LIGHTS & The Mowgli’s Concert Review
Since Paige is a medium fan of The Mowgli’s and spotted their upcoming concert on Spotify, she suggested we go for our next concert experience. Laura had no clue who they were but was vaguely aware of LIGHTS and couldn’t think of anything better to do on a random Thursday, so off we went.
Thanks to some slow burrito eating and our inability to figure out the Uber app (this is a cry for help—somebody, in the comments, teach us your ways), we missed PHASES, the opening act. Never fear, though. We managed to see them just three weeks later when they opened for BØRNS. Clearly, our concert ESP sensed we’d see them at a future date.
Venue: Heaven at Masquerade (Atlanta, GA)
With Masquerade’s future as a venue currently unknown, we were glad to get to experience the Atlanta landmark before the possible end of its era. We enjoyed how open the space was, and the acoustics were surprisingly good—better for LIGHTS than The Mowgli’s, though. It was a very young crowd, minus a few out-of-place, khaki-clad old folks. Hardly anyone was drinking—pretty rare for a night at a concert. Without fail, we ended up standing behind what had to be a local basketball team. Laura is 5’1″, so she could obviously see really well.
The Mowgli’s
Paige: I’ve been a fan of theirs for a while, but this was my first time seeing them live. They seemed to be pretty seasoned performers and knew how to work the crowd, but the hippie, new-age shit from the female singer was just not working for me. It was discordant to hear her preaching about oneness and the need for love and acceptance as we stood next to annoying frat guys hitting on two girls who couldn’t have been less interested. Despite the mixed messages, I thought their performance did their albums justice.
Laura: Once Paige and I had gotten tickets to the show, I checked out some of their stuff on Spotify, and honestly, I wasn’t much into it. Seeing them live really changed my mind, though. They put on a fun show, and they sounded really great. I didn’t have any negative feelings about the female lead singer, and I thought her vocals were strong. I was way more impressed than I thought I’d be.
Paige: I find Laura assigning the female to be the lead singer debatable.
LIGHTS
Laura: As I said earlier, I’d heard some LIGHTS tunes before, but she was never an artist I had followed closely. She, too, put on a really solid show. I also liked that she seemed like a really genuine human being. She was happy to have the opportunity to put on shows, and she really just seemed like a cool girl who’d be fun to chill with.
Paige: I definitely agree with Laura in that I’d be down to get a few drinks with LIGHTS. I thought it was interesting how she had a really chill, laid-back vibe that seemed like a one-man show but was actually really heavily produced. I’m not complaining, though, because her hyper-produced set design was the balls.
(Side note: We feel the need to mention here that Laura had no clue what “the balls” meant in this context and had to look it up on Urban Dictionary, which is obviously the be all and end all of validity. Conclusion: It is, in fact, a thing.
Separate side note: Don’t accidentally type “the balls” as an image search. You’re welcome.)
Since we might never get another chance to go to Masquerade before it closes its doors for good, we want to close with an anecdote that embodies its spirit. Paige was talking to her, and the following dialogue ensued:
Mom: Where’s the concert you’re going to?
Paige: The Masquerade.
Mom: Be careful. That’s a dangerous neighborhood.
Paige: Um, well, we’re walking there from my apartment.
RIP Masquerade. You’re an Atlanta institution.
Until the next commercial break,
Paige and Laura