The Lights that Hypnotize
Electricity is in the air as I approach the Theater of Living Arts in downtown Philadelphia. TLA as it’s more commonly known to the locals, is right on South Street, a hip strip of artsy boutiques, galleries, restaurants, bars and even a condom palace.
A former old fashioned single screen movie theater and smaller than most high school auditoriums, TLA was well known in the 70’s and 80’s for its weekly Saturday midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now owned by Live Nation it’s not what I would call a glamorous venue but the bands that host there pack the house.
Tonight they are hosting a Pretty Lights show. This becomes clear when I reach the doors because everyone is decked out in dance attire. Neon colors are the uniform and fun head bands, glow sticks and funky sunglasses are in abundance. Everyone is sharing the same excitement even before entering because they’re ready to boogie! Inside the venue is standing room only which is appropriate since no one stops dancing once it starts and even after it’s over.
Pretty Lights is an electronic music duo from Colorado. The creator, Derek Vincent Smith, is accompanied by Cory Eberhard on drums during live performances. Smith creates a new kind of “mash-up” music by sampling many different genres, combining funk, soul and hip-hop to produce a hybrid dance groove that is a never ending party. Some of his influences are The Notorious B.I.G, Etta James and John Coltrane. They have performed at various music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Rothbury, Camp Bisco and Electric Daisy Carnival and have become a huge name in the music community with their popularity continuing to grow.
Smith has been producing hip-hop beats ever since high school and after one year at The University of Colorado he dropped out to focus on his music. He’s always been a believer of not feeding into the corporate world and even makes his music available to everyone for free on his website, www.prettylightsmusic.com. As a result his music will always be for his fans. The site offers three full-length albums to download. This no-charge philosophy is a revelation in the music industry and is something that is now being picked up by other artists.
Once past the doors, the anticipation builds as everyone finds their perfect spot on the dance floor. On the left side of the stage there is a table holding a Mac laptop and turn tables, the right side is a drum set. All of a sudden you feel the lights dim and hear the crowd progressively cheering. Your attention immediately goes to the stage and you see a hooded, 6ft-something man walk up to the table looking very mysterious. You can tell he is just as excited as the fans before him as he bobs his head in anticipation of the beat he is about to drop. The audience goes crazy as they recognize the song and for many it’s a favorite. Much like the dancing, the light show never stops. There are blues, purples, yellows, greens, lasers, strobes and more. They dance around the room and along the walls bouncing off the crowd. The whole show is perfectly planned, pairing the lights with the music.
As Pretty Lights leaves the stage and you think the show is over, the fans continue to chant and cheer summoning them back for an encore. I imagine they are just standing in the wings, teasing us. Eventually they come back and the encore blows you away. This always seems to be the best part of a Pretty Lights show. They typically play all the fans’ favorites and throw in popular songs. My personal favorite was Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” When the show is finally over everyone piles out with a song still playing in their head and their bodies still grooving. The next day you are sore from all of the dancing.
Pretty Lights’ shows never disappoint. The lighting theatrics, constant dance party atmosphere and a way cool audience keep fans coming back for more. For those of you craving their next show, Pretty Lights will be playing on Randall’s Island Park, in New York, for the Electric Zoo Festival, on Saturday September 4, 2010.