Pretty Lights returns to Lincoln with larger venue

There is tsunami of anticipation surrounding the Pretty Lights show as Thursday grows nearer.

Having sold out Omaha's Sokol Auditorium last November, Derek Vincent Smith of Pretty Lights is returning to Nebraska and turning things up a notch this Thursday, Oct. 27. When Pretty Lights contacted the promotion team at Rad Kadillac, an upgrade to a larger venue was in need.

"We first had them at the Bourbon, then we had to move them to Sokol in Omaha, and now they've blown up to another level, so that's why we had to move it to the Pershing to make sure to get all of the fans into the show," said Justin Kadlec, President of Rad Kadillac.  

With greater expectations come greater preparations. This will be Rad Kadillac's first time putting a show on at the Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall.  

"There's so much more that goes into putting on a production such as this," Kadlec said. "(Derek) is bringing in a lighting production that is not like anything that's ever been in the area. That alone, along with everything that's going to have to go on behind the scenes is definitely going to be a little bit more labor-intensive."

Though they are accustomed to spending only a few hours setting up the smaller Nebraska venues, Thursday's preparations will require more of the team's time. The result, Kadlec said, will be one outstanding show.

"The lights he's bringing with him, could probably be seen from a mile away," Kadlec said. "He built a faux city for his production. He made a bunch of towers that he and the light director can control, it is going to be incredible."

Junior English major Haley French-Sloan, a promoter for Rad Kadillac, is among the many fans foreseeing a successful night. She frequents Lincoln concerts, but is looking forward to the larger setting.

"They've sold quite a few tickets so it's going to be fun having a big show in Lincoln, because I usually have to travel to be in that kind of environment," Sloan said.

For returning fans senior computer science major Michael Vinci and junior business administration major Benjamin Tiggelaar, one Pretty Lights concert wasn't enough. Vinci anticipates an electric crowd.

"I wouldn't miss this concert for the world," Vinci said. "Derek is an amazing artist, and I love to go to shows that allow me to just soak in the music and that allow myself to just get loose and dance all over. I've seen him once before, a year ago, and the show was phenomenal. It was in Omaha and the entire crowd was like one giant wave, all moving to the same beat and everyone was just having a blast."

Tiggelaar appreciates the music's heavy bass and complex beats, as well as Derek's emphasis on putting on a stimulating performance.

"I've been to two Pretty Lights concerts, one in Minneapolis and one in Florida. There is so much energy and passion coming from the people who attend his concerts," Tiggelaar said. "He took an incredible leap of faith by giving out all of his music for free because he knew the performances would make him into the star he is today."

Tiggelaar sees the influences Pretty Lights' music has had on the industry. He commends Derek's innovative and daring musical techniques.

"He lets people download and distribute his music for free and college kids love it," Tiggelaar said. "It's disrupting the music industry for the better and placing an emphasis on performing and putting on the best shows possible. His music blends genres ranging from jazz and hip-hop to indie and electronica."  

The concert is entirely general admission with no set maximum capacity. The Pershing can be customized for different capacities, but if tickets continue to sell at the rate they are now, the guys at Rad Kadillac may need to make extensions.

"Based on where we are right now, we may have to move the curtain back to make more space," Kadlec said. "The response has been incredible, so I think we're going to have a pretty massive crowd."

As the show grows nearer and the tickets continue to sell, Kadlec said preparations are gaining momentum as well. Come Thursday, a massive arrangement of lights and sounds will be let loose in the Pershing.

"It's going to be like nothing that's ever been in the area," Kadlec said. "It's going to be an incredible light and digital experience. He's doing things that no one else is doing in the electronic world. He's taking things to a whole other level. Argumentatively the show of the season, or the year for that matter."