Concert Review - Lights @ El Rey, Come Get Your Girl

 

Image credit: Lights

Ooh, deep breath.

    I've never written an official review about music before, and thus have certainly never done one about a live performance. I suppose that makes this one all the more appropriate, considering how much I've come to love Lights over the last several months.

    Does that make me sound like a casual fan? I hope not, but it's hard to avoid when it's such a burgeoning listening relationship.

    Lights is a Canadian musician who has been putting out music in a variety of mediums since 2008. 2007, technically, although her first album didn't come out until after. But I digress. She has showcased an immense amount of talent from an incredibly young age and yet... there's a good chance that you've never even heard of her. And up until about six months ago, the same was true for me.

    Just due to music shuffles and "You might be interested in..." playlists, I was first introduced to Lights via her collaborative song "When the Summer Dies" alongside Deadmau5. I was already a Deadmau5 fan, now this one I'll admit to some casualness, but this particular track really captured my attention. Even more than the beat itself was the voice of the woman performing with the DJ. After going down a rabbit hole, as one tends to do in the digital age, I discovered a lot about Lights and her alter-ego Lun. Initially, I was grabbed by more of the electronic synthwave vibes of Lun, but as time drew on I gravitated towards listening to her album A6 before delving into the catalog of previous albums.

    Every one of them has a distinct flavor that sets her apart from a traditional artist. She's raw, emotional, quirky, and funny. Hell, I even bought the full graphic novel that Lights wrote and drew telling of a dystopian society that would give tie-ins to her Skin & Earth album. My wife found my new obsession ridiculous. Lights had replaced a lot of the rap I listen to during my workouts. At first, my wife just thought it was a celebrity crush. Lights is very cute, to be sure, but it's her personality that really hooked me into wanting to listen more and more. Slowly but surely, the sounds and vibes of that music started to really set in for my lady as well. I mean, if my kids are signing along to it then it must be at least as catchy and fun as K-Pop Demonhunters, right?

    By the time my birthday came around this year, my wife had decided to look up what Lights's tour was looking like during our brief time in California. We would be in San Diego for one particular weekend, less than 2 hours away from Los Angeles, and wouldn't you know it... Come Get Your Girl was beckoning for us to join in Lights's festivities.

The Good

There's a lot to be said for live music. A lot. I don't want to go too Alice in Wonderland on the topic, but suffice to say that there have been plenty of musicians who have really let their fans down in concert. 

    Lights does not.

    Before entering the stage, "Boys of Summer" played on the speakers as a sort of prep for what was to come. Her bassist/guitarist and drummer entered next, readying themselves for the first set.

    Enter Lights.

    Her energy is incredible.

   She came out singing "Come Get Your Girl," arguably one of her greatest songs to date. The song, especially the music video accompanying it, exemplifies the culmination of everything Lights has released to date. It represents where she's come from, and who she is now. And she is an artist that is fully comfortable in who she is as a musician, woman, wife, and mother. It's a wonderful thing to see.

    After doing the first few songs, including tracks like "Running with the Boys" and "Batshit," she dropped the baggy Goosebumps tee to reveal a more form-fitting leotard on top with her black cargo pants. This was probably a good thing for the amount of energy she was exerting, mainly due to the fact that it was sweltering in the El Rey theater. The attire also went well with her performance of songs like "Piranha," "Damage," and P3P's "Prodigal Daughter."

    My family and I, oh yes I took my 9 year old and 6 year old and feel no shame whatsoever about it, enjoyed each and every track she did. Not only that, but the fans around us made room so the kids could see and made us feel more than welcome at being there. More than one individual told Jenni and I that we were awesome parents for introducing the littles to live music so early. Our beaming faces were only amplified as incredible performances progressed. We even got to hear our favorites like "Okay Okay," "Up We Go," and "Education." These last two were due to the encore that we all received, and the smiles and joy that Lights brought along with her were infectious for everyone there.

The Bad

There really isn't anything to put in here. The only bad aspect of the evening was really our own fault.

    In previous shows I've been to, there's a 50/50 chance that you'll be able to meet the artist and get an autograph/picture moment after the show. There was not at this one. Not after, I mean. This is what I mean when I say that it was no one's fault but our own.

    Lights gives this opportunity to those who opt for the VIP experience, and from what I've heard about and seen online... it's a hell of a thing. I wish we had done so just to have had the opportunity to speak to Lights and snap a photo with her, but there's always next time! And given how amazing the show was in every respect... there certainly will be a next time.

The Legend

Lights gave a performance that would go into the all-time best shows I've ever been to. From her energy to it reflected in the fanbase, it was a show for the ages that puts a smile on my face as I reminisce. Even if it comes with a bit of the heartache in missing the feeling of those moments.

10/10

Legendary