Almost Familiar

Way up high in Sierra Nevada, Pretty Lights channeled the unique flavor of California Soul and expressed the spectrum of the human experience over two mystifying nights of music near the shores of South Lake Tahoe.  The project has exceeded its potential-with an onslaught of deep cuts that hadn’t seen the light of day in 10+ years, nostalgic covers tastefully swirled with modern electronica, and a touching tribute to Mac Miller and CharlestheFirst on the anniversary of Mac's passing in the place that inspired Charles' signature/timeless sound. 

As the band heads into another sure-to-be-iconic weekend full of surprises in Las Vegas, we revisit what it was about Tahoe that has us utterly transfixed six weeks later.

Get familiar with the 5am Trio, composed of Sam Andrus (5am), Aaron Harel (ZONE DRUMS) & Keith W (½ of Wax Future). They are incredibly talented musicians on their own, but together form a group that have occupied a distinct place within the scene, bridging the gap between high fidelity sound design and live instrumentation/improvisation. 

We caught up with them ahead of their second 5amily and Friends event in Denver back in the Summer from within the Meow Wolf Green Room. Since then, they’ve had festival appearances, a recently-announced single, “Technology”, and announced their third 5amily and Friends event in NYC along with a debut performance at Red Rocks alongside Boogie T on March 29th, 2025!

55 years after the culturally-significant Woodstock Music & Art Fair of 1969, the Check Your Vector Tour brought Pretty Lights and company for a two-day celebration on the idyllic grounds nestled in Upstate New York.  Bethel’s historical context and sense of place offered a unique lens to interpret these powerful sets that highlighted the band’s evolving ability to swirl tracks ranging from classic Americana to obscure Electronica in a way that is quintessentially Pretty Lights.

Red Rocks is an iconic venue to see music in, and it is especially meaningful for the evolution of the Pretty Lights project and its impact on Colorado’s electronic music scene. 2024 was no exception, as the band and crew continued to elevate the Pretty Lights experience to New Heights once again.

The PL team pulled out all the stops for their massively triumphant return to the venue, six years in the making. The two-night run was highlighted by memorable bust-outs and iconic sit-ins that showcased the music’s range: a string quartet’s classical interpretations of contemporary tracks, Dominic Lalli’s signature jazz flair added to fan favorites, and a monumental, unprecedented cameo from a contemporary of equally significant influence on the road to retirement, Dave Tipper.

On the heels of this memorable weekend, the Check Your Vector tour heads to the hallowed grounds of Bethel, NY, home of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair of 1969 for what is shaping up to be the destination event of the tour. We’ll see you at Swirlstock

As we approach a weekend 6 years in the making, we revisit when the Pretty Lights crew returned to headline both Bonnaroo and Electric Forest last month after more than a decade since their last appearances that solidified their presence/reputation in the scene. 

It’s hard not to feel engrossed in nostalgia seeing PL back headlining renowned gateway festivals, exposing a new generation to their spell-binding live production with a repertoire that balanced reinterpretations of classics as well as what sounded like studio-ready tracks in a rare and iconic sunrise DJ set, presumably on an album that’s coming, soon(?).

Hampton, we have lift off. This weekend Pretty Lights returns to the iconic Hampton Coliseum for the first time in nearly a decade to kick off the Check Your Vector tour. Wes and Elizabeth reflect on the last time the Pretty Lights project was in the building as we look forward to the start of a new tour!

Get familiar with TF Marz, Co-founder and Creative Director of all:Lo music collective, whose Colorado and Pacific Northwest roots heavily influence his refreshing and distinct take on electronic music that is healthily infused with hip hop and RnB sensibilities. We dive into the music scene in the PNW, including his iconic sunrise set at the renowned Grove Stage at Shambhala Music Festival, the current state of the electronic music scene, the continuous evolution of all:Lo, and the future of TF Marz

Follow TF Marz: 

@tfmarz 
 

Follow Almost Familiar: 

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email us: [email protected]

Get familiar once again with Greg “The Lazershark” Ellis, a highly revered, industry-respected, ruthlessly sarcastic lighting designer who has been responsible for nearly 15 years of breathtaking and dazzling visual displays as innovative as the music it backs. Best known for his work with Pretty Lights, Greg is no stranger to the spotlight, having worked with global names like Banks,  30 Seconds to Mars, Mr. Beast, and even a few major music award shows to boot. Through and through, Greg Ellis remains an artist. Having added a new medium into his arsenal, we talk about his artistic journey and how his works influence one another.

Like the city of New Orleans and “the tangled veins of cypress roots that meander this way and that in the swamp” the final sets of the Pretty Lights tour were “interrelated, wrapped around itself in ways that aren’t always obvious.”

Channeling the spirit of Dr. John and New Orleans itself, the Pretty Lights team threw a party befitting for the end of such a historic tour; once again paying massive respects to regional musical legends by swirling the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lil Wayne, and The Meters while also integrating live horns (provided by The Soul Rebels) with the band for the first time since the days of the Analog Future Band. 

While we are saddened that the tour has finally ended, we can’t help but look towards the future full of optimism as Pretty Lights continues to appear on prominent music festival lineups. The renaissance tour is over, but the future of Pretty Lights is just about to begin. We’ll see you there!

**All music from this episode along with the rest of the Spaceship Soundsystem tour dates are available for listening at prettylightslive.com 

Photos provided by Raymond Angelo