‘Lights’ Shines Bright at Varsity Theater

Last updated on May 14th, 2022 at 05:44 pm

Canadian singer-songwriter Lights brought her Baby I’m Back Tour to the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Touring behind her latest album Pep, she delivered a high energy show with a whole lot of pep indeed.

Rising to popularity in late 2008, Lights has gone far and above her early MySpace beginnings. She has continuously refined herself as an artist, producer, comic book author, and even as a DJ.

The diverse setlist was a shining example of her range. Fans heard everything from early 2010s classics like “Siberia” and “Lions” to synth heavy dance tracks, and of course, some new hits off her latest album.

Throughout the night, fans were brought into the world of her new album through incredible visuals. It was super cool to see how Lights incorporated the Pep branding throughout the night. Fans were even decked out in yellow and blue to match the album.

Lights stands out as a performer due to her strong vision and confident stage presence. She effortlessly weaved through different genres, played synths, and showed some impressive guitar skills.

A highlight of the night was hearing tracks from earlier in her career from albums like The Listening and Siberia. It’s nice to see that she hasn’t forgotten the songs that got fans like me invested in her work.

Leading up to the show, I’ve had Pep on repeat, and it has quickly become my favorite album of 2022 so far. Opening the night with a banger like “Prodigal Daughter” and closing with fan favorite “In My Head” was perfect.

tiLLie opened the show. She made a strong first impression despite struggling with a cold.

During her performance, she shared a brief story from her Warped Tour days, which truly makes me miss that iconic festival. She is a great up-and-coming talent and it unsurprising that she once played at Warped.

Overall, Lights delivered a memorable show. Despite some glaring setlist omissions like hit single “Giants” and my personal favorite “February Air,” her performance left a lasting impression on me.

I first saw Lights live in 2017 when she opened for PVRIS at Skyway Theater (click here to read our article). It was great to see her again.

Lights has always been a special favorite of mine. During the pandemic, I remember sitting up late and watching Lights do live streamed concerts over Instagram live. This show made me thankful to be back doing shows in person and serves as a great reminder of why I love live music.