Were You There The Night Lights Lit Up The Canyon Club?

I got up this morning and my roommate gave me the Calendar section of the LA Times, just like she does every morning. On the front page is an article about Prince wowing the crowd at The Coachella Music Festival. I put it into my purse to read later. I got into the car to drive to work and Mark and Brian were talking about Prince at Coachella and how quick the clips ended up on YouTube. My co-workers were all a buzz when I came in this morning about the same topic. All this talk about Prince wowing the crowd at one of the largest, most trend-setting music festivals got me to think about where he came from. When did he go from club musician in Minneapolis to mega star in the California desert?

Someday Lights fans will ask the same question. They will wonder when, where and how did the band go from the garage to being the best band out there. These questions can be answered for Lights fans today. When did it happen: Friday April 25, 2008. The location: The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills California. How did they do it: By putting on the most amazing show The Canyon Club has seen in a long time.

This was a night where everything just seemed right on target, starting with the venue! Nestled at the foot of Agoura Hills, The Canyon Club is known in the Valley as one of the premier places to play. Not just any band plays there. It holds more people than your average bar and with its warm atmosphere and friendly bar staff; people love to go there to see shows.

The next element was the crowd that came out Friday! They were primed and ready for a great show! All week long they were seeing MySpace bulletins and getting emails and phone calls from friends telling them how awesome this show was going to be! Wanting to see if the band would deliver on that promise, people turned out! The place was packed! All the tables were full and there was hardly room to breathe on the dance floor let alone move!

So we have a great venue and a pumped up crowd. Sounds like just another Lights show, right? Oh no, my friends! The band made sure that wasn't the case. From the first note of "Escape", the band came out playing like their lives depended on it. All through out the show, the guys played like a cohesive unit, every harmony dead on, every queue hit, not a note out of place!

This was the first show that put the members of the band in a spotlight all their own. Each of the three solos was special in its own way as every member of the band is talented. New member Michael showed what a powerful drummer he is. Keyboardist Jeff got the chance to come forward and show what a great keyboardist he is, something that doesn't always come through while playing in the background.

However, the solo that stuck out to me was from lead guitarist Jonny. I have always known he was talented but was never quite sure if he was serious. Did he want to just hang out and have a good time playing or did he want to make a bid at being the next Eddie Van Halen? By the sounds of his playing Friday, he is more than serious. Melodic and purposeful with incredible fretwork, Jonny's playing Friday brought to my mind a young Neal Schon back when he played with Santana. Jonny is just a little older than Neal was at the time so the possibilities are there for him to become so much more! That starts with the awesome solo he played Friday!

From start to finish, the band kept the energy high! The crowd was whipped into a frenzy early as the rockin music had them dancing and screaming and they stayed that way all night! Every crowd member has a favorite and with a 110 minute show, I would bet they were all played. From the powerful opener "Escape" to the fun closer "Oh Sherri", the fans sang along to every song. Some crowd members were there when Steve Perry sang them and then passed along there love of Journey to their kids. Both generations of fans came out to hear Lights recreate perfectly the songs they love so well, In fact during "Don't Stop Believin" the crowd was so loud I could clearly hear them and I was standing in front of the speaker!

Each band member did their best to make sure the crowd was having a great time and it didn't seem to difficult because the band themselves were having a blast!! Jonny and Juan played to the front rows and left all the ladies smiling while Michael entertained not only by keeping the beat but by twirling and throwing up his drumsticks like a pro. Casey and Jeff had smiles on their faces all night and their having a good time translated into the crowd having a good time.

So what was the difference between this Lights show and any other? The great venue, great crowd, amazing music are all staples of a Lights show and what fans expect. What was different was the guys obvious commitment to kicking things up a notch. They performed Friday night like a band that wants to take this to the next level, whatever and wherever that might be. From the looks and sounds of the show Friday night, they aren't going to stop at being just a good club band or a great tribute band. They want to be the best band out there, any time, any place. And when Lights fans think back to the show that started this to happening, they will all think of that Friday night at the Canyon Club. The lucky fans will be the ones able to say "I was there". Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Not Just The Lakers Go "Back To Back"

Back to back shows. It is the true test for any band! Can they keep the energy up for two nights in a row, especially when one of them is a weeknight? Will the crowds turn out? Lights and their fans found that out this past weekend as the guys played shows Thursday and Friday nights.
The weekend started a night early this week, on Thursday night. For one weekend every April, Long Beach is turned into race fan central. It is this weekend that the city hosts its Grand Prix, which is kicked off by a downtown block party. In the middle of this party sits a parking lot. It is bordered by bars, apartment buildings and a well attended Hooters. It is dingy and on most days, it is full with the vehicles people paid good money to park there. For the Long Beach Grand Prix Kick Off, with a stage, some amps and great music, Lights transfixed Long Beach Grand Prix fans and turned the parking lot into a rock and roll party!

The party started before the guys officially hit the stage! During sound check, I noticed people congregating against the back wall. I wandered over to a couple who were walking their dog and stopped to listen. It turned out they lived in the apartment building close by and thought they heard Journey playing. So they came over to check it out! Same for the officers cruising by to make sure all was well. They liked what they were hearing so they stopped the car and got out for a listen. Turns out a couple of them are Journey fans and really liked what they were hearing. On the opposite end of the lot, three guys coming out of Hooters wandered over and asked what was going on. When told this was a band that plays Journey, one said, "Are they going to play Don't Stop Believing"?

When Lights hit the stage, they delivered what everyone wanted; giving the Long Beach race fans a great show! Juan, Jeff, Jonny and Casey were great as usual but it was new drummer Michael Thompson that really impressed me! With only one show with Lights under his belt, Michael did an amazing job of keeping the beat and helped the band get everyone moving and grooving! There were a lot of hands in the air, heads bopping up and down, people dancing! Walking around the crowd, I saw nothing but smiles! From "Anyway You Want It" to "Escape", by the looks on the faces in the ever-growing crowd, the band played the favorites of every one there! Yes, the band played "Don't Stop Believing" and had not only the man that was waiting for it but everyone else dancing and jumping up and down!

Playing a show outside is both a challenge and a benefit and the Lights guys rose to the occasion! The benefit of being outside is that people walking by can't help but hear the music and see the crowd having fun. Most of the people stuck around for a least a few songs if not the whole show! The music got people to stop to check out what was going on and energy of the crowd kept them around. I think the band turned Long Beach race fans into Lights fans!

No less than twenty-four hours later, the band was back in the familiar confines of the club, playing a show at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello! While the place was different, the show was no less energetic! Just like the race fans in Long Beach, the crowd in Montebello was smiling, dancing and having a great time! This was the bands second time at the club and the crowd was treated to all of their Journey favorites as well as the many talents of front man Juan Del Castillo. Juan had the crowd in hysterics with his Joe Pesci impression! Who knew he was quite the impressionist? Another highlight of the night was the song "Just The Same Way", which spotlights another multi-talented band member, Jeff! Swapping lead vocals with Juan, the song shows that Jeff isn't just a great keyboardist, he can sing as well!

So, there you have it! Back to back shows are no problem for this band! Fans from Long Beach to Montebello found out that a great time is what you can expect at a Lights show, no matter the situation. It doesn't matter whether the show is in a parking lot or in a club, on a weeknight or weekend, Lights deliver great music, high energy and a lot of fun! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

What Makes A Good Band Great?

Whether they are seeing a band in a small club, a dive bar or a 15,000-seat arena, music fans hope for the same thing: magic! They are looking for the one night something different happens. They know they will hear the top 10 hits, the song that broke the band, the song that makes all the fans scream and throw their lighters, now cell phones, in the air. What they want to hear is the song that will make the night unforgettable. That one song that will have all the people that were there talking about it for a long time and those that were not there wondering why they picked that show to miss. Lights fans were treated to that experience at The OC Tavern. It started as a fun night and the fans were treated to all their Journey favorites! 'Wheel In The Sky', 'Just The Same Way' and the eternally popular 'Don't Stop Believin'.

Little did everyone know, the band saved the best for last. When they left the stage after another great performance, the crowd was left screaming for more! What would they come out and play? Escape? Patiently? Imagine the surprise when from behind the stage the crowd heard Juan singing the opening line of 'Oh Sherrie'! I feel it is safe to say the last thing expected was a Steve Perry solo tune but that is what we got. From the pounding bass line to the vocal harmonies, the band nailed it! Juan perfectly conveyed the heartache in the song and the band backed him up perfectly! The crowd was stunned but by the end of the first verse, I was seeing smiles and people singing along! Before this, the night was clicking along as usual! High energy, great music, good crowd! Another good Lights show, another fun crowd at the OC Tavern. After the encore, the night was no longer 'just another Lights show'. It became the first night the band played 'Oh Sherrie' and they played it well!

Something that makes the night special. These are the moments music fans wait for and I have seen many of them! Springsteen with his 'Devil In A Blue Dress' medley, U2 covering 'A Change Is Gonna Come', Bon Jovi opening at Giant's Stadium with Neil Young's 'Rockin In The Free World' to name a few. These are the experiences that make live music the magic that it can be. Lights proved Saturday at the OC Tavern that they can take a club show and turn it into something special. In my opinion, that is one of the things that make a good band great! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Not The Same Easter

It’s 10AM on Easter morning and I am sitting like I do every morning, blogging and drinking coffee. Instead of hymns in a church, I am sitting on the floor of my room listening to Matchbox 20 on my IPod. I am not thinking of the signifigance of the day, not even thinking of chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps. No, I am thinking of how I need to get to work by noon and how crazy things are going to be at PetSmart today. While I should be thinking of Christ rising after dying for my sins, I am thinking about keeping my back from hurting while crawling around playing with dogs all day! Sheesh, I am not even an "Easter/Christmas" Christian anymore! That’s sad!

Two years ago, this day would be the culmination of almost a month of preparation for the production I was in at Rocky Peak. "Jerusalem AD" was the recreation of the week leading up to the crucifixion and reserection of Jesus. It was musical, dramatic and the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of. We would do 2 performances a night for about a week and a half. Then after the last performance of 12 or so, as a member of the choir, I would spend Easter Weekend singing in 4-5 services. It was magical, wondrous, and while exhausting, uplifting and fullfilling.
As with much in life, things change. These changes led to our wonderful Worship Arts Pastor leaving for bigger and better things. That change led to the department being revamped and the choir being disbanded. It was that final change that led me to fall away. Yes, I know the church isn’t about one department, one ministry, or even the people. It’s about God. But that church no longer felt like home or felt comfortable. So I told myself I was looking for a church. I did...for awhile. But I didn’t put that much effort into it. Now it’s two years later and I am sitting at home on Easter blogging.

My question is can you life a decent life and still be a Christian? Sure the bible says to fellowship with other believers which points to the value of going to Church. But isn’t God everywhere? Wouldn’t He rather you live life being kind to others, not living in sin, trying to do the best you can than sit in the Church one Sunday a year and then live like you don’t care?

For my sake, I sure hope so because my heart is just not into Easter this year. Quite frankly, it snuck up on me. I think it’s because I don’t want to be a hippocrate. I am not going to send Easter greetings since I am not feeling it and I certainly am not going to buy into the commercialism of the whole thing either. So I am just going to go to work and play with the dogs of people that are going to church and hopefully, are getting the message. For me, maybe next year. Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Matchbox Rocks Staples

The year was 1996 and I was sharing a house with Ronda and her family! I was temping at Disney with no permanent job prospects in sight. I was in the kitchen deep in my usual routine of coffee and Mark and Brian. I remember Brian going on about this song that he couldn’t get out of his head. A song called "Push". They played it and it stuck in my head all day as well. I had to hear more from this band so I went to Target and got the CD. I was excited to find that every single, solitary song was amazing! It was just what I needed to escape from the craziness and uncertainty of my life. Very few people had heard of the band and I couldn’t understand why! I remember telling everyone I could to check them out! This CD was the most incredible music I had heard in a long time! It was the only CD in my player for months! Just as I thought music was doomed to grunge hell, here comes the most melodic, well written rock in years! The CD was "Yourself Or Someone Like You". The band? Matchbox 20!

I was thinking back to that morning last Sunday while sitting in my seat at Staples waiting for MB20 to come on stage! In that crowd of thousands, I felt a little pride in knowing I was there from the beginning. Oddly enough in the 11 years I have been a fan, I had never seen the band live. I sat thre wondering if their immense talent translated into an energetic, entertaining live show. It would have to as, truthfully, my heart wasn’t into being there. I had just come off a 7 hour drive from up North and I was dead tired.

The lights go down, a countdown clock above the stage starts counting down and at 0, the band comes on to the drumbeat of "How Far We’ve Come", an amazing opening to what was 2 solid hours of music! Rob said that the doors of the arena would be locked and for all of to forget what was going on outside and focus on the music. Easy to do because I can not thing of a song I wanted them to play that they didn’t. Songs like "Hang" and "The Difference", two of my favorites, were pleasant surprises! A highlight of the show was when, in the middle of "Bright Lights", the band seamlessly went right into "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", with guitarist Kyle and Paul taking turns on vocals! Amazing! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t jump up and down like a fool when Rob dedicated "Long Day" to "all of you that have been there since the beginning". That’s me! WAHOO! :) Rob is a funny and very endearing frontman! Incredibly talented and not hard on the eyes! One of the best songwriters of the last decade! But I must admit, as great of a time I had been having, I was a little worried during the encore. My favorite song hadn’t been played even though it was their breakout hit. Would they leave it out? Of course not! "Push" was the last song of the night and I left with a huge smile on my face!

Talented, energetic, awesome! I loved this show and can’t wait until their new album! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

On The Road With Lights

There is comfort in becoming familiar with your favorite band. You see them play in familiar places among familiar faces. You become familiar with the set list and know what songs they are going to play before they do. If you are lucky enough to follow a great band, this familiarity leads to an expectation that every time you walk into a club to see them you are going to hear great music and have a good night.

While comfort in anything is not necessarily bad, it is interesting to see what happens when the familiar becomes unfamiliar. What would happen if you shook things up and added an unknown element to what is known. What would happen if you took the band you know and love, have them travel 450 miles up the state and ask them to play for a crowd that has never seen them play? Would they still be as great as they are at home among the faithful crowds they always play for? Would they be able to deliver the same high-energy show? On Friday, Lights were put to that very test. The band traveled up to Chico, California, a small college town about an hour north of Sacramento to play at LaSalle’s. I decided to go up there to see if what was wonderful in L.A. would be equally as wonderful elsewhere.

The excitement in the air was noticeable the minute I was close enough to hear a local radio station. KFM had been promoting the show all week and hearing the band talked about on the radio is something that is unfamiliar to me but very cool! The excitement continued to build when the crowd started to filter into LaSalle’s. People seem to have an attitude of "ok, we hear you are good, prove it". Journey, a San Francisco based band, have a very devoted following in Northern California. Claudia, a Journey fan, had spent the weekend before in San Francisco seeing a local Journey tribute band that was "good " and came to LaSalle’s to see if Lights could compare. Raymond, a Journey fan from the days when Greg Rollie was the singer, was skeptical as well. While I listened to the chatter going on around me, I smiled knowing what a great show this crowd was in for. Being familiar with the band gave me an advantage over the locals: I knew the band was definitely up to the challenge of quieting the skeptics!

I was not wrong. By the time the band hit the stage the excitement was off the charts! It was the first night of spring break and Chico was ready to party, leaving it to Lights to provide the soundtrack. What a soundtrack! Venturing away from the great opener "Escape", the band got the party started with "Wheel in the Sky" This was followed by the one-two punch of "Anyway You Want It" and "Stone In Love" and before long the floor in front of the band was packed wall to wall with people, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs! In fact, the crowd sung louder than the band at many points, even during the ballads "Mother, Father" and "Open Arms".
It became evident that the band loved the crowd right back! They looked relaxed and were clearly having as much fun as the crowd! Charismatic front man Juan cranked up the mojo to 11 and the women in the front row loved it! One got even closer than the front row! During "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin", lucky contest winner Jessica sang Journey on the radio for the chance to come up on stage and have Juan sing that to her personally! The rest of the band kicked it up a few notches as well. Jonny’s guitar solos were blistering and of course every girl in the first couple of rows thought he was playing just to them. Berto steadly kept the beat and played with a fire I have not seen before. Casey? The energy of the crowd fired him up to the point that he broke a string! A first in Lights history! Even Jon, filling in on boards for Jeff, got in some licks that just added something special. All five guys really looked like they were having a blast and threw the energy given to them by the crowd right back out to them.

By the time the band came back for their second set, the energy level was at a fever pitch! During "Don’t Stop Believing" people were up on each others shoulders and a couple of them were crowd surfing! No one wanted the night to end and when it looked like it might, the crowd started chanting for "Wheel in the Sky". Maybe everyone was so excited, they did not realize it was the song the band opened with 2 hours earlier. Always a band for the fans, the guys obliged and played the song again, this time with the volume of the crowd turned up to 15! It was an amazing end to what was hands down the best Lights show I have ever seen!

After the show, I stood and took in the atmosphere. The crowd was smiling and buzzing! I wondered if they knew, like I did, that they had just witnessed something special. Sure, the Chico fans have no other shows to compare this one to but did they know just how good that show was? I did want to know what they thought. So I went back to ask those two people I had talked to before the show. Remember Claudia, the skeptical fan who was comparing Journey tribute bands? She ran up to me after the show, shouting "Oh My God!" She was amazed! She was not old enough to have seen Journey with Steve Perry. However, she closed her eyes during the Lights show and feels she knows what it was like to see Journey back in the day. Raymond, the long time Journey fan, was so impressed he left during the second set to go home to get his two young sons so that they could stand outside the door to hear what their dad was raving about. He said that he wanted his sons to get "as close to the classic Journey" as they could and that "Lights were it"! He even asked the band to pose for pictures with him and his family! Jessica, the contest winner was still giggling with her girlfriends over Juan singing to her when I saw her hour and a half after the fact! The Barista at the Starbucks across the street was talking about the show the next morning, stating he went out on his break to listen and wished he had taken off to go over to hear from the inside! Lights certainly made an impression on those that were there and left the crowd talking in excited anticipation about when the band would be back.

What happens when you take the familiar and add the unfamiliar? Would it be as good as you expect it to be or even better? Would the newbies know just what they are witnessing? In the case of Lights and the town of Chico, you have one amazing band and one great night that was well worth the 7-hour drive. The people at LaSalle’s have found their new favorite band and hopefully will become as familiar with them as I am. That is definitely a good thing! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

The Makings Of A Great Night!

In L.A., there are many bands out there. On any given weekend, in any given bar or club, there will be a band playing, people dancing, drinks pouring. But what makes that same experience unique? Is it the alcohol? Is it the bar itself or the staff?

I think the band is the variable that can make all the difference in whether it's another Saturday at your local dive or a night that it is special Well, let's see: there are bands that practice, have the music thing down pat and are happy just to play. Then there are bands that use the live show to really connect with their audience. When both those elements combine, the shows are exciting, the air is electric and every member of the crowd feels like the band is playing just to them. The band and the audience connect and both feel like they are part of the experience. When you have a band that cares about its audience and is on its game, the night is interactive, exciting and you want to experience it again and again.

It is the previous sentence that perfectly describes the band Lights! Lights are five excellent musicians with a passion not only for the legacy of Journey and for music in general but also for their audience. While their talent speaks for itself, it's the rapport these musicians have with their audience that keeps the die-hards coming back for more and bringing their friends! The fun they have onstage with each other spills out into the audience and we can't help but have fun too! The cool thing is they are great off stage as well! None of the guys seem to take any of this for granted and can be seen hanging out after the show, talking to people, thanking them for coming out! They are nice guys as well as talented musicians and this translates into a good night all around. It's easy to support a band that appreciates their audience and Lights is a band that truly is thankful for where they are and who got them there!

So what do you have to lose? Check the calendar on the front of this page, pick a night and join in the fun! Whether it's your first show or your 20th, you will have fun, hear amazing music and get to hang out with a bunch of great people! That sounds like the makings of a great night! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.