Since they opened for Imagine Dragons at the Joint two months ago, we regularly hear hums about Parade of Lights. And when we started getting press releases about an alt-electro quartet hailing from Vegas, and headlining Vinyl on February 20, we needed some answers. And like any band stocked with road veterans, the answers get a little complicated.
This iteration of Parade of Lights began in 2010, when they—at the time, drummer Anthony Improgo, frontman Ryan Daly and bassist Randy Schulte—all lived together in Improgo’s house in Mountain’s Edge. Improgo, whose family ended up in Vegas during the housing boom, bought a house in 2009 after years of extensive touring, most famously his stint with Metro Station, à la “Shake It” fame. A year later, when most of the band decided to move back to LA, Improgo opted to stay behind.
But operating from separate cities wasn’t an issue. Most of the band already had years of nomadic touring under their belts. Daly was playing in Hellogoodbye, and Shulte was backing pop bands. Now, with late-coming keyboardist Michelle Ashley, they commute—a week in Vegas, a week in LA.
Parade of Lights has two songs circulating right now. But the one you’ll know is “Golden,” an anthemic, crowd-pleasing take on shoegaze with a catchy “Everybody get golden” hook—currently the rev-’em-up track for NBC’s Sochi Olympics promo. “We sent it to [NBC] still in the demo phase,” Improgo says. “Next thing you know, we had to fast-track it to get it finished for the promo spot. It’s a reaction we haven’t seen before.”
Now, with buzz most musicians would kill for, Parade of Lights is embarking on a nine-week U.S. tour, a first only for keyboardist Ashley. When Improgo gave her advice on how to handle life on the road, it’s no coincidence it sounded like the senior quote of a band accidentally barreling toward the spotlight. “There are a lot of things you can’t control,” he says. “You just have to go with it.”
Parade of Lights with Cameron the Public, GoldBoot February 20, 9 p.m., $12. Vinyl, 693-5000.
