“Can I see the vinyl?”
Lights, the Canadian electro-pop songstress, took a copy of her latest album from a fan to inspect the finished product. It was September 20 at Meltdown Comics on Sunset Boulevard and approximately 100 fans were being treated to a chance of hearing Skin & Earth two days early.
“Interesting. It looks good,” she mused.
It made perfect sense to hold an intimate fan event at the comic book store, as the album is complimented by a comic book series of the same name. She notes on her website that the album and comics are best to be “absorbed separately.” However, she also says “there’s something so much deeper” when connecting the two.
Fans also had the pleasure of experiencing a mini-concert. Lights began the set with “Brody,” a song “I’ve never done,” and then continued with “Savage,” a track on the new album. In the chorus she sings, “I never knew you could be so savage,” and though in reference to a love scorned, this line might easily be used to describe her voice. She sang clear and crisp and sweet, but also demonstrated her soulful capabilities. Such a skill is vital when singing lines like “What do you do when a man don’t love you? He takes the sun from the sky above you.”
The clear fan favorite came next when Lights informed the clustered audience it was time for a throwback. “Up We Go” inspired much singing and swaying, so much so that Lights didn’t even need to sing the bridge. “You’re gonna take my job,” she joked.
The acoustic set finished with two more tracks from Skin & Earth: “Skydiving” and “Giants.” This night at Meltdown Comics felt like something other than just a miniconcert. The ease with which Lights and her fans chatted revealed their relationship very much as a two-way street. Happiness radiated between singer and fans in the form of consistent smiles, verbal appreciation and easy banter.
“We could order pizza, have a slumber party,” one fan suggested. “We can watch the Olsen Twins’ movies,” Lights responded.
She even fit in with the audience. Purple, orange and blue hair peppered a crowd adorning mostly black, with, of course, the occasional patent leather kitty shoes or Frida Kahlo tee. In similar fashion, Lights wore black pants, shoes and tee, yet stood out because of her bright orange beanie and even brighter red hair.
To much dismay, the show ended. She said, “Thank you guys. You sounded amazing,” which triggered a line that snaked around shelves of comics. Skin & Earth played on the speakers and the night, somehow, became more personal as Lights took the time to meet each and every person.
Set List:
Brody
Savage
Up We Go
Skydiving
Giants
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado
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