Lights @ Irving Plaza

LIGHTS - NEW YORK, NY 4.19.22

Roughly halfway through the Baby I’m Back tour, Lights and opener tiLLie graced the stage at Irving Plaza in New York City. The tour is in support and promotion of Lights latest album titled PEP which released on April 1st and is her first solo album in over 4 years. With only one opening act there truly could not have been a better choice than the self described ‘nightmare pop’ artist tiLLie. 

tiLLie and Lights have a lot in common. They are both multi-instrumentalists and vocalists who grew up in the days of Myspace and Warped Tour. tiLLie is a bit earlier in her career, with only one EP and several singles released so far. Her sound and look were both spunky and fierce. She wore an early-2000’s inspired ensemble combining elements of Avril Lavigne’s signature necktie and gloves mixed with hot topic era bondage shorts and platform shoes with black and white striped knee highs. She even covered Britney Spears’ 2000 hit song “Lucky” which only added to the nostalgia tinged set. With only a drummer joining her on stage, she held her own at times playing bass or guitar, which she played so intensely she broke a string. In a time where pop-punk and emo are on the forefront of rock music with the emergence of artists like WILLOW and Olivia Rodrigo, tiLLie fits right in. 

The crowd was buzzing with excitement for Lights to take the stage after high energy tiLLie ended her set. Lights played a mix of guitar and synth with the support of a live bassist and drummer. Her songs ranged the span of her career from “Ice” off her 2009 album The Listening, “Up We Go” and “Running with the Boys” off of 2014’s Little Machines, “Skydiving” and “Savage” from 2017’s Skin and Earth and of course, several tracks off her latest album PEP. 

Lights’ entire outfit and stage design matched the primary colors of the album creating an atmospheric experience. She dedicated a song to her beloved cat who died earlier in the month, a sweet gesture and the only somber moment of the evening. She also made sure to point out that her crew is 50% female and that she had a lot of women contribute to the making of PEP, a fact she was extremely proud of. Lights has a larger than life presence and commanded every inch of the stage, even venturing out onto the barricade - getting up close and personal with the fans. She ended her 21-song set with her new single “Salt and Vinegar” as she tossed PEP branded money out into the crowd.

TiLLie

Lights