Beam Me Up: A Chill History of Laser Light Shows in Auditoriums
The Original Light Trip
Long before LED walls and 3D visuals were everywhere, one seriously trippy way to experience music was laser light shows in planetariums. You’d walk into a dark, dome-shaped auditorium, lean back in your reclined seat, and watch lasers cut through fog to the sounds of Pink Floyd or The Beatles. Laser AC/DC is now playing at the Clark Planetarium. Win free tickets from BOB.
If you were a teenager in the ’70s or ’80s, odds are you—or someone you knew—lit up in the parking lot before heading in. These weren’t concerts. There were no bands on stage, no screaming crowds—just music, darkness, and lasers turning geometry into magic. Bonus points if you went to the The Old Hansen Planetarium.
Where It All Started: Laserium in L.A.
The whole idea of setting lasers to music in a dome came from a guy named Ivan Dryer. He wasn’t a laser engineer—he was a filmmaker. But in 1973, after seeing a laser art experiment by physicist Elsa Garmire, Dryer had a revelation: lasers were cooler than film.
He launched Laserium, the first public laser light show, at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. It wasn’t some science demo—it was an audio-visual experience. Picture slow-moving waves of red and green light, synced perfectly to the moody soundscapes of Dark Side of the Moon.
Planetariums around the country soon picked it up. By the late ’70s, Laserium was in more than 40 cities. It became a rite of passage, especially if you were into prog rock, synths, or just needed a chill escape from reality.
How the Heck Did It Work?
Old-school laser shows were super analog. Operators would literally “perform” the visuals live, twisting knobs and steering mirrors to shape the beams in real time. Lasers were bounced through galvanometers (fancy moving mirrors) to draw patterns—spirals, grids, dancing lines—all in sync with the music.
They’d fill the dome with haze or fog to see the beams. That’s how you got those floating, 3D laser tunnels. And yes, sometimes the visuals felt like they were crawling into your brain—especially if you were, uh, pre-gamed before the show.
Soundtracks for a Laser Ride
The music was the heart of the show. You weren’t going to a lecture—you were going on a trip. And some albums just worked better than others. Pink Floyd basically owned the format. Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here—these albums were made for domes and lasers.
But the playlists went beyond Floyd:
-
The Beatles (Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper were big hits)
-
Vangelis, for that spacey synth vibe
-
Led Zeppelin, for fans who wanted their light show a little heavier
-
Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream, for deep instrumental trips
You’d lean back, zone out, and let the lasers do the thinking.
Science Centers After Dark
During the day, planetariums did the usual space shows—stars, black holes, educational stuff. But at night, they transformed. Suddenly, it wasn’t about constellations—it was about watching a rainbow laser cube rotate to “Comfortably Numb.”
These nighttime laser shows became a kind of alt-theater for the stoner generation. Parents saw them as “safe entertainment.” Teens saw them as a license to zone out without supervision.
And while some shows leaned fully into the psychedelic (“Laser Floyd”), others were surprisingly thoughtful. You might get a show about fractals, chaos theory, or cosmic scale, all set to synth music. It was weirdly educational… in a mind-melting way.
The Fall (and Slight Comeback)
By the late ’90s, laser shows started fading. The gear was expensive, the safety rules got tighter, and digital dome projection started replacing the need for analog lasers. Laserium eventually shut down in 2002, and many planetariums swapped their light shows for flashy digital visuals.
But laser shows never fully disappeared. A few places kept them alive, like the Fiske Planetarium in Colorado or the Morehead Planetarium in North Carolina, and right in Salt Lake at The Clark Planetarium. These days, modern laser systems are cheaper and much easier to program, so there’s been a small revival.
Now you’ll find updated versions like:
-
Daft Punk
-
Laser Stranger Things
-
Laser EDM
-
Classic throwbacks like Laser Zeppelin and Laser Floyd are still going strong
You might not find as many kids sneaking out back to “prepare” for the show, but the vibe is still there: sit back, zone out, and watch the music light up.
Still Worth the Trip
There’s something timeless about these laser shows: no phones, no distractions, sound and color bouncing around a dome. Whether you’re 17 and sneaking in with your friends, or 40 and dragging your kids to a Laser Beatles matinee, it hits the same.
Laser light shows in auditoriums were—and still are—a reminder that sometimes, it’s good just to shut up, lean back, and let the lights do their thing.
