Tonight the focus of the 215 Festival will shine on its strongest music showcase of the weekend at Underground Arts. Lushlife, a.k.a. Raj Haldar, brings a unique approach to hip-hop as both an emcee and producer, combining a wide array of sonic sampling warping listeners through various stages of musicology. Capable of taking a simple snare-beat and owning the mic with sweet-spot lyrical precision, Lush pays tribute to his “golden days” predecessors. However, while his lyrical narratives are influenced by emcees like Nas and Black Thought, it’s just a tool at Lushlife’s disposal. Integrating powerful lyrics with multi-genre-fused beats creating music that honors the past while sounding like the future. Light Heat, the latest venture for Quentin Stoltzfus (formerly of Mazarin), takes the concept of classic pop-rock production and pushes at its seams by using the layered instrumentation approach in strategically building songs that are both complex in structure yet accessible. Also joining the bill is Dave Quicks (formerly of the BurnDown All-Stars) with his trio and NYC’s Lily & The Parlor Tricks. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 8pm, $5 (Light Heat Photo by Kyle Costill) – Michael Colavita
