It was December, and a two-night event that will forever be known as BassLights. Two of the biggest names in electronic music, Bassnectar and Pretty Lights combined forces to bring a fury of heavy-bass, blinding lights and long-lasting memories to Hampton Coliseum. It also happened that each of these artists had intense followings: the Pretty Lights Family and the Bassnectar Family. With the event bringing together two groups of the most die-hard fans, I met attendees who had come as far west as Colorado and as far south as Texas. Being a dedicated fan to both Pretty Lights and Bassnectar, I enjoyed the event tremendously, and was left with a sense of wonder and amazement after the two nights were over.
As time rolled on, I quickly found myself- for lack of a better word- addicted to Pretty Lights. It was all I could listen to. I began listening to each release he had ever put out in-depth, and slowly I began to identify with particular songs. When I was low, there was “Still Night”. When I was in high-spirits, it was “Aimin’ At Your Head”. What was it that drew me into his music so much? I couldn’t pin-point it, but before I knew it, I became introduced to the Pretty Lights Family, whom I had witnessed first-hand at BassLights. Flash-forward eight months, and I’m now a devoted member, surrounded by positive people who always know how to liven up a day and a part of a incredible group of passionate fans like me, known as Illuminators. I can’t go a day without listening to Pretty Lights anymore. I’ve seen him six times in concert in less than a year, with more dates already planned. To this day I still ask myself, what is it about Pretty Lights that makes my brain click as opposed to other music?
For a long time this question bubbled in my head, and as I was immersed deeper in the live music scene, I became exposed to other groups like the Bassnectar Family, Phish’s family of fans, Biscuit-heads, and more. The question remained: why did these particular artists cultivate the families they did? Was it because of frequent touring? An extensive discography? Their way of connecting with fans? I still don’t know. However, through research, I decided to embark on a journey to ponder this question of families. From deadheads to bassheads, from the jam-band to the DJ, I attempted to find out why these families popped up as they did. And it began with the Dead.
Deadheads
The Grateful Dead was formed in 1965, in a time of great musical innovation. The blues, country, folk, jazz and other musical genres were becoming infused from their former years into this new genre, which would soon become known as rock and roll. The Grateful Dead took command of all these genres, incorporating them into their music and their live performances in a rare blend that translated into an improvisational form of psychedelic rock that was unforeseen in the that era. In 1971, when the band had modest popularity, a message appeared on the inside sleeve of “Grateful Dead”, their self-titled second album.
DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? How are you?
Send us your name and address and we’ll keep you informed.
Dead Heads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901.
What began as a simple beckoning to connect with the fans soon turned into a influx of die-hards who couldn’t get enough. By the end of 1971, it was estimated they had received 350 letters; in a few years, they had over 40,000. For this time period, the number is ridiculous; however, there was something about the Dead that made them so addicting to fans who attended their shows and heard their music.
There were three main reasons that the Dead appealed to fans:
- Different sets; song selection would vary from set to set
- Multiple sets in a night
- Some sets would feature long, drawn-out “jams” that were completely improvisational
While these all added to the fact, some Deadhead’s attributed their obsession to a certain “X-factor”. Drummer Mickey Hart said it best:
“for many Deadheads, the band was a medium that facilitated experiencing other planes of consciousness and tapping into deep, spiritual wells that were usually the province of organized religion … [they] got people high whether those people were on drugs or not.”
A group known as the Wharf Rats even began in the 1980s that were clean and sober fans who influenced safe and sustainable concert-going. This would eventually lead to groups like The Phellowship for Phish, Digital Buddhas for the Disco Biscuits and AmBASSadors for Bassnectar.
The Phish Phellowship
As well as the factors of the band itself, the Deadheads came to see the Dead for the sense of community; you would be surrounded at a show by like-minded individuals, all with the same mindsets for the night. It was a time to let loose, be yourself, and let the constant judgments of normal society fade away.
The Age of Jam Bands: Phish, Widespread Panic, & More
While the Grateful Dead eventually faded, little did they know that they would leave a lasting legacy in the culture of live music forever. The Dead paved the way for what would become known as “jam bands”- groups that would go on stage, playing lengthy versions of original songs, working simultaneously with each member of the band to be on exactly the same plane. These “jams” soon became crowd favorites, as they would always be totally new, totally unpredictable and always exciting. It was no surprise then that groups that emerged like early-innovators Phish and Widespread Panic, to more recent collectives like the Disco Biscuits and Sound Tribe Sector 9 have all generated a cult following and effectively a “family” of members.
“What Is a Jam Band? Please cast aside any preconceptions that this phrase may evoke. The term, as it is commonly used today, references a rich palette of sounds and textures. These groups share a collective penchant for improvisation, a commitment to songcraft and a propensity to cross genre boundaries, drawing from a range of traditions including blues, bluegrass, funk, jazz, rock, psychedelia and even techno. In addition, the jam bands of today are unified by the nimble ears of their receptive listeners.” – Dean Budnick
Beginning in the early 80s, bands such as Phish, Widespread Panic, Blues Travelers and others began as the “first-generation” of jam bands. While the Grateful Dead were still around, the immense luster of the group was slowly dwindling as they got older, and was solidified with Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. Bands like Phish and Widespread were generating massive clusters of fans; by the 90s, Phish, in particular, began changing the scene dramatically by incorporating theatrics into their live shows, such as the Audience Chess Match in 1995. This, coupled with the rise of the internet, allowed fans to connect not only with the band, but with each other in a way that never had occurred before. Other “jam bands” that would later become staples in the scene rose during this era, such as Gov’t Mule, The String Cheese Incident, moe., and more.
The “Audience Chess Match” of 1995
Another staple originated by Phish and others early acts would again leave a legacy for the future of “jam bands”- intricate light shows. While the Dead used lights to their advantage, it was Phish who really began utilizing their capabilities to add a whole separate element to the live performance. The 1993 Phish tour featured lights that could pivot and move 360 degrees, featuring different patterns, designs and over 120 usable colors. As the years progressed, the light show intensified, featuring an “open-backed” background so that the light show could become the main focus of stage production. More lights were added, improved, and changed, so that the light show became just another awe-inspiring aspect of the live show which would soon be duplicated by many others.
In the mid-90s, Phish once again set precedent for what would become another unifying event in live music culture- their own music festivals. Beginning in 1996, they held their first ever music festival in Plattsburgh, NY, an event that brought 70,000 “phans”, and featured seven sets of Phish. This became a recurring event for them, as they continued this for many years and to this day have played nine multi-day camping festivals. These music festivals have inspired modern-day events like Camp Bisco of the Disco Biscuits and Electric Forest of The String Cheese Incident. They serve as beacon to the “family” of the artist, and if you’re a dedicated fan, it becomes an annual pilgrimage to these festivals.
Present Day: From Jam Bands to Producers
Many of the “jam bands” of the 90s still exist today; Widespread Panic, moe., String Cheese and others still have massive, dedicated fan bases that continue to follow them as they tour, however often that may be. More recent bands, such as Umphrey’s McGee and the Disco Biscuits, to the new age Papadosio and Lotus, continue the legacy of jam-bands, slowly venturing into the realm of electronic music which seems to be where everything is heading. But at the turn of the millennium, something new happened. For the first time in history, two electronic producers began cultivating a “family” very much in the same way these jam-bands did. These two producers are Bassnectar and Pretty Lights.
The Bassnectar Family may have began slightly before Pretty Lights family of fans began. As Lorin Ashton, the mastermind known as Bassnectar, began to rose into prominence during the 2000s, gaining a loyal fan base mostly through sets he played at Burning Man festival. Playing sometimes up to seven sets a night, DJ Lorin, as he was known at the time, instantly became a fan favorite. Much like the jam bands before him, Ashton’s ability to churn out multiple sets that were all completely different and unique allowed fans to instantly gravitate towards him and keep wanting more.
Another aspect of Bassnectar that generated his “family” was the creation of Bassnectar-related events. While there has yet to be a “Bassnectar” festival, Ashton has put on seven Bass Centers, a Bass Island, and two official BassLights events with another planned in a few months. These events have only furthered his fans adoration for him, his music, and the community that comes along with him. Along with a “family photo” that Ashton performs at the end of every Bassnectar show now, fans by the thousands have found a connection with Bassnectar and many call themselves “Bassheads”.
But what about Bassnectar’s music? Isn’t that the driving force behind all of this? It’s true, the music of Bassnectar is the sole reason everyone is so attracted to him. Listening to a Bassnectar album is diverse enough; you hear influences of rock, metal, jazz, hip-hop, rap, all blended in with his own electronic spin. A live Bassnectar show is just as varied; calling his live shows “omnitempo maximalism”, Ashton pulls songs from all genres and time periods, along with a beautiful display of lights and projection mapping, for a full-sensory extravaganza. Its no wonder that many, including myself, strive to see Bassnectar multiple times. Each experience is different, just like that of the aforementioned bands before him.
A Bassnectar “Family Photo” from Camp Bisco 2013
Around the same time the Bassnectar Family began to form, another electronic producer was making huge waves in the scene- none other than Derek Vincent Smith, formally known as Pretty Lights. Beginning with hip-hop music during his high-school years, Pretty Lights evolved into its own beast in 2007. With a foothold in Denver, Colorado, a place of great musical inspiration, Pretty Lights began opening for jam bands such as Sound Tribe Sector 9, the Disco Biscuits and Widespread Panic. This exposure to the jam band scene not only influenced Pretty Lights’ sound, but introduced his music to a group of fans who were already predisposed to latch onto these kinds of artists. His style of music fit in with these bands because much like their music, it contained a fusion of many different elements, pulling from genres of hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, and much more.
Of course, as Pretty Lights began appearing at primarily jam band festivals all across the country like Bonnaroo, Camp Bisco and Rothbury (now known as Electric Forest), his music became exposed to an audience of fans who were used to being die-hards. Again, like Bassnectar and the jam bands, Pretty Lights began to play live sets that were completely unique and exciting. As he built an extensive discography, his song selection could be all over the place, and he soon developed an uncanny ability to mix and edit songs on the fly during his performances, so that songs you had thought you heard before seemed completely fresh and new. Likewise, fans couldn’t get enough Pretty Lights. Coupled with the evolution of his immense light shows, a family began to flock around this distinct producer.
It was around late 2009 when the Pretty Lights Family began to emerge. With Smith embarking on a multi-city tour of the United States, fans from the west coast to the east coast began to be exposed to his entrancing music. Along with performances at esteemed festivals and venues like Red Rocks into 2010 and 2011, Pretty Lights became a respected and worldly-reknowned musician. With already three albums under his belt, including 2008’s “Filling Up the City Skies” which was a double-album, and three EPs in 2010, Pretty Lights built an elaborate discography. Add this to a string of remixes and singles, and you never knew what you would get when you saw Pretty Lights live.
Events like Pretty Lights at Red Rocks are budding events which bring together this small but steadily growing family. Additionally, a newly formed group known as the Pretty Lights Illuminators act as mediators at shows, providing help and good vibes to those who attend. This “family” is slowly but surely becoming similar to other followings, while still being greatly unique as well.
Pretty Lights Illuminators
In a move seen very few times in contemporary live music culture, Pretty Lights has made the transition from a “DJ” during live performances to a full live band, making the connection to jam bands seem even more apparent. Featuring his former drummer and Break Science/Lettuce artist Adam Deitch, Break Science keyboardist and member Borahm Lee, Brian Coogan on keys, Eric Bloom on trumpet, Eric Krasno on guitar, and other members including a bassist, vocalists, brass musicians and even Smith himself sometimes playing the bass and a Moog bass, Pretty Lights has somewhat evolved into a jam band. While the band is extremely young and inexperienced playing fully together, their future looks incredibly promising. Mixing live instrumentation with parts from Smith’s own tracks, the Pretty Lights live band is something unforeseen in live music culture.
Of course, there are other musicians in this current era of live electronic music that have followings as well just as similar to the BNF and PLF. Michal Menert Mafia, A Big Gigantic Family, Griz Family and many more all follow these traditions.
My name is Jay Laiche and I am a loving member and Illuminator of the Pretty Lights Family.
Follow @la1ch3
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