(Courtesy Harvest/Capitol Records)
The energy was humming as people of all ages queued up in anticipation for Friday night’s Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” laser show in Fiske Planetarium.
Kelsey Arnold, a 19-year-old sophomore psychology major, stood with a group of other CU students and said she was looking forward to the night’s event.
“It’s my third or fourth time coming,” Arnold said. “It’s great. You get to listen to an entire album of Pink Floyd and just watch lasers and cool shapes [on the screen]. It’s also nice to see other artists too. I’ve also been to a Sublime laser show and really liked it.”
Pink Floyd is only one of the many light shows exhibited at the planetarium.
Deno Stelter, a 24-year-old senior astrophysics major and one of the two “laserists” at the night’s spectacle, said Fiske Planetarium has a repertoire of about 12 regular shows but offers a lineup of around 70 laser shows throughout the semester. Some of these shows include Radiohead, Michael Jackson, Muse, Outkast, Bob Marley and Depeche Mode.
The doors opened and people began filing into the auditorium. A few daring spectators made themselves comfortable on a raised stage in front where they laid down to watch the show.
The event exuded a casual atmosphere as an enthusiastic “laserist” gave a comedic introduction and safety rundown. Apparently, the likelihood of vertigo and a queasy stomach from all the visual stimulation is very high.
At 10:45 p.m., the room went black, the show beginning with a rhythmic thud, beating in sync with a pulsing electrocardiogram projected on the screen with green laser. The steady beat was soon joined by a cacophony of other sounds: the clicking of gears, a whirr and ding of a vintage cash register, a sinister laugh and a shrill shriek. It continued to grow in volume until finally the sharp noise rounded off and transitioned into a smooth, mellow guitar riff.
Laser display during the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon laser light show at Fiske Planetarium Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (CU Independent/Charlie Sievers)
The rest of the show continued in a similar pattern—hypnotizing, melodious music followed by a sudden jarring noise to bring one back to reality, all while “chromosomal-shaped” lasers oscillated on screen to a backdrop of rotating stars and spinning constellations.
The show ended to whistling and loud applause.
The other “laserist” of the night, Hilary Innes, a 20-year-old junior history and anthropology major, talked about the individuality of each show.
“The show is different each time,” Innes said. “It depends on who’s doing it and depends on the mood they’re in. It’s one of those jobs you can just have fun with.”
Cameron Tuttle, a 24-year-old senior environmental engineering major and repeated laser show customer, expressed his excitement after the show.
“Hell yeah I enjoyed the show!” Tuttle said. “It’s a good thing to do your first semester as a student when you don’t really know anyone.”
Andrew March, a 22-year-old senior environmental engineering, said he was a newbie to Fiske Planetarium.
“This was my first time,” March said. “I’m graduating next semester and have never been to the planetarium yet or seen a show, so I thought I would come see it. It’s just a nice thing to do on a tired Friday night after a long week of classes.”
Both Tuttle and March agreed that a laser show at Fiske Planetarium is an important thing for every CU student to experience at least once during their university career.
“Everyone’s got to go experience it,” Tuttle said.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Brooke Segerberg at Brooke.segerberg@colorado.edu.
