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!!
