Stepping into the Fairmount Theatre with my long-time partner, the day before Valentine’s Day, I was ready to dance.

The world – both mine and the one at large – wasn’t going well, and I knew after a particularly difficult week, a sold-out hometown show by local darlings Milk & Bone was just the chance to shake off the blues and start a weekend off right. What I didn’t bargain for, however, was the emotional journey they took us on.

For those of you unfamiliar with Milk & Bone, the electronic duo have been Montreal’s local darlings for years, and with Juno wins and Polaris nominations coming, it appears Canada is finally catching up. On a small tour promoting their excellent new EP, A Little Lucky, with Chromeo, I showed up ready to dance.

A Little Lucky - Milk & Bone — A Little Lucky – Milk & Bone

So as the crowd hushed and the smoke filled with smoke that covered the simple Milk & Bone logo in the background, I was surprised by the hushed reverie. The duo came out to awed applause, taking their place behind the long table covered in drum pads, pedals and other devices necessary to create the layers inherent across their discography.

They greeted us in French, and then proceeded to croon, feeling less like a dance duo and more like Lana Del Rey had split into two, very cool Montrealease artists. The crowd swayed as one, as heartbreak and torment spun around the room. During songs you could hear pins drop, such was the reverie we were all in. Teary-eyed fans mouthed along. The slow, ambient beats and pitched down lights made the mood more reflective than rave, with their music beautifully supporting the vibe.

I came to dance, but instead the music touched me.

It was haunting and beautiful, the lyrics sharp and vulnerable, the synths organic and alive. By the end of the first song, the crowd were in awe: The trek had begun and we had our trusted guides – and wow were we in good hands.

Those familiar with albums like Deception Bay were obviously unsurprised by this contemplative start. But little-by-little, the tempo picked up, the mood inching closer to the dance party I expected following their latest release with Chromeo. And so by the show’s midpoint we were rocking, hitting an apex that was impossible to not experience viscerally.

They came from behind the table to dance, to stir up the crowd into a boogieing frenzy. The release was cathartic, a collection of strangers taking a deep breath out as once. And then just as expertly, they guided us back down. As the lights came up on an acapella encore, we were returned to ourselves and the cold Montreal evening. And yet we were different.