Sep 7, 2023
Pretty Lights will fill in for Rainbow Kitten Surprise and play a second set at Hulaween 2023. Due to health concerns, RKS must cancel the remainder of its performances this year.
This is a huge deal for fans of producer Derek Vincent Smith, who have been awaiting his return to the festival scene. He reappeared from a 5-year hiatus with a tour announcement, and tickets were next to impossible to acquire. The Soundship Spacesystem Tour features smaller venues that sold out quickly, leaving many fans heartbroken and unsure if they would get a chance to see the electro-soul legend’s return.
The 8-stop tour features appearances at two music festivals that are not yet sold out, and now fans have double the reason to attend Hulaween with two sets from the big guy and the Pretty Lights Live band, consisting of Michal Menert, Borham Lee, Chris Karns, and Alvin Ford, Jr.
When Pretty Lights stepped away in 2018, he was headlining music festivals, hosting an annual 2-night Red Rocks run, and curating his events with his music label, Pretty Lights Music. His hiatus was sudden and unannounced but allowed other electro-soul producers time to shine and build their fanbase in his absence.
Derek has returned clear-eyed and with a new vision for Pretty Lights Music. It doesn’t seem like his label survived the hiatus, but the members of Pretty Lights Live are all familiar faces. I was lucky enough to catch them in Denver and Dillon, Colorado, and I can confidently say they are better than ever. The live sampling, drums, and new takes on well-loved tunes have been worth the wait. The visual experience is equally stunning, with Lazershark and Anti Alias on the (pretty) lights and live visuals.
If you cannot catch Pretty Lights’ return in person, fear not–the team is live-streaming every show on Twitch (TBA if the same is true for the two festival stops).
Follow Pretty Lights here and turn on notifications to avoid missing a second.
Fans can also catch Pretty Lights Live at Cascade Equinox in Oregon this month.
