Crescent Ballroom came alive on Wednesday night when Lights brought her aptly-named (A)live Again Tour to Arizona. The sold out show was joined by King Mala for an evening of reminiscing that led beautifully into the journey to come.
King Mala’s self-described slightly psychotic pop was somehow the perfect start to the evening. Her latest concept album told two parallel stories and she played that out in dueling moments onstage, backed by her drummer and a host of flashing LED lights to define the mood. The audience was fully on board, jumping and dancing along when prompted and giving King Mala plenty of energy before the headlining event.
Many fans in the room have been with Lights for a long time- through countless hair changes, life milestones and now her sixth album that was being celebrated on this tour. The stage was set with pillars of colorful lights that changed based on the era being visited- and the audience knew every word regardless of its release date.
Songs from her latest album were sung with the same amount of gusto as the throwback to “Siberia” right into a medley of older favorites. Lights smiled through every song, speaking directly to the audience many times to thank them for years of support and to reflect on her long journey alongside the audience. The response back was full of nothing but love and the night continued on with even more music from the latest record.
After nearly 20 songs, Lights ended the main set with “Grip” but was quickly summoned back to the stage for “Love Me” and “Alive Again”. It was a joyful night that perfectly mixed the nostalgia of the past with the sounds of the future- and it’s safe to say that Lights won’t be leaving us anytime soon.
