Lights Concert Review

Lights

Saturday February 21, 2026

The El Rey Theater, Los Angeles

Sometimes, in the middle of constant negativity and bad news cycles, a live show where the audience truly feels like a community can become something healing. On Saturday, February 21, Los Angeles gathered at the El Rey Theatre to celebrate exactly that sense of connection. The result was a night filled with positive energy, shared memories, and an atmosphere that lingered long after the final note. The common denominator bringing everyone together was Lights, who delivered a performance rooted in joy, honesty, and community.

Lights arrived in Los Angeles on the fifth stop of her Come Get Your Girl Tour after a run of shows across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and San Francisco. Early tour dates often carry a unique intensity. The adrenaline is fresh, the band is fully energized, and fans arrive with heightened anticipation. This stop captured that feeling perfectly.

The evening began around 8 p.m. when Canadian duo Softcult took the stage. Opening with “Drain” from their 2023 project See You In The Dark, the band immediately set a cinematic tone. Their sound blended shimmering shoegaze textures with a pop punk edge, creating something that felt like Paramore and Slowdive colliding in the best possible way. The visual production amplified the atmosphere. Two long horizontal bands of light pulsed in sync with the music, flashing bright white just before rhythmic transitions and creating a striking sensory experience.

Softcult continued with material from their newest album When a Flower Does Not Grow, released January 30. A standout moment came during “Tired,” a track that carried sharp emotional weight. Lyrics about exhaustion with expectations and explanations landed with particular force, feeling pointed toward broader frustrations beyond the personal. They closed with “Spit It Out” from their Year of the Snake EP, a fitting choice given the recent Lunar New Year.

By 9 p.m., anticipation in the room was building. The Softcult backdrop dropped and was replaced with a Lights banner, a simple shift that triggered immediate cheers from the crowd. The excitement only intensified as “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley played through the speakers while the band members took their positions. When Lights finally appeared, clapping along with the audience, the room erupted.

Opening with “Come Get Your Girl,” the title track of the tour, proved to be a confident and energizing start. Peach and red striped lighting flashed behind her as the band moved seamlessly into “River” and “Ghost Girl on First,” immediately establishing the emotional tone of the night. Lyrics like “Said that you’re goin’ for the weekend, maybe I should’ve said somethin’, guess it was all for nothin’ and now it’s all or nothin’” captured the ache of fading connection, and the vulnerability translated clearly through her performance.

Throughout the show, interaction with the crowd played a central role. At one point, Lights paused to ask how many attendees had been listening since her first album. The roar that followed revealed just how many longtime fans were in the room, reinforcing the shared history between artist and audience.

A spontaneous exchange about hockey added humor to the night after a fan shouted from the crowd. Lights laughed and responded, “LA needs a female hockey team,” explaining that her child plays hockey and she would love to have a local team to support when visiting the city. The moment landed playful and personal, strengthening the relaxed connection she maintained with the audience.

Leaning into the reflective themes of A6, Lights explained that the album is about looking back before transitioning into an older track. Before starting, she encouraged the audience to “put your arm around someone you love…these moments make us human,” which led into “Running With the Boys” from her 2014 album Little Machines. The nostalgia was immediate, with fans dancing freely throughout the venue, even in the aisles and walkways.

Midway through the set, the production elements became more prominent during a synth driven moment when bright pink light bars pulsed in tight stripes across the stage, perfectly synced to the music. The visual intensity added another layer of immersion as Lights moved confidently across the stage, maintaining constant engagement with the crowd.

The energy continued through tracks like “Batshit” and “FINAL ROUND” before shifting into “Piranha,” where a gaming chair appeared onstage as part of the album’s aesthetic. During the song, Lights tossed paper airplanes with handwritten notes into the audience, creating small personal moments that fans eagerly reached for.

One of the most memorable interactions came when Lights offered the audience a choice between two songs. Initial cheers favored “Muscle Memory,” but after a fan passionately advocated for “Don’t Go Home Without Me,” calling it a defining song of their youth, Lights laughed and changed course. The crowd erupted as the opening notes began, reinforcing the reciprocal relationship between performer and audience.

Before launching into “Damage,” she took a celebratory shot with the crowd, leading into one of the emotional peaks of the night. Lyrics like “I swear this isn’t me, this is the damage talkin’” resonated deeply, reflecting the complicated ways past experiences shape present behavior. It became one of the most powerful moments of connection in the performance.

The final stretch of the set moved through songs like “Surface Tension” and “Same Sea” before arriving at “Alive Again.” Prior to starting, Lights encouraged the audience to “take the side quest,” describing life as something meant to be fully experienced rather than played safely. The message carried into the closing moments of the main set, leaving the crowd energized and reflective.

After briefly leaving the stage, Lights returned for an encore that included “Up We Go” from Little Machines and “Education” from A6, bringing the night to a celebratory finish that balanced nostalgia with her newest era.

By the time the lights came up, the room felt lighter. Strangers had danced together. Fans had shouted lyrics side by side. For a few hours, the outside world faded into the background. Lights did more than perform at the El Rey Theatre that night. She created a space where nostalgia, vulnerability, and joy could exist together, reminding everyone present why live music continues to matter.

Full Setlist

Come Get Your Girl
River
Ghost Girl on First
Running With the Boys
You’re Killing Me
Timing Is Everything / Flux and Flow / We Were Here
Love Me
Batshit
FINAL ROUND
Piranha
Take It Easy
Don’t Go Home Without Me
Damage
Prodigal Daughter
Okay Okay
Surface Tension
Same Sea
Alive Again

Encore
Up We Go
Education