Lydia Night stepped into the limelight last night for a sold-out Baby’s All Right showcase, bringing her debut album Parody of Pleasure to life beneath the venue’s glittering disco-ball backdrop. As her first string of solo shows, Night wasted no time proving herself – her presence was magnetic from start to finish, reminding the crowd that she’s every bit as commanding alone as she was fronting a band.

My first introduction to Night came back in 2017, when she was leading The Regrettes on tour with SWMRS and The Interrupters. Even as an opener, it was obvious who the star was – Lydia front and center, passion radiating across the room. After that set, I had their debut record on repeat until it topped my year-end streams. So when the band split in 2023, it felt like a gut punch, but it never seemed like an ending. Lydia belonged on stage.

When she returned earlier this year with her YouTube vlog series “Pop or Flop,” it was a hint of what was coming. The behind-the-scenes clips were a clever bridge into a new chapter – one that traded punk grit for pop shimmer without losing her edge. By the time she dropped “Pity Party” in April, the skepticism I had about the rebrand was gone. This era felt natural, and the vlog series made fans feel like they were part of the process every step of the way.

That connection was on full display last night. Baby’s, a venue where people often drift toward the back bar or disconnected restaurant, was jammed wall-to-wall. Every corner of the stage room was packed, fans dressed with deer-ear clips and wide eyes, crammed in with no barricade to keep them from the stage. When the retro TVs flickered on with a live feed of Lydia backstage, the crowd erupted. By the time she stepped out in her trench coat, it felt less like a set beginning and more like the spark of something fans had been waiting years to see.

The set was tight, vivacious, and deeply personal. Fans shouted every lyric – songs released less than two weeks ago – as if they’d been living with them for years. Night devoured the space with the same charisma I remembered from 2017: sometimes wild and in motion, other times still with her bass slung low, commanding without a word. A mid-show outfit change gave her drummer a chance to joke and riff with the audience, adding to the intimacy of the night. He called her media assistant on stage, who echoed the exact sentiment I had been feeling: Despite popular belief in DMs and comments, Lydia was far from selling out.

What struck me most was how joyful she seemed. Even in this polished pop era, the spark hasn’t dulled. If anything, the music feels freer: catchy, buoyant, a reflection of someone who still loves the act of performance.

Parody of Pleasure is out now on all platforms, and Lydia is bringing these songs to more cities later this year. If you were lucky enough to squeeze into these first release shows, you already know how special her performances are. If not, grab tickets while you can. Lydia Night is stepping into a new moment, and after seeing her light up Baby’s All Right, it’s hard to imagine her staying in small rooms much longer.

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