The Denver Artist and EDM Revolutionsit Derek Vincent Smith, better known as Pretty Lights returns to the stage like a phoenix from the ashes announcing his 2023 Soundship Spacesystem Tour. The concerts run from August to December and will feature 27 events in nine cities, including festival appearances at Suwannee Hulaween, Florida (10/26 – 10/29) and Cascade Equinox Festival, Oregon (9/22 – 9/24).
It’s been five years since the iconic producer hit the stage with his live-band experience and the world is excited to see what he brings to this new era of electronic music. This series of performances will include a few new formats, PL Live in DUB and The Fantastic Pretty Lights, featuring collaborations with Michal Menert, Borahm Lee, Alvin Ford Jr. and Chris Karns.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time and am immensely grateful to be healthy and happy and surrounded by amazing people”
Derek tells his fans in his first Instagram post in 5 years. “I feel recharged and more ready than ever to launch a new vision of PL music and live events.”
Heralding the announcement Tuesday morning, Pretty Lights drops a two-minute video along with the social media campaign featuring a space-like groove fans can quickly identify as one of Derek’s EDM thumbprints. The song sampling “Highwayman” written by Jimmy Webber, and popularized by Johnny Cash with the Highwaymen combines cybernetic vocals sung by Derek himself, “I’ll fly a starship across the universe divide, and when I reach the other side, I’ll find a place to rest my spirit if I can. Perhaps I may become a pretty light again.” Fans comment and show tears of joy on YouTube as the song reminds all of us of a time before the pandemic when concerts and the music festival scene were flourishing at their highest points.
Fans hope this announcement leads to new music and albums from Pretty Lights, who has become undeniably one of the strongest influences in the EDM and music festival scenes over the last decade. Since the release of A Color Map of the Sun in 2013, the only new music Pretty Lights has released was a brief EP album The Hidden Shades (2013), and Spotify singles “Rainbows & Waterfalls” (2016), “Only Yesterday” (2016) and “Strawberry Letter 23” (2017).
Pretty Lights, who was a festival regular in the 2010s, is known most for his famous hit “Finally Moving” where he sampled Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold One Me”, which combined a smooth mixed jazz saxophone with hip-hops lo-fi chill vibes in 2006. The album Taking up Your Precious Time was the artists first album and was free to download, which revolutionized market standards in the late 2000s.
In a market fighting against the iTunes downloading generation of music, Derek’s vision was simple; sell out shows rather than sell CDs.
Shows are as follows Denver, CO’s Mission Ballroom (8/6–8/6), Dillon, CO’s Dillon Amphitheater (8/10–8/12), Atlanta, GA’s The Eastern (8/24–8/26), Philadelphia, PA’s Franklin Music Hall (9/14–9/14), Brooklyn, NY’s The Brooklyn Mirage (9/29–9/30), Chicago, IL’s The Salt Shed (10/19–10/21), Pelham, TN’s The Caverns (11/3–11/4), San Francisco, CA’s The Warfield (11/9–11/11), and New Orleans, LA’s Mardi Gras World (12/1–12/2).
Highly anticipated pre-sale tickets will go one sale Wednesday, April 5th at 10:00 a.m. local Time. General on-sale tickets will be available for purchase on Friday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. local time. Specific information regarding ticketing, pre-sale sign-up and VIP options can be found here.
Tickets for The Caverns in Pelham, TN will go on-sale at a later date, to be announced. Sign up for First Access to pre-sales and to stay turned for further details. Tickets will sell out FAST!
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