It's tough to be a goth with temperatures in the 90s, but that didn't stop 7,693 fans -- many clad in black -- from braving the sweltering heat Tuesday night to catch synth-pop titans Depeche Mode headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.

It was a particularly special show, too. Not only because of the unexpected venue -- few of the sullen teens who discovered Depeche Mode back in the '80s would've ever imagined them playing the land of crop art and deep-fried Spam -- but also due to the fact it's been 12 years since DM has performed in the Twin Cities.

While Depeche Mode began as a rather modest, synth-driven pop band with a penchant for (sometimes ridiculously) dark subject matter, by the end of the '80s, they had ascended the ranks to become the first true electronic stadium rockers. For decades now, these guys have stuck mostly to outdoor amphitheaters and huge festivals, which is why they've tended to avoid Minnesota.

A live drummer and keyboard player joined the core DM members on stage: Dave Gahan (vocals, Jesus-like poses, twirling), Martin Gore (guitar, vocals, hairdo) and Andy Fletcher ("keyboards," playing the Andrew Ridgeley role in the group). The trio, all in their early 50s now, have long since perfected their stage setup, with Gahan in charge of most of the heavy lifting with the crowd, Gore playing the sensitive sideman and Fletcher bobbing along behind a bank of keyboards that may or may not have been plugged in. (Unlike previous tours, Fletcher didn't even get a live microphone this time around.)

Songs from the band's 13th studio album "Delta Machine" dominated much of the early part of the evening, with a booming "Welcome to My World" serving as the perfect song to open the set. Unlike 2009's unexpectedly terrific "Sounds of the Universe," "Delta Machine" is a rather dull affair on disc, a collection of gloomy, low-key tracks that never really take flight. In concert, though, the new material did open up a bit, especially when the songs bumped up against the hits from the "Violator" and "Songs of Faith and Devotion" era, a sound they were clearly striving to recapture on "Delta Machine."

Synthesizers are huge again with indie-rock bands, so it wasn't surprising to see some younger kids in the crowd eager to pay homage to legends of the genre. There were also plenty of middle-aged folks -- some with their children in tow -- who likely spent their own teen years scribbling DM lyrics on their Trapper Keeper. As such, the biggest hits earned the warmest response, from "Just Can't Get Enough" to "Black Celebration" to "Never Let Me Down Again" to "Personal Jesus."

The lean, energetic Gahan didn't look or act his age, bouncing from one end of the stage to the other, stripping down to his bare chest and employing plenty of other Rock Star 101 tricks during the show, which stretched past the two-hour mark. He's the Goth Springsteen! Longtime DM visual collaborator Anton Corbijn created custom films that added a slick, stylish touch to the proceedings as they unspooled on the huge rear-stage screen. As sweaty as it was sweeping, it was a memorable evening quite unlike any others on the Grandstand schedule. With any luck, it won't take another dozen years until we see Depeche Mode in town again.