2014 was a year to remember

I've been reflecting on 2014 as the year comes to a close.  After getting off to a very rough start, it turned around in a major way.  In the end, it was one of the best years I've had in recent memory.  I'm going to share some of the reflections of the events that shaped 2014.

As I said in the opening, the year got off to a very rough start.  I started the year unemployed after being let go from a temporary assignment at Verisk Health, which as you will read later turned out to be a very good thing.  I spent the year still living at home with the parents while trying to rebuild my financial stability.  My birthday was a major downer, which I previously blogged about.

So how did 2014 turn out to be such a wonderful year after that rough start?  Well the turnaround began in March when I was offered a temporary position with Dealertrack.  The temp agency found me, and I sure am glad they did.  After spending nine months as a temporary employee, I was offered a position directly with Dealertrack.  My start date for the new position is 1/5/15.  It's a more technical oriented position, which is absolutely perfect for my tech geek self.  After 4 long years of bouncing around as a temp since leaving Zions, it feels like I have finally found the right company for me to grow with.  This is a definite highlight of the year.

I also finally fulfilled a lifelong dream.  I have always longed to be a ballet dancer.  For 7 years I have watched Ballet West from the audience with great joy.  Always admiring the dancers, and wishing to emulate them.  Well in the Summer I finally did something about it.  I first reached out to Allison DeBona (Soloist with Ballet West) for private ballet lessons.  I experienced my first ballet class ever with her on 5/31/14.  It was incredible, and she is a fabulous teacher.  That was my only class with Allison, as I moved over to private lessons with Elizabeth McGrath (recently retired First Soloist with Ballet West).  I have now taken a total of 10 ballet classes, with 9 of those being taught by Elizabeth.  It's been absolutely amazing for me to finally live out this dream.  Elizabeth is such an awesome teacher, and I am so lucky to be learning from her.  I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to make this dream a reality.  I am just so happy when I am in ballet class, and really look forward to learning even more.  It really is never too late to live out your dreams.  Don't let age or fear hold you back.

I visited a city I had longed to visit for many years.  In September I took a road trip to San Francisco!!  Unfortunately I had to go solo, but I still had a great time.  I was motivated to take the trip by Within Temptation announcing a limited US tour.  For those unaware, they are a symphonic metal band from The Netherlands.  They are very popular in Europe, but repetitively unknown in the US.  Instead of visiting one of the cities I had already been to previously, I chose to visit San Francisco.  I stayed in the home of a wonderful married couple (Noah and Andy) in Oakland.  I visited Ghirardelli Square, which is a very big deal if you know me well.  I biked across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I attended the Within Temptation concert.  I attended the 49ers game against the Eagles at their new home Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.  Overall it was a wonderfully memorable trip, and I can't wait to visit the Bay Area again soon.

It was an incredible year for music.  I attended many concerts put on by my top favorite artists.  Several of those artists put out new music as well, but I'll save that for a blog post about my top albums of the year.  For now, her's a list of all the concerts I attended this year:

1/17/14 - Panic! At The Disco live at in The Venue in Salt Lake City
3/28/14 - Jillette Johnson at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City (+Private radio performance at My 99.5)
4/15/14 - Katie Herzig at Urban Lounge in Sat Lake City
4/21/14 - Sevendust at The Complex in Salt Lake City
4/29/14 - Ingrid Michaelson private radio performance at My 99.5 in Salt Lake City
6/14/14 - OneRepublic at Usana Amphitheatre in West Valley City (+Private radio performance at My 99.5)
8/3/14 - Sara Bareilles at Saltair in Salt Lake City
8/4/14 - Lady Gaga at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City
9/25/14 - Within Temptation in San Francisco
11/7/17 - Jillette Johnson at The Complex in Salt Lake City
11/8/14 - LIGHTS at The Complex in Salt Lake City (Read about it here)

I made several new friends along the way in 2014.  I thank you all for coming into my life.  It's always a great thing to meet new people with common interests.  Even better when they accept me for who I am without judgment.

As you can see, 2014 really was a wonderful year.  So many great things happened for me in 2014.  I am looking forward to 2015 with high hopes for an even better year.  Thanks for the memories 2014!

A day full of LIGHTS in Salt Lake City

Lights made her 6th visit to Salt Lake City, Utah over the weekend as part of her Little Machines Tour.  The show took place at The Complex on Saturday, November 8, 2014.  With the show being on a Saturday, I made the decision to spend the entire day waiting in line.  It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I arrived at The Complex around 11:45 AM.  I was the first to arrive, and the only one in line for about one hour.  I noticed an employee taking down some banners for shows, including the one promoting the Lights concert.  I asked him what they do with the banners, and was told they hang them in an office after the artist signs it.  I figured that would be the end of it, until I saw him walk out a few minutes later with a rolled up banner in his hand.  He mentioned it was an extra one that had torn.  I was all to happy to claim it.  A short time later I witnessed the arrival of Lights' tour bus, which signaled the start of many great things to follow.

It didn't take much longer for a few more dedicated Lights fans to arrive.  I was happy to have some company for the long wait for doors to open at 7:00 PM.  It didn't take long for one of the biggest highlights of the day to occur.  Lights, Beau, and Rocket (in her stroller) made their way from the bus towards the gate.  We were all excited to see Lights.  She greeted us with joy.  At this time, I presented her with the stuffed lion I purchased for Rocket, and a card (containing illustrations of lions) with a personal note written inside.  She appreciated the gift, and was happy to take pictures.  Beau snapped a couple of pictures with my phone.  I was able to get the sweet banner signed, along with 2 vinyls (Little Machines and Siberia Acoustic).  After everyone had pictures, Lights (and family) made their way over to The Gateway (nearby shopping mall).

While basking in the afterglow of that wonderful moment, the few of us gathered in line began to become acquainted.  It turned into a wonderful bonding experience with fellow Lights fans.  It turned into one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had waiting in line for a concert.  I may have started the day on my own, but I feel I ended it with four new friends (Summer, Winter, Leah, and J) from that time spent together in line.  We looked out for each other.  Ensuring that each of us were part of the 50 for the post show meet & greet, while also have a place along the front of the stage.

Speaking of being up front, I was front and center for the show.  I had heard nothing of the opener Wild Party prior to the show.  They ended up putting on an entertaining set.  Playing a catchy brand of music perfectly suited for dancing.  Not a bad way to be entertained while waiting for Lights.

Finally just before 9:00 PM, the big moment we had all been waiting for arrived.  Lights hit the stage to the extreme delight of the near capacity crowd.  She opened her set with "Muscle Memory", followed by "Toes".  The crowd was into it from the start.  She played a nice mix of new and old songs.  Lights was definitely on her game.  I'm always impressed with her liver performances.  Her voice sounds better than the recordings, and she just knows how to connect with the crowd.  Seeing Lights live is an experience that everyone Lights fan should have at least once.  I'm lucky enough to have experienced it seven times now.

Lights closed out the pre-encore set with "Same Sea".  The crowd noise was tremendous.  That room was as loud as I've ever heard it.  We just didn't want this show to end.  A chant of "One more song" broke out.  When Lights returned the stage, the excitement went through the roof.  She played a two song encore with "Up We Go", and "Oil and Water".  It was a great way to cap an incredible show.

Setlist picture courtesy of Summer

After the show, it was time to prepare for the meet & greet.  I caught sight of my good friend Shannen on my way out to the lobby, and had to go say hi.  I was happy to talk with her about the show, and found out she had a wristband for the meet & greet.  We made our way out to the lobby, where I introduced her to my new friends met in the pre-show line.  We then were ushered to the line to talk with Lights.  It really is wonderful the way music, especially from Lights, can bring people together.  I was presented with another example of this when I was approached by Ryan, who recognized me from the Lights Forum.  He traveled to the Salt Lake show from Wisconsin.  I had a good chat with him, and was glad he made the decision to approach me.

We all took our turns chatting with Lights, and getting signatures.  I took my turn along with Shannen.  She presented Lights with another copy of her wonderful book "Pwned".  I should explain that Shannen is an awesome author.  She dedicated an entire chapter of "Pwned" to Lights, with the characters attending a concert.  Shannen was overwhelmingly delighted to find out that Lights had actually read the book she previously sent to her manager.  I was so happy to experience this bit of awesome news.  As for myself, it was just great to have a chance to connect with Lights again.  She's always been so incredibly nice to me, and I love that she knows me by name at this point.  She recognizes me each time I attend a show.  It's a personal connection that I really appreciate, and hope to continue for a long time to come.

The wonderful day full of Lights concluded with a post-show hang out session at Denny's with the new friends made in line.  We talked about our thoughts on the show, and the events of the day.  It was a great way to close out the day.  I've had some amazing experiences at Lights concerts, and this one ranks right up there with them all.  I love creating these magical memories that I am able to look back on with fondness.

THANK YOU LIGHTS!!!

Birthday Reflections

I want to apologize in advance, as this will be a blog for me to vent.  Something has been bothering me for the past few weeks, and I feel I need to let it out.  My birthday was just over three weeks ago.  It passed without a lot of fanfare this year.  Unfortunately when the day arrived, I ended up feeling under the weather.  I basically stayed in my bedroom all day.  This really put a cloud over the day.  I didn't have an appetite, and didn't feel much like celebrating.  It must have been some sort of 24 hour bug, as I felt fine the following day.

As you might imagine, it's not much fun feeling so crummy on your birthday of all days.  Anyone who knows me well enough will likely know that I can tend to be rather emotional.  I feel this particular quality leads me to take things a bit too personally at times.  I just felt a bit forgotten on my birthday.  Let me just say, I am not overlooking those who did acknowledge me on that day.  I want to say thank you to all those who took the time to wish me a happy birthday.  It was definitely appreciated.

It took until late in the evening on that day to hear anything from some of my siblings.  Only one of my siblings wished me a happy birthday early in the day.  One of my other siblings has still not said anything to me.  I have many people who I consider to be close friends that failed to acknowledge my birthday.  Now let me just make it clear, that I don't expect gifts.  All I really want is to just know that people remember me, and feel that they care for me as I care for them.  To me a simple "happy birthday" accomplishes just that.

I don't want to place too much importance on Facebook, but it even reminds you when it is someone's birthday.  At the time I had around 129 friends on Facebook.  I am selective about who I friend on Facebook, and I try to socialize with each person on my list.  Out of all those friends, only 16 posted to my timeline.  There is a message board that I am not as active on, where they actually created a thread to wish me a happy birthday.

Why am I posting this blog?  I wanted to convey the fact that this hurt me.  Maybe I am placing too much importance on this, but it feels important to me.  On the bright side, my birthday falls on a Friday next year.  I think I might try to plan some sort of party.  I have just over 11 months to figure that out.  Also just so this blog doesn't feel entirely negative, I'll conclude this with two tweets I received from two of my current favorite singers.  They both happen to be playing shows in SLC in the coming months as well.  I'm also going to include the lyric video for "Cameron" from Jillette Johnson, which is a song that holds extra special meaning for me.

My Top Albums of 2013

I posted this list on a message board, and decided to make it a blog post.  This is a tough list for me to make.  There were a lot of really good albums released in 2013.  My choice for #1 was super easy, but after that it is really tough for me to rank the albums.  With that said, here's my list.

1. "Water In A Whale" - Jillette Johnson

I was first introduced to Jillette Johnson through a free track ("Torpedo") from Google Play in late 2012.  I was instantly hooked.  I then discovered "Cameron", and was truly in love with this artist on the rise.  Both tracks are featured on "Water In A Whale".  Other standouts include "True North", "Peter Pan", and "Basset Hound".  This was easily my favorite, and most played, album of 2013.  I had the pleasure of seeing Jillette Johnson live in Salt Lake twice during the year.  She is incredibly friendly.  Her live shows have been acoustic with just Jillette on the keyboard by herself.  This girl has really got a voice.  I'm looking forward to seeing her again in March of this year.  Also worth noting, is that my name appears in the thank yous of the liner notes.

2. "The Blessed Unrest" - Sara Bareilles

It was very hard for me to choose an album to list at #2, but I decided this had to be the one.  "Brave" was one the biggest hits of the year, and is a song that I still love.  It really took on a life of its own as an anthem.  It has special meaning to me personally with my transgender identity.  Sara Bareilles really shines on the entire album.  Her fabulous voice is another favorite of mine.  Some of my favorite tracks other than "Brave": "Hercules", "Manhattan", "Little Black Dress", and "Eden".  The Grammy nominations she received for this album are well deserved, and I certainly hope she wins Album of the Year.  I also had the pleasure of seeing Sara live in Park City during the Summer.  Even in the thin mountain air her voice sounded great.  Honorable mention to "Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse" also from Sara Bareilles.

3. "Siberia (Acoustic)" - LIGHTS

I had to include this on my list, as I'm a sucker for anything acoustic from LIGHTS.  It's strange listing it at #3, as I really do love this album.  I've listened to the vinyl with delight multiple times.  I even traveled from SLC to LA to catch a Siberia Acoustic show, and it was well worth the trip.  I just really love the fact that we were finally treated with a full length acoustic album, after being teased with the acoustic EP.  Acoustic LIGHTS will always have a special place in my heart.  I really hope we will see the new album from LIGHTS in 2014.

4. "ARTPOP" - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga made her triumphant return in 2013 after her absence due to hip surgery.  I don't care what others say, I've still got love for Mother Monster.  I love "Applause", "Venus", "Do What U Want", and "MANiCURE".  It was a great moment seeing Lady Gaga perform "Do What U Want" with Christina Aguilera on The Voice.  What a treat seeing those two on stage together.

5. "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!" - Panic! At The Disco

Panic! At The Disco delivered with this album.  My love for this band continues to grow.  They continue to release great music.  Some of my favorites include "Miss Jackson", "Vegas Lights", "This Is Gospel", "Casual Affair", and "Girl That You Love".  It really is an enjoyable album.  I actually just won tickets from a local radio station for their show next Friday.  It will be my first time seeing them live.  I'm pretty excited for it.

6. "Ballet The Boxer 1" - Ours

I had to include this album on my list.  Ours is one of my favorite bands, with Jimmy Gnecco being one of my favorite vocalists.  I could listen to that man sing anything.  They are also an incredibly nice group of people.  I've chatted with them on several occasions.  I had the pleasure of seeing them live last Summer as well.  Jimmy recognized me, and pointed at me from the stage while performing.  They self-released this album after funding the production through Pledge Music.  Some of my favorites are "Devil", "Stand", "Sing", and "Fall Into My Hands".

7. "Close Your Eyes" - Digital Daggers

I was going to list this under Honorable Mentions, but realized I liked the album too much for that.  So here it is at #7 on my list.  This album caught me by surprise.  I remember first hearing "The Devil Within" on a commercial for NBC's The Blacklist, and I had to track it down.  Shortly after they released "Close Your Eyes".  I really enjoyed the album a lot, and gave it a lot of listens.

Honorable Mentions (In no particular order)

"Twin Forks EP" - Twin Forks

"Avril Lavigne" - Avril Lavigne

"Devil" - Lydia

"Stars Dance" - Selena Gomez

"Shadows" - Lenka

"Secondhand Rapture" - MS MR

"In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery" - Capital Cities

"Girl Talk" - Kate Nash

"The Civil Wars" - The Civil Wars

"In Rolling Waves" - The Naked and Famous

"Burials" - AFI

"Yes. No. Maybe So." - Oliva Millerschin

"Native" - OneRepublic

"Hesitation Marks" - Nine Inch Nails

"Pure Heroine" - Lorde (even though her music has been overplayed)

"Montibello Drive EP" - Matrimony

"The Immigrant EP" - Holly Henry

"Caroline Glaser Vol 1 EP" - Caroline Glaser

There was a lot of great music released in 2013.  I'm excited to see what 2014 has to offer.

LIGHTS LIVE!

As many of you know, I love LIGHTS!  No, I'm not talking about those bulbs that produce light.  I am, of course, talking about everyone's favorite Canadian singer.  I often find myself reminiscing about the fun experiences I have had seeing LIGHTS perform live.  I have been fortunate enough to see her live six times over the six or so years I have been a fan.  I decided to chronicle these memories in a blog post.  I hope you enjoy this journey of LIGHTS LIVE through the years.

It all started on Monday, November 3, 2008 at the Avalon (now closed) in Salt Lake City, UT.  LIGHTS was still mostly unknown at the time.  She was opening for Copeland.  Lydia and Lovedrug were also openers for this show.  If my memory serves me correctly, LIGHTS was the first to hit the stage.  I was front and center for this show that did not disappoint.  This was back during the time when LIGHTS still rocked the headbands.  For your viewing pleasure, I present you with a picture of me with LIGHTS along with a video of "Ice".

The following year on Saturday, October 31, 2009 there was a magical Halloween party at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City, UT.  It was the first headlining show from LIGHTS in Salt Lake City.  I attended in my Alice In Wonderland costume, which proved to be quite the hit that year.  LIGHTS was dressed as "half-assed Michael Jackson".  She told the story of how she threw together the costume at a truck stop.  Many people in the crowd were also in costume.  To this day, this show is one of my top favorite LIGHTS memories.  It's a moment that I'm very happy to have experienced.  The intimate setting of Kilby Court was perfect.  It really felt like we were all just hanging out with LIGHTS at a Halloween party.  You can find a detailed review with setlist, pictures, and videos by clicking here.  Below you will find another picture of me with LIGHTS, and a video of one of the most magical performances from LIGHTS.

The following Spring LIGHTS made a return visit to Salt Lake City, UT as an opener for Owl City at Saltair on Monday, April 12, 2010.  It was during the popularity Owl City was enjoying with his hit song "Fireflies".  This was easily the biggest crowd LIGHTS has played for during her many visits to Salt Lake City.  Her opening for Owl City was pretty much a perfect pairing.  The Owl City fans responded very well to LIGHTS.  I'm sure LIGHTS gained many new fans on this night.  I did get to meet her again for a third time.  By now she was starting to recognize me, and remember my name.  I didn't record any videos at this show.  So this time I present you with a picture of me with LIGHTS, and one of her performing with a keytar.

I had to wait just a little bit longer before LIGHTS made her next visit to Salt Lake City, UT.  The show took place on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at The Complex.  It was originally scheduled to be a full band show promoting the recently released new album "Siberia".  The weather in Denver, CO decided to change those plans.  A bad snowstorm in Denver prevented LIGHTS from leaving in her van.  Now if something like this happened with most other musicians, they would just cancel the show.  Well LIGHTS is not like most other musicians.  She decided to hop on a plane with her guitar, and fly in to Salt Lake City for a special acoustic show.  It turned out to be yet another magical night with LIGHTS, and one of my top favorite memories.  It turned out to be a very intimate and personal show.  LIGHTS was really on her A game when it came to interacting with the crowd.  Seeing her play an impromptu acoustic show like this is a very special moment that I will never forget.  You can read a much more detailed review of the show by clicking here.  I was lucky enough to meet LIGHTS again, and she definitely remembered me.  I'll never forget her response when I said I was 4/4 with meeting her: "Let's make it 5/5."  Enjoy this picture of me with LIGHTS, and a special video from the show.

LIGHTS returned to Salt Lake City, UT on Friday, November 2, 2012 (exactly one year to the day after the epic acoustic show) at The Complex.  This time it was full band.  This show had the biggest crowd for a LIGHTS headlining show in SLC.  The crowds have grown bigger with each visit, despite her music receiving absolutely no radio play.  That's a big testament to strong word of mouth, and the way LIGHTS has really made excellent use of the internet.  For me this show had a bit of a hard time living up to the magic from the prior year, but still ended up being a great show.  Seeing LIGHTS live really is a special treat.  I look forward to her returning to visit her fans here in SLC again very soon.  I had a very good conversation with LIGHTS on this night.  We reminisced about her previous visits.  I finally came out to her, and let her know that I am transgender.  Being the super nice person that she is, she was incredible about it.  Telling me that I am beautiful.  LIGHTS just has a way of really making her fans feel special.  It's all part of why I love her so much.  I also didn't record any videos at this show.  Below you will find a picture of me with LIGHTS, and a picture from her performance.

My sixth time seeing LIGHTS was also my first time seeing her outside of Utah.  I took a road trip to Southern California to see a special acoustic performance in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at the El Rey Theatre.  This was part of the tour to promote the new release "Siberia Acoustic".  It was my second time seeing an acoustic show from LIGHTS, but this one was actually planned as an acoustic show.  For this performance she had someone accompanying her on cello.  The cello was definitely a nice touch.  It was definitely great to have another chance to see an acoustic show from LIGHTS, and I'm glad I went.  Sadly my streak of meeting her at every show came to end with this show.  However at least I can say the streak is still alive within the borders of the state of Utah.  Even though I didn't get to meet her again, I did have a good time hanging around after the show with fellow LIGHTSarmy member Steven.  I also have no videos from this show, but will share a couple of pictures.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane with me.  I really do have some great memories from all the times I have seen LIGHTS perform live.  She is a special talent, and I'm happy to have been a fan for as long as I have.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for LIGHTS.  Hopefully new music, and a return visit to Salt Lake City, UT will not be too far in the future.  Thank you LIGHTS for all the many great memories!

P.S. Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel for more videos from some of these shows, and my Google+ Profile for more pictures.  Thanks for reading.

As one door closes, The Devil In Me walks out a new door

I like to reflect back on past moments in time to see how my life has been impacted. One such moment took place on November 9, 2010, which for the remainder of this entry will be referred to as The Moment. This moment just so happened to be the end of one chapter in my life, and the beginning a new chapter. I didn't know at the time how things would change.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I was at one time very much into local band Meg & Dia. Well I had seen them play live at least twenty or more times. The Moment would end up being my final time attending a live Meg & Dia show. I arrived at The Avalon early enough to be up front. I didn't know who the openers for the show were. Sometimes you just connect with music instantly. Music has always been extremely personal to me. While awaiting Meg & Dia's set, two people walked onto stage that would become an enormous influence in my life.

Melody & Tyler at The Avalon 11/9/10

For the next 20-30 minutes I was introduced to Melody Pulsipher and Tyler Forsberg. They called themselves Melody & Tyler. As they played their unique brand of acoustic music, I was drawn in further. By the end of the set I was so impressed, I just had to meet them. I made the walk back to the merch station. I found them to be very friendly, and was given a free demo CD. After the show was over, I stuck around to hang out with the members of Meg & Dia as was the usual for me. I saw Melody and Tyler hanging out as well. We exchanged a few more pleasantries, and the night was done.

In the days and weeks that followed, I had to find out more about Melody & Tyler. I listened to all the music I could find. I started to attend their live performances, and found they played just about every weekend. As I attended more of their performances, our conversations became more personal. I was nervous to come out and tell them about being transgender, as I always am. Well once I did finally come out, they were completely awesome about it! It was great being able to talk openly with them about it. As more time passed, a friendship developed.

In the time that has passed since that initial meeting, I have been fortunate enough to create so many great memories with these two amazing people. There was the time Melody came to my place to watch Lady Gaga's Monster Ball HBO Special. We just hung out, and had a lot of fun. Another time Melody treated me to a Birthday dinner at Olive Garden. I have seen them perform their music more times than I can count.

I was humbled and honored to learn that Melody had been inspired by reading my previous blogs to write a song. The song is titled "The Devil In Me". The song is about people judging others just for being true to themselves. It makes me happy to know that I could influence something as wonderful as this song. I've been incredibly touched at the way Melody to this day introduces the song by telling the audience it was inspired by me. It's a true gift that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Melody & Tyler made their Utah Pride debut at the 2012 Utah Pride Festival. It made me very happy to share this special weekend with them. I am proud of the show they put on at Pride. Having them play "The Devil In Me" at Pride was truly awesome.

Melody, Katie, and Tyler after Utah Pride 2012

Melody and Tyler have proven to be a force to unite a community. I am amazed at the way they bring so many different people together. I have met more new people and local musicians through them, than I can point to at any other time in my life. The biggest example of this, is the Acoustic All-Stars Festival. The fifth edition of said festival took place July 20, 2012 through July 22, 2012. They organized an event with an incredible lineup of local Utah talent. It was impressive to see the room filled with people. I came away from the weekend with new appreciation for the local music scene. Melody and Tyler are doing wonders to build the scene bigger and better than it has ever been.

I am truly honored to call Melody and Tyler friends. Really I feel they are more than friends to me. I consider them to be part of my family. I look forward to the exciting times ahead. This is still just the beginning of the story. I love you Melody and Tyler!! Let's go conquer the world!!

LIGHTS Does SLC Acoustic Style

With a little help from the weather in Colorado Halloween decided to deliver a treat to Salt Lake City, UT two days late.  Poor weather in Colorado prevented LIGHTS from reaching Salt Lake City by bus.  This meant her gear was stranded in Colorado.  For most artists this would have surely meant cancelling the show, but LIGHTS is certainly not like most artists.  She is so committed to her fans she hopped on a plane to Salt Lake City with her acoustic guitar and a keyboard.

This meant LIGHTS would be playing a special solo acoustic show.  I was thrilled when I heard the news.  I have always loved everything acoustic from LIGHTS.  She really delivered.  It was truly a special show, but more on that a bit later.

I was surprised by the length of the line when I showed up to the venue.  This is the fourth time I have seen LIGHTS in SLC.  The first two times she was the headliner, and the crowds were small.  The second time, she even played in an old garage that had been converted to a concert venue on an epic Halloween night.  The third time she opened for Owl City during the peak of his popularity, so it drew a big crowd.  This was easily the biggest crowd I’ve seen yet for a show LIGHTS has headlined in SLC.  Can’t believe how her popularity has grown over the years.

I showed up just shortly before doors opened, and was lucky to find my friend Olivia near the front of the line.  I joined her in line to await the doors opening.  Once the doors opened the line was split between those with hard tickets and those with will call tickets.  I was lucky enough to have a hard ticket,  and was one of the first people through the doors.  I grabbed a free cupcake (yummy by the way) and made my way to the center front of the stage saving room for my friends.

It was easy to sense the excitement for LIGHTS from the crowd as people filed in and the opener played their set.  The place was really buzzing.  When LIGHTS appeared on stage, the place erupted.  She walked on stage in a blue shirt with a raccoon on it, picked up her guitar, and proceeded to wow us all with her mad skills.  I don’t remember the exact setlist, but will highlight the songs I do remember.  It was a magical and intimate atmosphere.  LIGHTS has always been great about interacting with the crowd, and she was really on her game on this night.  She told the story of the bus being stranded, and looking like a zombie when the bus driver woke her up.

Throughout the set, LIGHTS carried on conversations with people in the crowd.  A major highlight for me came when she talked about her previous stops in SLC.  As soon as she mentioned the show from two years ago, I yelled out “HALLOWEEN!!”  She heard me, and pointed at me.  It’s so awesome that she recognizes me now.

LIGHTS truly created a memorable night with her all acoustic set.  For most of the set, she played her acoustic guitar.  For a couple of songs, she moved over to the keyboard.  This stripped down version of LIGHTS is truly incredible.  She has such an amazing voice, that is really put on display in a setting like this.  I had chills while she was holding some notes.  With her talent, LIGHTS deserves to be far more well known than she is.  One song that really showcased this was “Pretend”.  She switched it up a bit at the end, and added in some new notes.  The changes were a real nice addition to the song.

Now I have to admit that I haven’t been the biggest fan of “Siberia”.  The bass used was just too much for me.  For this reason, I was even more pleased to have the acoustic show.  I loved the stripped down acoustic versions of songs from “Siberia”.  I think now after hearing these versions, the album will grow on me further.

Now to touch on a few more highlights of the night.  LIGHTS was distracted in the middle of playing “Quiet”.  When she said “everytime you say hello”, someone in the crowd shouted “HELLO”.  She stopped playing for a moment and cracked up laughing.  Later on during “Toes” a scary moment took place.  A girl who was standing right behind me told someone else that she was starting to feel faint.  She was leaning on the other girl, and they started walking to exit the crowd.  She started to fall to the floor.  As we called security over, LIGHTS noticed this taking place.  She stopped playing to make sure the girl was okay.  It was great to see everyone show concern for her.  LIGHTS fans really are like a family.  I hope it was nothing serious, and that she is okay.

In summary it was a magical night that will not soon be forgotten by all in attendance.  LIGHTS is a special artist.  After the show ended, it certainly wasn’t the end of the night.  I along with a couple dozen others stood by the merch table awaiting the arrival of LIGHTS.  She didn’t disappoint, as she eventually made her way out.  LIGHTS has always been great about mingling with her fans.  She never turns people away.  As I mentioned this was my fourth time seeing LIGHTS, and it was also my fourth time meeting LIGHTS.  She has always been so friendly, and again it’s so awesome that she recognizes me now.  I told her I am now 4 for 4 when it comes to meeting her.  Her response: “Let’s make it 5 for 5!  I’ll be back in February.”  That comment really was the icing on the cake to one of the most memorable nights.  Thank you to LIGHTS for being the most amazing and friendly musician.  SLC loves LIGHTS, and LIGHTS loves SLC!!