Blending music and imagery, live

Boston Globe

06-02-2025

'Our goal is for people to think that the band and the visual are a homogenous package — you would think that the band and the visual go together at every single show,' says Harley Spring, one of Digital Awareness's four members.
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Since forming in 2021, Digital Awareness has transformed from a novelty of the Greater Boston music scene to a key component of it, splashing color across venues like the Lizard Lounge, Crystal Ballroom, the Sinclair, and the Paradise Rock Club. (Though you're most likely to find the team experimenting at the 4th Wall in Arlington, an after-hours performance space located within the Capitol Theatre). This
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What that unveiling will look like depends on which member of Digital Awareness is leading the experience at Deep Cuts. Just as every musician wields their flair onstage, the self-described 'visualists' of Digital Awareness are artists in their own right, each with their own preferred techniques. Member Nate Scaringi, who is colorblind, tweaks elements like lighting and brightness to align with a performer's energy level. Spring, on the other hand, aims to supersize the experience, asking 'What would a fan in the back of the stadium want to see?''
Some nights, the results resemble waves of static that cycle through the rainbow; at other events, the visuals mimic an abstract painting in flux, like an installation at a contemporary art museum. Every show is a delicate balance of adding depth without becoming a distraction to the audience or the musicians (some of whom wear sunglasses onstage).
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'We try to remember that we aren't the show — we're a dimension of it,' explains Scaringi.
That dimension is quickly expanding. Spring is pursuing a business degree that will help Digital Awareness solidify its presence in Greater Boston, and the team has been reaching out to local venues about taking on a larger role in booking Digital Awareness shows, which would allow them to fully curate the bands on each bill. The opportunity would allow the team to curate show lineups and flaunt their vision on a more regular basis, further bridging the local music and visual arts communities.
'We want to be driving the ship for the night,' Spring concludes. 'We're at a point now where we can make that leap.'
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Victoria Wasylak can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on X @VickiWasylak.