il·lu·mi·nate – verb
1.to supply or brighten with light; light up.
2.to make lucid or clear; throw light on (a subject).
3.to decorate with lights, as in celebration.
4.to enlighten, as with knowledge.
5.to make resplendent or illustrious: A smile illuminated her face.

In mid-2013, a collective of die-hard fans of the musician Derek Vincent Smith, otherwise known as Pretty Lights, began a grassroots project that would change the face of the Pretty Lights live music scene. While the Pretty Lights live band completely changed the entertainment portion of the show, a group that would become the “Illuminators” were set to change the crowd experience, and weren’t only limited to that; the Illuminators set out to spread the Pretty Lights movement through grassroots promotion and various other methods. Today, they are a growing force, and aim to “Illuminate” the world with good vibes and even better music.

Humble Beginnings

The spread of Pretty Lights was by nature, inevitable; having a strong online presence, including having all his music available for free downloads, made the ability to share the music, and the ideas behind it extremely facile. With seemingly-constant touring, fans became able to connect, and as online communities began to spring up, they could stay in contact on and off the road. These fans of his music were able to identify with each other, and soon the idea of having something similar to other groups (Bassnectar AmBASSadors, Disco Biscuits Digital Buddhas, etc.) came to fruition.

Perhaps the first instance of Pretty Lights fans “illuminating” per se came at the first official “BassLights”- December 28-29 in Hampton, Virginia. Fans were selected to facilitate the show, offering water, medical services, and a positive presence to those who needed it. Appropriately dubbed “Vibe Adjusters”, it was a mix of AmBASSadors and future Illuminators who managed the show. With Pretty Lights and Bassnectar attracting similar crowds, and the nature of a Pretty Lights show (which could at times get intense), it was only natural that Illuminators would soon exist as their own entity.

It began with Andrew Dudash (co-founder) making post on the PLF Facebook page, proposing the idea of a volunteer program for Pretty Lights shows, similar to Vibe Adjusters at BassLights. Jason Shepherd expressed interest in the idea as well, which eventually lead to Sheneza, a member of Red Light Management (the group that manages Pretty Lights) to ask the two to e-mail her ideas for the project. They set up a conference call, with Anita Obasi, an intern with Red Light at the time, joining in.

“I vibe adjusted for the first time at BassLights in Virginia last year and fell in love with the experience. I wanted to see it happen again, hence the Facebook post that led to the whole thing.
Like, why don’t artists do something like this more often? Everyone’s there to have the time of their life, so why not have a crew of people there to help facilitate that? – Andrew Dudash

Sheneza gave the three guidelines, but allowed them to bounce ideas off each other, as the project could be negotiable. They then established formal goals, and consequently presented them to members of Derek Vincent Smith’s team to make sure they were headed in the right direction with what the had planned for the Illuminators. After six months of hard work, which included much debate, setting up a tumblr, writing out e-mails and posts, and more, it was announced on the Pretty Lights Family Facebook page.

“It’s seriously been a dream come true.” – Jason Shepherd

What Makes An Illuminator?

When the selection process was announced, it was necessitated that the applicants would have to fill certain criteria; while only a few applicants were denied, those in charge still had standards to uphold. Those wanting to apply had to fill out an application, which asked questions such as:

• Tell us about your most memorable experience at a PL show.
• How do you already contribute to good vibes at a show?
• What is one skill or lesson you have learned from attending shows that you carry with in life?

Along with other factual questions, it was shown that the Illuminator selection process was important, and Illuminators would only be of the highest caliber individuals, devoted to the Pretty Lights cause. After much deliberation, the first-round of Illuminators was announced. Subsequently, other rounds of Illuminators were chosen, making the total amount at this point in time is over 400.

“We wanted anyone that we thought would add to the positive motion of the PL vision, and also to the scene as a whole. We saw mostly all of our applicants had a general interest in the improvement of the movement and that was our basis for acceptance. We accepted mostly every application, but there was a small, but strictly followed criteria for denying applications; however, we have no expression of intention to create an “elitist” group. Applicants must be open minded in all senses of the term, and they can’t promote the use of mind altering substances. Although we are not in any sense trying to tell people what they can and cannot do, we stress the importance of responsibility.” – Jason Shepherd

Illuminators In Action

The collective has been spreading the word of Pretty Lights ever since they were selected. Connected via an Illuminator tumblr, numerous Facebook groups, and an e-mail listserv, the Illuminators have been able to connect to put their heads together to expand Pretty Lights scope almost everywhere around the country.

“From this program we’ve not only been able to harness your typical types of promotion, but also have had Illuminators on the radio about the new PL album, have hosted 600+ person listening parties, and the program continues to pump out some of the most creative and heart felt ideals I’ve seen.” – Andrew Dudash

With promotional flyers being given to Illuminators, along with suggestions like making mix CDs to give out, blog promotion, and just simply word of mouth, Illuminators have had many outlets to promote their favorite artist.

Along with promotion, one of the primary aspects of Illuminators while at Pretty Lights live events is to maintain safety within the crowds. Illuminators are given the responsibility of managing attendees in the crowd, whether its helping those who are sick, calming down aggressive and/or intoxicated guests, helping attendees stay hydrated, or simply helping liven the mood of someone who isn’t having the best time. Illuminators are there to essentially “light up” the atmosphere of the show, and to make sure it runs smoothly and the best possibly for everyone in attendance.

The first official event that showcased the power of Illuminators was at Pretty Lights’ two-night Red Rocks run this past August 16th and 17th. With a large team, the Illuminators spread the good vibes across the venue that night. A lot of Illuminators signed up for the show, which shows the enthusiasm of the bunch. They all met at the top of the venue, meeting each other for (most of them) the first time, as well as talking about ideas for the show and getting a feel for the night. Illuminators had to sign a waiver, expressing their responsibilities for the night- which included being 100% sober. This was a notion that was stressed emphatically when the Illuminators met in the event room, dubbed the “Illuminator’s Headquarters” for the two nights.

“…I really think the fact that this program seriously stresses sobriety at shows is something that makes this whole movement so credible. These kids are volunteering to make sure everyone is safe and happy, regardless of their personal opinions about drugs at shows. The fact that they were so willing to spread that PL positivity with a clear mind really shows others around us that you don’t need substances to enhance the experience of live music, and sort of sets an example for audience members.” – Anita Obasi

The Illuminators set up teams for five different areas before shows take place to liven up the atmosphere. The five teams (aptly named after PL songs) are as follows:

• “I Can See It Your Face” – face painting
• “I Know The Truth” – Pretty Lights, PLM and PLF scene education
• “Let’s Get Busy” – hype crew (team dedicated to getting people excited and in good spirits)
• “High School Art Class” – flag, sign, and poster creation
• “Hot Like Sauce” – fruit, gummy snacks, candy
• PLPix Crew – photography

“The experience was phenomenal! Red rocks is obviously one of the most iconic venues in this country, and I feel Derek really pushed himself to introduce the live band at Red Rocks, not to mention his home state. I feel it was the same for the Illuminators. Why not pick one of the biggest, steepest venues in the country to really test this program? Sink or swim kinda thing, ya know? Yet, we could not have asked for a more successful launch to this program. Obviously, there were logistics to work through, but all and all, it was a huge success.” – Andrew Dudash

With one event under their belt, the Illuminators are poised to become well-known and well-respected at Pretty Lights events. Expect to see Illuminators at every Pretty Lights stop on his fall tour. Additionally, Illuminators were surely be at this year’s BassLights, taking place in Miami, Florida. Illuminators will be doubling as “Vibe Adjusters” for the night, a role touched on earlier in the article specific to BassLights events.

“I think that this program is going to do wonders in making people feel safe in a concert going environment. So many people came up to us with the confidence that we would help them out without judgement or an attitude, whether it was getting directions to the bathroom or help with calming a friend down – concertgoers really trusted us to make sure their night went smoothly and to me that is one of the things that make me so happy about all the work that me Andy and Jason put into keeping this program alive.” – Anita Obasi

“This group is amazing in all they do from the street to the show, and if it weren’t for them and everyone’s hard work, it wouldn’t be what it is today, just nine months later.” – Andrew Dudash

No matter where they are, whether at a show or at their own home, the Illuminators are a force for good, spreading positivity everywhere they go. Click here to apply!

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