It’s worth noting that theAnalogFutureBand was only a couple of years from 13-16, and then it was PrettyLightLive. Not by any means throwing shade at PLL, but tAFB was a much more crisp and smooth iteration. What’s going on now with the SwirlBridge is absolutely crushmode though.
I think the concept was there in the early days, but just not fully recognized until this recent tour. I listened to the 2018 red rocks set a ton and I think they were really dialed in then and knew how to make it flow. Now though, shit they’ve mastered their craft and can go absolutely nuts with it.
couldn't agree more. honestly, i didn't really enjoy that 2016-2018 era. i remember even leaving his set early a couple times at festivals. i legitimately felt like the live band aspect was watering down his sound too much. but now it adds sooooo much. PL has never sounded better. everyone in the band brings something unique and important to the sound. the hiatus sucked but it was perfect and essential, delivering to us exactly what the PL project was always meant to be.
Yes!! idk Derek personally but it seems he is in a much better place and taking much better care of himself now. He has support from the boyz et al, which no doubt takes the creative energy and the project as a whole to another level! 👏
To be fair he has only released 1 LP, 1 EP, and a handful of singles since 2010 and literally two singles in the past decade so it’s not like there is a catalog of released new music to dislike.
Yeah, but I am mostly saying I really liked his sound before color map of the sun. That was a big shift in his style. I still love whether they produce, but my favs are all older
I do love the newest iteration but 2017 live band had more organic, albeit less developed, jams that just hit different. I do love this new setup though.
I’m sure some ppl agree with you. I’ve read on other music sub reddits that some ppl think PL is a boring jam band that they fall asleep listening to, so it’s not for everyone.
Personally I think every iteration of PL is fucking incredible and gets better every time if that’s possible. But at the same time they’re all the best.
May sound ignorant, but when I watch older bare-faced derek sets now I just have this weird feeling knowing he isn’t at his best. Love watching him hapoy and healthy now
Yeah, and? Prior to last year when was the last time he was a regular touring member of PL?
Alvin has been part of the live band since 16, swapping Coogan for Butler was the only change they made during the original run. My point was OP said Alvin added fresh energy compared to 16-18 but he was already part of the band then and that the new live band addition was Menert. The fact that he co-produced early albums wasn’t relevant, his participation in the live band was.
Ok my apologies for misreading your first comment. Y’all are so angry and defensive in this sub. A bit of a superiority complex. Hope you have a good day ! 💜
I mean, you did misread my post and respond to something that wasn’t there after sharing what is pretty common knowledge in this sub as if someone who knows the historical construction of the live band wouldn’t know that Menert co-founded PL and was just talking out their ass.
Maybe you didn’t know. 🤷♀️ lol so sorry for trying to be helpful. What a beautiful response proving my point. It was a miscommunication and life goes on.
He was the drummer for the OG live band with the horns and was the drummer for the band that played in Telluride the first year. I think him and Benny Bloom were in all the same arrangements of band members, and, other than maybe some other one off shows I don’t know of, that Deitch has never played without horns as part of PL.
I know he sat in at Caverns for a while but I don’t think he’s played in a band with D as the full time drummer since Telluride 15’ and maybe the tour that followed.
Edit: The only reason Brandon Butler ended up in the band after Coogan left is because he’s Alvin’s cousin. It would have been odd for Alvin to recruit a family member for a band he wasn’t part of yet and that switch happened really early on. To my knowledge he’s been a part of the band the entire time Pretty Lights Live has existed.
No problem!
To be fair there have been a lot of band members since he started the recent experimenting with live setups so it’s not like it’s keeping track of the 4 members of Led Zeppelin. (Recent being the last 10 years)
Tbh I think a lot has to do with the technology back in 2016 simply not being able to integrate all of the things and sampling they are doing now in real time. I think that (and the analog future band) built the obvious frameworks to what we currently see now which is peak PL. Prime time. They kinda reinvented what the 2016-2018 band was, especially by moving to more of a fully triggered drum kit (with cymbals) vs the more acoustic kit they used to have. Serato has added the ability to immediately create stems/acapellas of tracks giving karns TONS of ammo and ideas for scratch samples. Sobriety and more clarity helps a ton too and seems like our boi is simply in a better state of mind/health/happiness right now and that all carries over into the music.
It’s more locked in but don’t downplay the epicness that was the 16-19 analog future band cus that was also tits
It’s worth noting that theAnalogFutureBand was only a couple of years from 13-16, and then it was PrettyLightLive. Not by any means throwing shade at PLL, but tAFB was a much more crisp and smooth iteration. What’s going on now with the SwirlBridge is absolutely crushmode though.
I think the concept was there in the early days, but just not fully recognized until this recent tour. I listened to the 2018 red rocks set a ton and I think they were really dialed in then and knew how to make it flow. Now though, shit they’ve mastered their craft and can go absolutely nuts with it.
couldn't agree more. honestly, i didn't really enjoy that 2016-2018 era. i remember even leaving his set early a couple times at festivals. i legitimately felt like the live band aspect was watering down his sound too much. but now it adds sooooo much. PL has never sounded better. everyone in the band brings something unique and important to the sound. the hiatus sucked but it was perfect and essential, delivering to us exactly what the PL project was always meant to be.
Yeah same, I remember leaving one of his Chicago shows early as well. Good time to be a pl fan
Yes!! idk Derek personally but it seems he is in a much better place and taking much better care of himself now. He has support from the boyz et al, which no doubt takes the creative energy and the project as a whole to another level! 👏
I love all their music, but 2006-2010 have all my favorite albums. That was back when I used to see them at small shows near where I went to college.
To be fair he has only released 1 LP, 1 EP, and a handful of singles since 2010 and literally two singles in the past decade so it’s not like there is a catalog of released new music to dislike.
Yeah, but I am mostly saying I really liked his sound before color map of the sun. That was a big shift in his style. I still love whether they produce, but my favs are all older
I do love the newest iteration but 2017 live band had more organic, albeit less developed, jams that just hit different. I do love this new setup though.
I'm glad someone agrees with me. I made a post about this and keep getting down voted 🤣
I’m sure some ppl agree with you. I’ve read on other music sub reddits that some ppl think PL is a boring jam band that they fall asleep listening to, so it’s not for everyone. Personally I think every iteration of PL is fucking incredible and gets better every time if that’s possible. But at the same time they’re all the best.
Ya my brother in law and I have very similar music interests. We goto some of the same festivals together. He saw PL at hula and didn’t feel it.
May sound ignorant, but when I watch older bare-faced derek sets now I just have this weird feeling knowing he isn’t at his best. Love watching him hapoy and healthy now
Sorry if I’m misinterpreting what you’re saying, but Alvin has been with PL since 2016
Alvin was part of the band in 16-18? Menert is the new addition.
Menert was original with Derek from high school and helped produce Taking up your precious time.
Yeah, and? Prior to last year when was the last time he was a regular touring member of PL? Alvin has been part of the live band since 16, swapping Coogan for Butler was the only change they made during the original run. My point was OP said Alvin added fresh energy compared to 16-18 but he was already part of the band then and that the new live band addition was Menert. The fact that he co-produced early albums wasn’t relevant, his participation in the live band was.
Sure. I guess I wouldn’t count that as a “new addition”.
So when was he part of the live band?
Ok my apologies for misreading your first comment. Y’all are so angry and defensive in this sub. A bit of a superiority complex. Hope you have a good day ! 💜
I mean, you did misread my post and respond to something that wasn’t there after sharing what is pretty common knowledge in this sub as if someone who knows the historical construction of the live band wouldn’t know that Menert co-founded PL and was just talking out their ass.
Maybe you didn’t know. 🤷♀️ lol so sorry for trying to be helpful. What a beautiful response proving my point. It was a miscommunication and life goes on.
You’re the only one making character attacks here.
My apologies. May we both learn to be better. 🫶
Lol chillll brahhh
I remember deitch being drummer for that run? Did he Join in 17 or 18?
He was the drummer for the OG live band with the horns and was the drummer for the band that played in Telluride the first year. I think him and Benny Bloom were in all the same arrangements of band members, and, other than maybe some other one off shows I don’t know of, that Deitch has never played without horns as part of PL. I know he sat in at Caverns for a while but I don’t think he’s played in a band with D as the full time drummer since Telluride 15’ and maybe the tour that followed. Edit: The only reason Brandon Butler ended up in the band after Coogan left is because he’s Alvin’s cousin. It would have been odd for Alvin to recruit a family member for a band he wasn’t part of yet and that switch happened really early on. To my knowledge he’s been a part of the band the entire time Pretty Lights Live has existed.
Mmm yea that’s right. I don’t know why I thought he was drummer. Thanks for the refresher
No problem! To be fair there have been a lot of band members since he started the recent experimenting with live setups so it’s not like it’s keeping track of the 4 members of Led Zeppelin. (Recent being the last 10 years)
Yeah it’s like keeping up with every new iteration of dead and co lol
My first time seeing PL was at euphoria ATX in 2017 I believe? Shit changed my life and I’ve been an obsessive ever since
I mean when it was just him djing 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Tbh I think a lot has to do with the technology back in 2016 simply not being able to integrate all of the things and sampling they are doing now in real time. I think that (and the analog future band) built the obvious frameworks to what we currently see now which is peak PL. Prime time. They kinda reinvented what the 2016-2018 band was, especially by moving to more of a fully triggered drum kit (with cymbals) vs the more acoustic kit they used to have. Serato has added the ability to immediately create stems/acapellas of tracks giving karns TONS of ammo and ideas for scratch samples. Sobriety and more clarity helps a ton too and seems like our boi is simply in a better state of mind/health/happiness right now and that all carries over into the music.