As the sun set behind the Queen City’s skyline and the white moon gazed over Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, Scottish synth-pop trio CHVRCHES emerged from side stage. Iain Cook and Martin Doherty sauntered toward their respective perches and met the crowd’s cheers with a smile and wave of their own. The applause grew and one by one, the audience rose to their feet as Lauren Mayberry stepped into the forefront. The vocalist danced and twirled across stage while the crowd chimed in and passionately sang “Never Ending Circles.” Mayberry’s cherry red sundress billowed in the breeze and her charisma arrested the audience’s attention from the sweltering heat.

I’m just gonna keep sticking my head in front of that fan, like a dog with his head out the car window

Returning to Charlotte after seven months on the road, the synth-pop superstars assured the city that they haven’t lost their touch; after performing arguably the most captivating show of the year at The Fillmore in November. Even when co-headlining with Death Cab for Cutie, CHVRCHES fully lived up to the expectations.

The set list progressed into “Empty Threat” and further highlighted Mayberry’s front-woman qualities. Between verses, she joined Cook and Doherty and pounded on her own electronic drum set, orchestrating the crowd’s energy. She pranced from end to end and whipped her hair and mic cord back and forth, so much that the wire wrapped around her ankle like a snake latching onto its prey.

“I always knew that thing would turn on my one day,” Mayberry laughed.

As captivating as CHVRCHES are while performing, Mayberry’s charm is just as enchanting. She’s witty and entertaining. While other performers stick to a script, Mayberry and CHVRCHES’ conversations between songs are always casual and unplanned. After “Tether,” Mayberry personally addressed HB2 (House Bill 2) and later sympathized with her sun-kissed audience.

We’re from a country where sunlight never shines. It’s always raining. This is nice but fucking hell

Fortunately, as the sun completely set behind Charlotte’s skyscrapers, the night came alive. CHVRCHES renowned visual effects and lighting transformed the performance. Royal blue strobe lights flashed and colored the shaded audience and the trio’s three digital billboards shined in the background. Mayberry passionately crooned the lyrics of “Clearest Blue” into her microphone. The anticipation grew and electronic sounds hypnotized the audience. Once CHVRCHES reached the climax in “Clearest Blue,” the amphitheatre broke into a frenzy, breaking the chains of nearly every steadfast spectator.

Once again, CHVRCHES left Charlotte as worshipped Glaswegian icons that now definitely hold an un-expiring invitation to return. The cheers following “The Mother We Share” begged of an encore. CHVRCHES’ raw emotion mixed with their melodious synth-pop tunes is unparalleled and positions them in a class of their own in the today’s music scene.