Lights performs at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on April 6, 2022. Chloe Catajan/STAFF.

SAN FRANCISCO — It only took three simple words to set the tone for Lights‘ Wednesday evening set at the Regency Ballroom.

“Baby I’m back.”

The refrain from the singer’s “Prodigal Daughter” holds plenty of different meanings, but when the words appeared on the video screen, it was unequivocal that Lights was indeed back.

It was just the third night of the singer’s tour and less than a week since she released her latest record, PEP, but Lights was in fine form.

“It’s been like three days, shouldn’t you know all the words by now?” Lights said, laughing, midway through her 90-minute set. “Actually, I’m really impressed.”

Lights performs at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on April 6, 2022.

While certainly joking, the ink is barely dry on the album’s liner notes. The set was not only a showcase of PEP, but also a trip through more than a decade’s worth of material, back to Lights’ debut, The Listening. The older material felt like it was rebuilt from the ground up. The production included an array of lights set between three large video screens that helped set the mood for each song. Even the band was different, with The Summer Set drummer Jess Bowen joining longtime guitarist Brodie Tavares.

The day actually didn’t start off on the right foot for Lights, she said. But she and her band went to a nearby bar to play pool, drink vodka and blow off some steam. That moment, along with the warm welcome in San Francisco, turned it around.

“I wasn’t prepared for all the emotions and now here I am in this moment, completely overwhelmed.” she said.

Lights performs at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on April 6, 2022.

The performance was all about joyous energy, with little time for angst, sadness or despair. Lights and her crew powered through 20 confident, energetic and uplifting songs. Even emotionally heavy songs like “Savage” felt more like an empowering battle cry. After two years away, the upbeat “Up We Go” seemed to take on new life and meaning.

“This is the part of the show where I get to play whatever I want,” Lights said before polling the crowd on the next number. “I guess that’s the whole show, but you know what I mean.”

While fans roared for the anthemic “Banner,” she decided to debut Illenium collaboration “Hearts On Fire.”

The rock-tinged “Voice Carry” immediately felt festival-ready, with its singalong chorus and upbeat rhythms. Newer tracks “Dead End” and “Batshit” translated well live, with Bowen building a strong rhythmic foundation for her driving drum patterns.

Known for playing keyboards, Lights played more electric guitar than her previous tours, rounding out the band’s sound. She also pulled out a tiny handheld synth instrument on occasion. The night was almost entirely upbeat, save just a pair of slower tracks in “Quiet” and “Real Thing,” as well as the requested songs. The trio of “Beside Myself,” “Running With the Boys” and “Okay Okay” all had an energizing jump to them.

Tillie performs at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on April 6, 2022.

Lights brought here set to a close with a mix of crowdpleasers and a surprise. The danceable “Love Me” and the anthemic “Giants” led into a live debut of deadmau5 collaboration “When the Summer Dies,” but with a more relaxed twist. She concluded the show with the bouncy and anthemic “In My Head.”

Pop-punk singer-songwriter Tillie opened the show with an energetic set. Over 40 minutes, she fused Warped Tour energy with a pop sheen. Tillie even added in a genre-rebrand cover of Britney Spears’ “Lucky.” Playing both guitar and bass, the singer was the perfect lead-in to Lights, mixing in some new material along the way that will certainly be worth a second listen once released.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe.