On stage are two twenty-first century rock stars, despite playing music that is far from Rock and Roll they aptly fit the description. Their shows consistently sell out even as they star in larger and more extravagant venues. Derek Vincent Smith is the driving force behind the extremely successful group "Pretty Lights," and as he towers above everybody hovering atop the stage, the indispensible Cory Eberhard complements him on drums. This duo, a tour de force in all regards, has risen to fame in an unprecedentedly short period of time. Not long ago, few outside of their home in Fort Collins, Colorado had heard of the group. Today Pretty Lights conquers massive national tours, opens for household Jam bands such as the Disco Biscuits and Widespread Panic, and even headline festivals like Trinumeral and the epic Jam Cruise.

Their show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC is a further testament to the enormity of their success. The line outside the club swung around to the end of the block well into the night, anxious fans loitered between the side entrance and the tour bus hoping to catch the superstars before the show; the entire block was bustling with the excitement of their debut in the capitol city.

Inside, the crowd slowly poured in, the excitement steadily growing. Glowstick covered youths collected in pockets, filling up the first floor and then the second. The opener, a duo from Europe called Gramatik warmed the audience as they drank absurdly priced beverages, aching for the headliners. By the time Pretty Lights hit the stage the excitement and energy were palpable.

As they emerged from backstage, the crowd erupted; the walls shook and the building itself trembled. The band took their places in front of their lighting rig, a truly awe-inspiring setup. Pretty Lights tours with a system of stage lights that is larger in size than bands that draw in crowds much larger than the 9:30 could hold. An array of powerful moving lights surrounded the duo; LED fixtures climbed the rigging and the walls. Tying the whole setup together, a massive video display Jumbotron sat behind them. The flurry of images and lights ranged from visually striking to utterly mind-blowing, truly giving merit to the Pretty Lights name and experience.

Their music is difficult to describe. Smith uses a MacBook, an intricate sampling pad and a colorfully lit monome, loaded with clips from the computer to create a truly unique mix of electronica. As Eberhard lays down fast and heavy beats on his simple but effective drum-kit, Smith weaves together a compilation of tracks, borrowing from other artists while producing his own accompaniment. While no two songs are alike, one can expect to hear deep bass tones mixed with futuristic synths or even driven funk guitar pitted against familiar rap songs. His samples include pieces from

Biggie Smalls, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Rage Against the Machine and Warren G's "Regulators." They borrow from a European electronica tradition and add raw energy, cutting-edge technical prowess, intense visuals and an impeccable understanding of what gets people off.

They rocked past last call, pushing their booty shaking, foot stomping funk until the club cut them off. The house lights came up, revealing the sweaty walls, smoky atmosphere and the drenched, exhausted audience, satisfied with the aftertaste from a show well played. The impact of the synergy between performers and audience lingered, the floor still roasting from the march of so many feet; the Earth scorched. To truly feel the Pretty Lights ferocity, one must see Colorado's fastest growing duo first hand, but until then all of their albums are available for free at PrettyLightsMusic.com.

By Photographers: James Young

James has been an avid music enthusiast and photographer since childhood. At age 9, he attended his first concert with his parents, seeing Phil Collins at the Sky Dome in Toronto. He would consistently be found playing in his father's darkroom, but has received little formal training in his art. For James the fusion of photography and music occurred after leaving college to tour extensively across the country. James has returned to Richmond to finish his degree in Political Science and is an active force in the music scene. The beginnings of his comprehensive library of local and national acts can be found on his website: RichmondImage.com.

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