Words and Images: Tim Hara

As we exited our cab outside of the Park West in Chicago, we were immediately approached by a fan asking us if we had any extras for the sold out Pretty Lights show. Then another, then another, then another. Dozens of kids braved the miserable cold and rain with their fingers raised high in the air with hopes of scoring a ticket to what seemed like the hottest show in town. Sadly, almost all of them would get shut out.

Yonder Mountain String Band was playing at the House of Blues Chicago, but you wouldn’t have known it. All people were talking about for weeks was whether they had a ticket for Pretty Lights and how they were going to get in if they didn’t have one. Desperation led to some fans offering up to five times face value for a single ticket. I hadn’t seen this kind of pandemonium for a show in this city for a long time. We passed all the unfortunate, ticket less fans and entered the venue knowing that the evening was truly going to be something special.

Derek Vincent Smith, AKA Pretty Lights, creates infectious beats that seem to appeal to a wide audience. His music is so unique that even his biggest fans have a hard time describing exactly what it is that they are listening to. He blends a heavy electronic sound that walks the line of glitch, electro or even dubstep with a combination of samples that run the gamut of soul to funk to rap. The result is a live performance of non-stop dance music that truly provides something for everyone.

READ ON for more from Tim on Pretty Lights in Chicago…

At around 10:30, Smith hit the stage with his drummer, Cory Eberhard. As the crowd roared with excitement, the giant LED screen behind them lit up with the PL logo. Their stage setup was nothing more than Derek’s equipment on a folding table next to Cory’s drum set. Smith towers over his table and is unmistakable even from the very back of the room. The room was absolutely packed from the stage to the balcony and everyone was eager for a dance party. PL would not disappoint.

Throughout the evening, Pretty Lights treated fans to old and new songs as well as some very original remixes. The first several songs were off his newly released album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes, including Sunday School, World of Illusion and If I Could Feel Again. As he ripped through song after song, he never gave the fans a chance to stop dancing. The crowd was hot and sweaty and loving every single second of it. The highlight of the night for the crowd was when Derek busted out Finally Moving, off his first album, Taking Up Your Precious Time. The soulful female vocals make this his number one sing-along-tune. The LED screen added to the already spectacular light show with images of blue skies, butterflies, fire, and other trippy visuals that were perfectly in-sync with the monstrous beats.

Pretty Lights surprised the audience with an original remix of Jay-Z’s D.O.A. and even a unique mashup of Wreckx-N-Effect’s Rump Shaker and M.I.A.’s Paper Planes. The crowd-pleasers were undoubtedly the tunes from the double disc, Filling Up The City Skies. Fans went nuts as Derek and Cory treated them to PL classics like Hot Like Sauce, Aimin’ At Your Head and Up & Down I Go. Derek even gave a nod to the city with More Important Than Michael Jordan.

The duo’s entire set, plus the three-song encore, was an absolute marathon that ran over two hours long. The crowd energy was through the roof from start to finish and both men were clearly feeding off of it. There was not a single doubt that Pretty Lights had left their mark on Chicago.

Pretty Lights currently has 19 more shows on their tour that ends in Boston, MA at the Paradise Rock Club. Check out www.prettylightsmusic.com for the list of dates as well as all of the albums – which can be downloaded for free. Nearly every show on this tour has sold out, so buy your tickets in advance.