Pretty Lights, an electronic artist from Fort Collins, Colo., will be making his debut appearance in Starkville tonight at the Mississippi Horse Park.
The artist has previously made stops at music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and Wakarusa.
Music Maker Productions, Green Machine Concerts, Lost Legend Entertainment, and Rick’s Café partnered up to present Pretty Lights at the horse park. Thomas Fitzner, publicity chair for Music Maker Productions, spoke on behalf of all organizations. He said Pretty Lights is a good choice to bring to campus this year due to the growing electronic music scene in Starkville.
“With the success of acts like Ghostland Observatory and Mim0sa last semester, we decided it was time for us to offer students a larger electronic option,” he said.
In addition to music, Pretty Lights gives spectators exactly what his name boasts in the form of a light show to accompany the music.
Fitzner said Pretty Lights sets the bar high with his performances.
“With stage designs ranging from LED towers set to resemble a midnight city-scape, to state-of-the-art lasers and LED paneling, Pretty Lights’ live show is sure to amaze,” he said.
He also said the entire light setup requires four trucks’ worth of lights and sound, which surpasses almost all previous musical acts they have presented.
“Most of the shows we bring require one truck’s worth, with exceptions like Zac Brown and Sugarland,” he said. “So, you can imagine what level this performance will be on.”
Fitzner said the horse park is an excellent venue for all acts but especially great for electronic acts such as Pretty Lights.
“The horse park boasts 85-foot ceilings, 2,500 heated stadium-seats and a 34,250 square-foot dance floor, so there is plenty of room to party,” he said.
Wick-It the Instigator, Supervision and Lotus will all be kicking things off to open up for Pretty Lights. Fitzner described Wick-It the Instigator as an artist known for his hip-hop remixes. He said Supervision does not have a sound able to be categorized into any specific genre, but instead creates an arrangement of different sounds for listeners. Supervision performed with Ghostland Observatory at the horse park last semester.
Jesse Miller, Lotus’s bassist/sampler, said it is difficult to explain Lotus to people who have never experienced them before.
“It is tough to describe (our sound) since it doesn’t fit in a specific genre,” he said. “Lotus is a live band that uses elements of rock and electronic music.”
He said the best way to discover who they are is to come out tonight and see for yourself.
“It can be very dance-oriented, but is very much a rock band,” he said. “Best just to witness it live.”
This is also Lotus’s first trip to Starkville. They have played festivals and shows with Pretty Lights in previous years. Miller said the band is always excited to play in new places and he hopes to gain some fans tonight. He said newcomers can expect to dance, sweat and smile.
“No tricks or gimmicks,” he said. “We play instruments and write music we hope will move people.”
Stephanie Morris, former MSU kinesiology student, has seen both Wick-It the Instigator and Pretty Lights. She said Wick-It the Instigator is a great act and extremely entertaining.
“He does mainly dubstep and bass-rich music,” she said. “He is really good with the crowd and likes to have fun with us.”
She said she has seen Pretty Lights live twice.
“If you’ve never seen Pretty Lights, you’re in for a treat,” she said. “The music is very groovy and can put anyone in a good mood.”
She said everyone needs to experience Pretty Lights’ music and light show.
“The light show will be way more than anything you are expecting,” she said. “It is an amazing show, and everyone interested in this type of music needs to experience it.”
Fitzner said all of MMP is looking forward to the show and encouraged everyone to purchase tickets as early as possible.
“This performance is unlike anything we have ever brought to campus and is a feat for not only Music Maker Productions, but also the university as a whole,” he said.
Horse park doors open at 6 tonight. Wick-It the Instigator will start things off at 7 with Supervision, Lotus and Pretty Lights following. Tickets were previously $30 but were bumped up to $35 as of today. To connect with MMP or buy tickets, check them out at msuconcerts.com or follow them on Twitter at @Music_Maker.