Pretty Lights (the electronic-based duo Derek Vincent Smith and drummer Cory Eberhard) made a stop in Pittsburgh last Tuesday night, and damn, did they live up to their name.
I went in a newcomer to the band – I had only heard two songs before I stepped foot into Mr. Small’s Theatre that night, so I was a little unsure of what to expect. Let me tell you – even if the music had been completely intolerable, the light show alone would have been enough to keep me fixated the entire evening. However, the music itself was equally as impressive, if not better, than their aesthetics.
I’ll be the first to admit – I’m not a dancer – I’m one of those attendees you see at a concert standing perfectly still, wide-eyed and full of awe, just taking everything in. Occasionally you’ll see me tapping my foot, or bobbing my head, but that’s about as far as it goes. Not this time. After the allotted photo time had passed, I checked my equipment behind the bar, ran to the middle of the floor, and shook my stuff like there was no tomorrow. The pumping beats and jazzy overtones were just too hard to resist.
Highlights of the show included the song “I Can See It In Your Face” (which was featured on PopWreckoning’s mp3 Music Minute in February), and their finale – a cover of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.”
All in all, a spectacular show in every respect. If Pretty Lights is playing a show anywhere near you – even if you’re not familiar with their music (as I was myself) – do yourself a favor and go. It’s nearly impossible to describe the magnificence of the experience in words, but if you still need a little encouragement, the following pictures should give a small sampling of the beauty that is Pretty Lights.
