We've been growing younger

LIGHTS @ Club Soda, November 20, 2010 

Greetings, interwebs! Lauren here - so sorry we haven't blogged since Friday. I've concluded that I probably should have blogged on Sunday when the LIGHTS show was still fresh and exciting in my mind... but, alas, I did not. I've just been so busy! Haven't been home much in the past 48 hours except to sleep, eat and shower (okay, maybe not the last part), but I promise you I'll do my best to blog everyday for the next little while. Look at it this way: now that I've had time to digest and reflect upon it, I can offer you all a more accurate and unbiased review of the concert! Beautiful.

First off, I must take a small paragraph to commend the venue. While Le National still remains my number 1, Club Soda kicks some serious ass! For all you non-Montréalers out there, it's definitely worth a visit (if you're ever in the area, that is). Great atmosphere.

I suppose I'll jump right into it. The night started with Michou, a small-town indie rock band from Windsor, Ontario (reppin'!). Picture this: Jack's Mannequin meets City and Colour meets Death Cab for Cutie. I fell in love with them almost instantly, but how could I not? Their catchphrase, for lack of a better word, is "it's nice to Michou". Adorable!

Needless to say, our song of the day is Growing Younger by Michou: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNIJBJytivk

The synth pop / new wave starlet then appeared, looking comfortable and relaxed in a simple white t-shirt and jeans. As expected, she opened her set with "Second Go". This fun, high-energy song got the whole crowd on their feet - once they got over the initial fanboy/fangirl shock, of course. Something I realized almost immediately is that, while her voice appears somewhat childish and cutesy on the record, she can actually sing! And by sing, I mean really belt shit out. 

The crowd was pretty lame initially - what with the heaping amounts of annoying high school girls sporting the iconic headband and huge-ass comb-over that only LIGHTS can pull off - but things got better as the show went on. LIGHTS played each and every song off her record "The Listening", as well as her new single (My Boots) and even some acoustic stuff. While the more poppy and high-energy performances were exciting and fun, it was the softer and more intimate songs that were truly enthralling. Her performance of Pretend (Reprise), which she played on the keyboard, was particularly beautiful - really showed off her voice and range. 

Her acoustic set included some stuff off her Acoustic EP, including a cover of Fall Back Down by Rancid and Antoine Dodson's Bed Intruder Song (best moment by far). She was super down-to-earth and charmed the audience with her genuine smile. The set was not at all overdone and acted simply as an accessory to her talent. LIGHTS played several instruments including electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard and, of course, the synth. 

I must say that, while LIGHTS is not my favorite artist by any means, her genuine and down-to-earth performance made so many past concerts that I've been to feel sub-par in comparison. She put on an excellent show, so excellent that I can't imagine any member of the audience walking out dissatisfied. I highly recommend you check her out next time she's in your town!

Alrighty, I'm done. I'll probably post a little something later on today, just to make up for the general lack of blogs. Peace out.

- L