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.
