, their 39th performance, was impressive. It’s really hard to find a live music performance that so closely mirrors the recordings you’ve come to know. Most impressive to me, however, was saxophonist Lito Hernandez who accompanied Lyle and McKewan on nearly every song. His piercing sax playing made me wonder if I was actually on Baker Street instead of inside Baltimore’s Sound Stage and had me shaking my head in disbelief at his seemingly effortless ability throughout the show.

Lito Hernandez

As the group proceeded to burn through crowd favorites, such as “Lost Boy,” “Collateral,” and “Crystalline” before asking Violet Days to join them on lead vocals for “Jason,” I noticed that the audience wasn’t made up one one distinct demographic. Twenty-somethings danced and sang along with the forty-year-olds next to them, and I spotted at least one concertgoer who brought their silver-haired mother along with them who, based on her enthusiastic shouting, equally matched the enthusiasm of those around her.

The vibrating, thumping bass that you could feel in your chest kept the crowd energized as “The Comeback Kid,” “Vampires,” and “Explorers” continued to showcase the talents of The Midnight. With the stage lights evoking blazing, electric neon, Lyle introduced the song “America 2” and described it as seeing the country from the bottom up. Despite the thoughtfully somber lyrics, the energy of the crowd was undeterred.

When I try to describe synthwave’s sound to those who are unfamiliar with it, I always struggle. However, while following The Midnight, I learned they’ve found a way to perfectly encapsulate the emotion that draws you in by referencing the Japanese phrase “Mono no aware.” Summarizing it succinctly, “It means basically, the sad beauty of seeing time pass – the aching awareness of impermanence. Happy, sad, reflective.”

“If you need this song, it’s your song too” declared the band as they headed into the encore. The crowd was soon singing in unison: “We live forever, let us live forever tonight.”

Their most popular song, “Sunset,” closed out the night.

“They say it’s darkest before the dawn.
We’ve been in this town for far too long.
They say it’s darkest before the dawn.
We’re moving on!”

Even though darkness waited for us outside in the night sky, a new dawn has already arrived, basking in a neon glow.

The Midnight’s synthwave sound hearkens back to a time before many in the audience were even born, yet the appeal still holds. Is it possible to be nostalgic for a time period even if you didn’t experience it? I don’t know, but as we all sang along to those final notes of “Sunset,” those happy, sad, and reflective feelings washed over the audience and ensured that this night would forever be locked in someone’s memory.

Full Set List:
Youth
Wave
Lost Boy
Gloria
Days of Thunder
Nocturnal/Collateral
Shadows
Crystalline
Jason
The Comeback Kid
Vampires
Explorers
America 2
Los Angeles
Lost & Found
Sunset

View our full photo album of the show here!