Article and Photos by: Charles Yamabe

Chicago, Illinois -The lights are dim and the fog is heavy! No, this isn’t a London alleyway on a midsummer night, it’s the famous Vic Theater in Chicago and tonight the entertainment is being brought by the infectious sounds of Lotus. The band is best described as an electro-rock jam band that brings a sprinkling of soulful hip-hop beats. Tonight is different than most nights; concurrently a large snowstorm has decided to hit the city. The roads are covered in snow and the traffic is snarled, but even these odds can’t stop the dedicated amiable fans.

Apart from the extremely friendly crowd and the massive amount of fog, up to this point, it seems like a normal concert. This was all about to be turned upside down. The band started with typical lighting and a chill relaxed vibe. This soon blossomed into a much more upbeat funky vibe and a rainbow of lights. Lotus brings an unbelievable light show with them on tour.

As the music and vibe grows so does the complexity of colors and stream of light. As the aesthetics intensify so does the mood of the crowd. People are dancing and swaying in the lights, almost as if the lights themselves are willing the participants to the rhythm of the beat. All of this works together perfectly to create one massive symbiotic jamming organism. The lights, the people, the sounds… It’s so much to take it in and yet at the same time it’s like second nature and it all just seems right.

The only real way to truly get the full experience of a Lotus show is to go in person. No amount of photos or words can give a complete understanding of the complex beautiful environment that is created when souls, music, and lights collide. Lotus continues their tour through April and then jumps on the summer festival circuit starting in July. You can find out more about Lotus at www.lotusvibes.com.