Brotherhood of Light

The Brotherhood of Light (BOL) is the original San Francisco psychedelic light show. Since 1967 the Brotherhood Of Light has been performing live, multi-media projection for many of the world's most famous rock bands. Originally the group started with slides and 16mm projectors and have now replaced them with modern digital, DVD video projection technology.

Brotherhood Of Light still actively tours with the Allman Brothers Band, The DOORS of the 21st Century, and The Dead performing throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. BOL has performed at most of the major venues in North America including Red Rocks, Colorado, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Kodak Theater in Hollywood, and even at the prestigious Carnegie Hall with Jefferson Starship in 1999. With modern updated equipment and easy touring capabilities, Brotherhood Of Light continues to provide the most dramatic and spectacular live light shows available.

History:

In 1968 Brotherhood Of Light formed as a collective group of lighting and multimedia specialists. Brian Eppes, Brother Ed Langdon, Marcus Maximist and Bob Pullum gathered for the purpose of visually enhancing and augmenting the psychedelic music of the day. Unlike standard stage lighting, which was generally static and non-interactive, Brotherhood Of Light utilized liquid dyes, overhead projectors, color wheels, slide projection and 16mm film to produce not just a light show, but a live multi-sensory musical experience. By using its legendary vibrant liquid oils in a unique visually percussive interpretation of the music, Brotherhood Of Light became one of the finest purveyors of this truly American breakthrough art form. During this period, shows at San Francisco's Winterland and Fillmore West featured the Brotherhood Of Light with such classic acts as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Traffic, Ike and Tina Turner, B.B. King, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Janis Joplin, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Santana, the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. On a typical night in 1970 you could see, The Byrds, Fleetwood Mac and John Hammond with Brotherhood Of Light providing visuals for all three bands or on a night later that year, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Van Morrison. Also the icing on the cake were all those unforgettable Grateful Dead New Year's Eve shows at Winterland.

As the 70s wore on Brother Ed continued to expand and hone the craft and took the show into the early 80s by establishing Brotherhood Of Light as THE light show for the underground/punk scene that flourished in and around San Francisco. By this time Peter Rabinowitz was doing small light shows around the Bay Area. Brother Ed caught wind of the up and coming liquid light artist and took him under his wing inviting Peter to become a partner. As fate would have it Peter was the son of a dye manufacturer who invented the formula and process for dying blue jeans. So Peter was armed with some of the latest state-of-the-art oil dyes. Together they continued to carry on the psychedelic tradition including the infamous annual Exotic Erotic Ball.

After twenty years and thousands of light shows, Brother Ed retired from live performance and died in 1991. The torch was passed to Peter Rabinowitz and his new partner Chris Samardizch, also an artist with twenty years of lighting and photography experience. Now infused with new energy and new vision Peter and Chris rebuilt the Brotherhood Of Light into a road-ready company. Once again Brotherhood Of Light was performing with the likes of Jerry Garcia, David Lindley and the much heralded reunion of Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore in 1989.

After two shows with The Blues Traveler, they met the Allman Brothers Band at the Concord Pavilion and Shoreline Amphi-theater. Soon after, BOL became a fixture and integral part of the Allman Brothers Band's live performance.

Today

Between ABB tours, they've done many concerts and events in Northern California, near their Marin County home base, such as "Comics Come Home" for Comedy Central and concerts for George Clinton, Gregg Allman and Friends, Jefferson Starship, James Brown, Marcy Playground, Phil Lesh and Friends, The Other Ones, Grateful Dead re-union tour.

When Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, legendary founding members of The Doors decided to reform the band after 30 years, they called BOL to do the visuals. With the help of Sean Cooper (2006 Winter Olympics, Beck) and Alton 'Brooks' Parker (Sasha, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, BluSirkut), both San Francisco based visual projection artists (VJ's), BOL designed and produced a 21st century DOORS visual show.

See Also

* Psychedelic art