Sweaty and Dazed

When I listen to EDM, I’m brought back to freshman year when I was introduced to drugs, dub-step and sardine-packed shows. That’s when I first heard the badass-ery of Pretty Lights, an electronica sensation created by Derek Vincent Smith.

Smith started Pretty Lights in 2004. He takes samples — mostly bits of songs from ’70s soul or ’90s hip hop — and laces them up with his own sound effects. Add in some rad light displays and MDMA and, voilà, you’ve got the Pretty Lights experience.

Smith’s music gained momentum during the Bassnectar-Skrillex hype, and millennials have been eating up his productions ever since. His album Color Map of the Sun was nominated for a Grammy in 2013, and he’s no stranger to headlining shows like Electronic Daisy Festival or selling out at Colorado’s Red Rocks.

Pretty Lights isn’t just about rolling balls, however. Smith hosts collaborative projects with fans, like his recent Episodic Festival, where he asked listeners to send in submissions of music or show clips to be added to upcoming videos. To top off his coolness, Smith has his albums up for free on the Pretty Lights website (prettylightsmusic.com).

Come get sweaty and dazed with Pretty Lights, with Emancipator and Mikey Thunder opening, at 7 pm Sunday, Sept. 4, at Cuthbert Amphitheater; $40 adv., $45 door.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!