popwreckoning

LIGHTS is an incredibly talented girl who plays the guitar, piano, drums, and even a keytar. Her music is very electro-pop and she describes it as “intergalactic” on her MySpace. But LIGHTS has recently released an acoustic EP simply titled LIGHTS. ACOUSTIC. In support of this new release, LIGHTS is doing a string of sold out acoustic shows. The first show in Philadelphia, PA, was packed; you had to get there early in order to get a table or even get a spot in order to see. The second she walked on stage, the crowd began yelling compliments at her. She giggled, she responded politely, and she did it very well. She immediately began playing “February Air” on her guitar and the entire crowd quickly started singing along. Between each song, LIGHTS told a story to go with the song she was introducing. She talked about songs being written for boys (or the same one), where she writes her songs (alone in her bedroom but she gets her ideas in the bathroom for those that want to know), and moving out of her parent’s house (which was 500km away but then she quickly realized we use miles and could not figure out the math). She is funny. She is witty. And most of all, she is charming.

Throughout the evening, LIGHTS went back and forth playing her guitar or a keyboard that had been set up on stage for her. She played both flawlessly. Twice she said she was going to play a song that she had never played live before and that this particular show was a very special one, thrilling the crowd even more. She played all of the songs off her new EP and ended the set with “Savior” which based off the crowd’s reaction, is one of her more popular songs. Even though she only played for one hour (plus two songs for an encore – “Fall Back Down” and “Ice”) it was just the right amount of time for an acoustic set.

Her music has a very has a singer-songwriter quality to it that raises its standards from the normal “girl pop” you hear on the radio. Having been impressed by LIGHTS’ acoustic performance, it makes seeing her live with her full band much more intriguing. Neither would be a show to be missed.

Having heard of Rooney about eight years ago or so (and being on their mailing list since then), I was intrigued to see them live for the first time. I was a little unsure of what to expect from them exactly, but since Rooney is currently on tour with Hanson to promote their newest release Eureka, I rightfully assumed it would be a fun show. And though the tour has only just started, they’ve already hit major cities such as Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia, PA.

The sold out Philadelphia show Sunday night was very entertaining. Though the majority of the fans were in attendance to see Hanson, Rooney, who happens to be very engaging, had the crowd singing right along with them. Lead singer, Robert Schwartzman, encouraged the crowd to clap along to the beat several times throughout the night. The band impressed me and had very good stage presence. They personalized the show by talking about the Phillies baseball game they attended earlier in the day, and about the storm that delayed the game, drenching the band in the process. At one point, Robert even threw his Phillies baseball cap out into the crowd.

Rooney’s music is very guitar based with the occasional keyboard used in their songs which of course keeps the energy level high throughout the night. They played songs from their newest release Eureka such as “Holding On” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” They even played a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young with Robert playing drums and Ned Brower, their drummer, singing lead. Their adaptation stayed true to Neil Young’s version of the song and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. Overall, Rooney has very upbeat music that encourages the audience to sing and dance along. If you are looking for a good to pop show to see, don’t pass up the opportunity to see Rooney. You won’t be disappointed.

It’s one of the biggest tours of the summer: The Bamboozle Roadshow. PopWreckoning wants to help you go free (or at least go cheap if you don’t win our contest).

We’ve got a pair of tickets we’re giving away to the Philadelphia Bamboozle Roadshow on June 20. To win, all you have to do is comment and tell us what Bamboozle band you’re most excited to see and why. Then, on Wednesday, June 16 at 12 p.m. EST, we’ll pick a winner to put on the guest list with a plus one.  Make sure you comment with your real first and last name and make sure you are able to attend the show.

If you don’t want to risk winning, there are $10 tickets available for the show thanks to the kind folks at Coca-Cola. To get the discounted tickets go to www.livenation.com/cokesecret and use the password: cokesecret.

At the show, be sure to stop by the Coca-Cola “Swelter Stopper” tent to cool off and for your chance to win meet and greet passes from the DJ. They’ll even be stocked with ice-cold Coca-Cola.

*The prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.