From Star Trek to Back To The Future, holograms have been making appearances in science fiction films for decades. These three-dimensional virtual recordings — once a futuristic concept similar to a hover board or a ray gun — have been a real and fully functioning invention for some time now. Through a combination of lasers, interference, diffraction, light intensity and high definition cameras, scientists have built upon the hologram, continually adding to and building upon the incredibly basic model physicist Dennis Gabor invented in 1971.

From miniscule images created by shining lasers through gradients, to lifesize recreations of objects and even people — the hologram industry is at a level never seen before. Not only have technicians and scientists been raving over the mastering of this creation, it has found an unlikely and controversial home in the music industry.

In 2011, the first hologram concert performance was put on at one of California’s infamous Coachella Music Festivals. Before the eyes of thousands of concert attendees, an identical replica of the deceased rapper and west coast martyr Tupac Shakur appeared on stage. Social media and news sources exploded with countless reports — some even claiming that Tupac had come back to life. This huge step in the concert scene had people raving over what had occurred. Friends and family of Tupac spoke on the event with mixed feelings, some disgusted by the event and others content with the tribute to the late legend.

“I had mixed emotions when I was watching it,” Tupac’s friend and fellow rapper Crooked I said. “It was kind of dope because it reminds of Pac…but it’s not him.”

This was the first major hologram performance and since then other festivals and events have followed in a similar manner.
For the first time a hologram made its way to the Bay Area for the 10th anniversary of Rock The Bells. Much like the response to the Tupac hologram, Palo Alto High School students had mixed reactions towards the holograms.

I thought it was sick because I like Eazy E so if the hologram was of someone I really liked and they weren’t alive anymore id go to one
– Justin

I thought it was really awesome. It was different because I never grew up with his music before he died so it was cool seeing a different style of hip hop. And probably not. Like just hologram would be kinda weird watching a hologram the whole time. But lik a hologram during a normal concert is sick
– Danny

I thought it was really cool. It looked pretty real. I don’t think I would go to a whole hologram concert but it was still fun to hear a few songs with one.
– Alex Grandy

I thought it was really cool and I enjoyed that part of rock the bells. I probably wouldn’t go to a concert that was only holograms but it was cool to see it there.
-person

My reaction:

I personally am against the hologram experience though I did find it cool at the time. I would hate to see the concert experience ruined by over use of holograms. As they become more technologically advanced and cheaper to make, there will be virtually no difference minus the presence of the physical artist. Hologramming could become the equivalent of lip syncing. The concert scene would be depleted because eventually you could have the beatles jamming.