Photo by Andrew Wigdor / MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Story by Andrew Wigdor / MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Francis Farewell Starlite, known as Francis and the Lights, performed an enigmatic Bonnaroo show, which featured wild dancing, the use of Francis’s signature “Prismizer” and a surprise visit from Chance the Rapper on Friday evening at the What Stage.
Bringing only a piano, microphone and palpable energy, Starlite, who covered an impressive amount of the stage, jived and jumped through the majority of his songs. He employed the combination of his raw voice and the use of a Prismizer, an audio effect invented by Starlite that combines pitch and frequency characteristics to enhance the sound.
Starlite kept the crowd excited and rowdy as he performed popular tracks, such as “Friends” and “It’s Alright to Cry.” During the second half of the performance, Starlite leaped off the stage and danced through the crowd near the bottom of the Which Stage. After providing ample high-fives and being chased by a Bonnaroo security representative, Starlite ran back on stage to finish the show.
In the latter half of his last song, Starlite invited Chance the Rapper onto the What Stage to take part in a synchronized dance performed by the two friends and collaborators. Chance the Rapper has previously remixed the Francis and the Lights song “May I have this Dance” and helped Starlite with the development of the Prismizer, which first debuted on the rapper’s mixtape, titled “Coloring Book.”
During the short dance number, Chance the Rapper and Starlight recreated some of the moves they used during the music video shot for “May I Have This Dance,” released this year.
After the cameo performance concluded, Chance the Rapper left the stage, and Starlight ended his show with a few typically energized front-flips and a “thank you” to the screaming crowd.
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