Brilliant Bright Lights

A review of last Thursday’s Lights concert at Kool Haus.

Courtesy of myspace.com

Lights is like the best friend you wish you had. The 22-year-old musician from Timmins, Ont. instantly won over the crowd at Kool Haus as she humbly beamed down at her fans after making her appearance on stage. Lights, also known as Valerie Poxleitner, performed tracks from her new album, The Listening, to a teenage-dominated crowd, many of whom sported her signature side-bang and headband look.

From MySpace fame, to having songs featured on Old Navy commercials, to winning a Juno for Best New Artist, Lights still seems surprised by her own success. Launching into the first song, she looked nervous and overly professional in a blazer with her hair done up. But after a few songs and encouragement from the crowd’s bobbing cell phones, cameras, and swirling glow sticks, she stripped off the blazer and let her hair down. Strapping on her trademark keytar to an uproar of cheers, she launched into one of her album’s title tracks, February Air, and did not disappoint.

Even when a young male audience member slipped past the security guards and surprised her with a hug on-stage, she handled it smoothly, declaring that this show was quickly becoming one of her favourites.

Snippets of a cartoon featuring Captain Lights herself was played in-between the catchy electo-pop set, complimenting her song Lions! which she wrote about a video game.

Lights will be continuing her tour through the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. But when she does finally return to Canada, it’ll come as no surprise if her next show is scheduled at the Air Canada Centre.

-Otiena Ellwand