LIGHTS (from Canada), Jessica Lea Mayfield... and then Godspeed You! Black Emperor...

LIGHTS!! Camera. Action. LIGHTS is a Canadian electro-pop musician that has recently also ventured into writing and drawing comic books to completely tell her vision/story. Her latest album is called "Skin and Earth" and coincides with her comic book series, and all the music videos tell part of the story as well. I remember seeing her at Port City Music Hall about 4 or 5 years ago, when her album "Little Machines" came out. I love the small venue atmosphere and I remember it being hot, sweaty, and intense. This time around, she played a sold out club, The Paradise, in Boston. She played an incredible show with an amazing setlist that covered all three of her fantastic albums, including a few acoustic songs, as well.


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At the beginning of this week, I had won free tickets to see an amazing indie artist, Jessica Lea Mayfield here in Portland. I had "discovered" her after listening to a great covers album she'd done with one of the Avett Brothers. It was an album of Elliott Smith covers, which made it as equally great, but also quite difficult to accomplish, given that Elliott Smith was one of the best songwriters of the '90s. 

Jessica Lea Mayfield played for just about an hour, but it was a great set. 


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A fantastic indie band called Mal Blum opened the show and was really impressive and a great way to star the night. The lead singer shared some fantastic banter with the crowd and her band, which led itself to good energy and build up for the headliner. Perfect.

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The next night was absolutely incredible. I remember seeing Godspeed You! Black Emperor when they opened for Nine Inch Nails on the Tension Tour at the TD Garden in Boston. It was a huge venue for them and I don't think their music was fully appreciated by the audience back then, an audience clearly there for the headliner. Well, Godspeed You! Black Emperor was the headliner at the small, intimate venue, Port City Music Hall, here in Portland with their amps and monitors stacked and filling the entire stage. It was going to be loud. It was absolutely incredible. They played 7 songs, including their entire new album, without speaking to the audience once. It was all about their music.


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Local band, Ada, was the opening act and really set the mood well. What an incredible honor and they really held their own as a band to pay attention to, even with a massive band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor waiting and watching from the side of the stage.


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