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Lights keeps long-time fans in the dark

February 7, 2012
By Misha Gajewski

 

Opener: 2/5

Performance: 4/5

Setlist: 3/5

Crowd: 3/5

Worth the cash: 3/5

 

Cowboys filled up with tweens on Thursday night as their parents headed upstairs to the bar to observe from afar. Nightbox, the opening band, came on stage and played a quick set of electro-pop rock, which the crowd politely bobbed their head too. The lyrics were relatively indistinguishable and no one really seemed to know who they were. The kids in the crowd awaited Lights patiently and the older crowd of university students filtered in as Nightbox left the stage.

Lights, a Toronto native, emerged, returning to the spot where she had one of her very first gigs back in 2008. The crowd erupted with cheers and hollers of “I love you, Lights,” and she opened with a song off her new album Siberia. Lights seemed to forgo her classic songs, such as “February Air” and “Drive My Soul,” throughout the night for her newer material.

Alternating between guitar and her keyboards, Lights captivated the crowd with her light airy voice, which is by no means enhanced—she is the real deal. Her new sound is laden with beats and pays homage to dubstep as the bass drops in her song “Fourth Dimension.” The combination of her sweet melodic voice and gritty electro-beats provides a truly unique sound.

Despite the energetic nature of the tunes, it seemed like only the first row of die-hard fans seemed to be dancing. The rest of the crowd stood still, not really getting into it. Lights made little effort to interact with the crowd other than shouting “How you doing London?” The show closed with her radio hit “Toes,” and the crowd shouted “encore!” until she returned to the stage.

Lights seems to have grown musically, evolving from her earlier electro-pop princess material to a stronger sound—all without alienating her core fans. She is no longer the one girl show from a festival back in 2008, as she now has a band to back her up and has really started coming into her own as an artist while finding a distinctive voice.

Despite the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, the performance Lights gave was enjoyable. Her set was upbeat and fun, but it would have been nice if she played some of her classic songs that made her known instead of focusing solely on her new album.

 

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