By Lance Dashoff
Naturally, when going to see Jay-Z and Coldplay perform on NYE at Brooklyn’s newly minted Barclay’s Center, you would expect maybe a surprise appearance from Beyonce or even a song with Kanye. None of that happened, but one pleasant surprise was the Xylobands that were handed to us as we entered the venue.
The Xyloband is an LED wristband that the band controls when they light up. The wristband straps came in several neon colors. Imagine being at a show with 18,000 other screaming fans during Coldplay’s “Fix You” when all of the sudden every single fan’s wrist lights up a different color….kind of like the futuristic lighter. The wristband’s light was completely controlled by the band and turned on at different times throughout their set.
The idea came to Jason Regler, Director of Technology and Innovation for RB Concepts (the company that makes Xylobands), in 2005. “While watching Coldplay do a festival in the UK…they hit middle of “Fix You” and it was like a big anthem and I thought how great to add something to bring everyone together as one…create a moment and with everyone punching the air with arms…the thoughts of lights and wristbands that all lit up.” The idea was put on hold for a while until Jason got the chance to pitch Coldplay. ”The fell in love and the rest is history.”
Xylobands were a new way to get the crowd even more amped up and involved in the music. I do not know if Xylobands could work for every artist, but could definitely see them taking over the EDM world and that’s one of the many future plans for RB Concepts. Although there was no Beyonce or Kayne on NYE, the Xyloband was a fun addition to the show.
Watch the video below for to see Xylobands in action:
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