Lights!

The recent review assignment for journalism was cause for me to attend a concert. I thought this would be a great opportunity to go see a band I enjoy, however nothing in my interest was playing within the deadline of the assignment. I went with whatever I could find, and attended LIGHTS at the Garrick Centre.

My first impression on the idea of going to the concert was that it would not be very good, or of interest to me. the main audience LIGHTS has is 13 to 14-year-olds. Standing in line before tthe show, I felt awkward and out of place. I could see over top of everyone's head all the way to the front of the line.

Entering the building, getting my ticket ripped, I noticed a second table that all the concert-goers were skipping right past. I asked them what was hapening at that table, and it turned out it was to get a wristband as proof of age.

Several minutes later, i was in the theatre and ready to watch the show. the opening act, although had decent sounding songs, had very poor prescence on stage. the lead man made an attempt to connect with the audience and be exciting, but teh rest of the band remained motionless and he just looked awkward.

After a boring 40 minutes, the roadies began setting up the stage for LIGHTS. A wild array of keyboards and synthesizers filled the stage. eventually the stage was set, the audience was getting ancy, and the lights dimmed. The moment the stage was black, a supersonic soundwave rattled the theatre. I was worried about my eardrums breaking from the sheer vo9lume and pitch of the screaming fans.

LIGHTS took the stage and began playing a song off the new album. Issues with sound during the first two songs made first impressions of the show poor, but LIGHTS quickly won back the audience by her third song, February Air.

The visuals in the backdrop were fitting and exciting, telling the stories of the songs. Most of them were images of space and planets flying by, a field of stars moving around the screen. also in between songs comic book style cartoons were shown, depicting "captain LIGHTS" travelling around the universe searching for sounds to sample.

Overall, the concert was surprisingly well done, and I really enjoyed every part of it. It was very different from cocnerts I have been to in the past in the space themed visuals and musical style. When LIGHTS comes back to Winnipeg, I suggest going to it, I know I will.