Synthwave, pop hooks, sax solos, and a crowd ready to dance!
The Aztec Theatre felt like the right place for a night with The Midnight yesterday. The downtown San Antonio venue was packed with fans dressed for the occasion, and the 80s influence was impossible to miss. Bright colors, retro looks, and plenty of outfits that looked like they had come straight from a late-night music video filled the room.
Before The Midnight came out, Bonnie McKee turned the venue into a pop party. People were singing along, dancing, and clearly having a good time from the first few songs. There was a nice mix of longtime fans and people who seemed ready to discover something new.
By the time The Midnight took the stage, the room was already moving. Their Time Machines tour felt perfectly suited to the crowd. There was nostalgia everywhere, but it never felt like the night was simply trying to recreate the past. Both acts put their own spin on it.
BONNIE MCKEE
Bonnie McKee came out ready to have fun, and that attitude spread through the room pretty quickly. Her set had the feel of a classic pop show, with big hooks, colorful energy, and a healthy dose of 80s-inspired style.
She opened with “Dashboard” and moved through songs including “Sleepwalker,” “Jenny,” “Forever 21,” “Hot City,” “Easy,” “Slay,” and “Bombastic.” The set kept a good pace, switching between newer material and songs that showed off her long history as a pop songwriter.
One of the coolest things about watching McKee perform is knowing just how much of modern pop she has had a hand in behind the scenes. She has co-written major hits including Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” “Part of Me,” and “Roar,” along with songs for artists like Kesha and Christina Aguilera.
That background was easy to forget while watching her onstage because she made the show feel personal rather than like a résumé presentation.
The crowd especially responded to the mashup moments with “American Girl”, which included pieces of “Teenage Dream,” “Dynamite,” and “California Gurls.” It was one of those sections where everyone suddenly knew exactly what was coming.
McKee brought a different kind of energy to the night than The Midnight, but the two performances fit together surprisingly well. Her set got people dancing and set the mood for what came next.
THE MIDNIGHT
TIME MACHINES TOUR
When The Midnight came on, the sound shifted immediately. Their music is built around synthwave, but live, the band has a much more organic feel than you might expect from the genre.
“Sanctuary,” “Love Is an Ocean,” “Friction,” and “Gloria” got things moving before the set settled into a stretch featuring “Lost Boy,” “Deep Blue,” and “River of Darkness.” The crowd knew these songs well, singing along while also making plenty of room to dance.
What really stood out was the musicianship. The saxophone solos added a huge part of the band’s identity, while the guitar work and full-kit drumming gave the songs a rock feel that doesn’t always come across on record. The electronic elements were still there, but the live setup gave everything more texture.
Later in the set, Bonnie McKee returned to the stage for “Runaways” and “Jason.” It was a fun crossover between the two acts and one of the night’s more unexpected moments.
The final stretch was especially strong, with “Days of Thunder,” “Summer’s Ending Soon,” and “Sunset.” The setlist felt less like a greatest-hits checklist and more like a carefully paced collection of songs designed to keep the room moving.
And it worked. By the end, people were still dancing, singing, and holding their phones up for those last few minutes. The Midnight managed to make their polished synthwave sound feel surprisingly alive in a small, packed theater.
The 80s Were Everywhere
You couldn’t really talk about this show without talking about the fashion. The 80s influence was all over the Aztec Theatre, but fans interpreted it in plenty of different ways.
Some went for full retro looks, while others kept things simple with denim, leather, colorful tops, vintage-inspired pieces, and accessories that fit the aesthetic. There was no single dress code, which made the crowd more interesting to watch.
That variety also matched the music. Bonnie McKee leaned into the big, colorful side of pop, while The Midnight took the darker, cinematic side of the decade and mixed it with modern electronic and rock influences.
It felt less like everyone was trying to recreate the 1980s and more like fans were having fun with what they loved about the era.
The MIDNIGHT’S NEON WORLD
The Midnight formed in Los Angeles in 2012, bringing together Danish-born producer and songwriter Tyler Lyle and American producer Tim McEwan. The duo built their sound around synthwave, drawing heavily from 1980s film soundtracks, electronic pop, and nostalgic imagery.
What helped The Midnight stand out was their ability to make nostalgia feel emotional rather than purely retro. Songs often have that late-night, driving-through-the-city feeling, but underneath the synths are stories about relationships, growing up, loneliness, and memory.
Over time, their music developed a strong following within the synthwave community while reaching listeners outside the genre. Their live shows add another dimension, especially through saxophone, guitar, and live drums.
That combination is probably why their concerts feel more like rock shows than you might expect from a synthwave band.
