Get Lucid at Underground Arts

by Dan Emmons
First Friday is usually known in Philadelphia for the arts happening down in Old City.  When traffic and a mislabeled punk/metal show derailed my plans, I was searching for something fun to do with my Friday night.  After a few minutes of shuffling through the events on my phone it began to look like my options were slim- either go be stuck in a crowded college bar or go home.  But then the clouds aligned and the event I had kept skipping over, Get Lucid! caught my attention.  After a few drinks at Johnny Brenda’s, we headed down to 1200 Callowhill Street in Philadelphia’s Loft District.

In an inconspicuous warehouse building with a small red neon sign reading “Underground Arts” sat one of the best kept secrets in Philadelphia.  Get Lucid! was a mixture of art, music and culture that you have to experience first hand.  From hand-made and recycled house products-turned coin purses and CD packaging from Visitor 10 to full size art prints from Jason Brueck and a big variety of alternative books from Wooden Shoe Books, the crowd had a much different atmosphere than any other show I have been to.  There was culture to experience, as well as $6 Slyfox cans.

Hosted by drag performer Ruby LL Voyager, and with sets by Dani Lehman, Glavanize, Red Richards, Blueshift, and DJ Roman, the music and dancing didn’t seem to stop all night.  The event was promoted as a multimedia art experience featuring DJs, live music, art and spoken word poetry celebrating and fundraising for Philadelphia’s Attic Youth Center.  The center is the city’s only non-profit organization providing services exclusively to LGBTQ youth in need.  Mixed in between the on stage performances other artists Annie Mok and Nubi Ra provided live painting and live projections.  The $5 door kept the costs down and gave concert goers the option to donate to the cause.

Leaving the show, everyone had a smile from ear to ear.  Whether that smile be a direct cause of dancing the night away, experiencing an accepting community of people, helping out a great cause, or few of those Slyfox specials, Get Lucid! left an impression on everyone.  For me, it took a mix up of events to luckily end up at the show, but I was so happy to have been a part of it.

The next Get Lucid! event will take place on March 2nd. For a $5 donation at the door, you’ll hear live music from Galvanize, euReca and Visitor 10, stage production by Proud Nigga 2 Soldier, and performance art by NubiRa and AnnieMok. It’s at PhilaMOCA, starting 8pm. When the show ends at 12:30am, everyone can head to the after party at The Institute with Red Richards and Jay Hilario.

Blurbs below are from the Get Lucid! Facebook event page and explains what you could encounter at the next show.

• Dani Lehman: Coming all the way from Miami just to support our cause, Dani Lehman is a DJ’s DJ, known for her dark, sexy, groovy, bass heavy beats currently making waves on the dance music scene all around the country. Check her out here: https://soundcloud.com/dani-lehman
• Galvanize: Electronic beats – live guitars, vocals, and synths – mixing the styles of drum and bass and big beat electro with stoner rock and blues for a live set like nothing you’ve ever seen before: https://soundcloud.com/galvanizegalvanize
• Red Richards: Consistently one of Beatport.com’s most popular DJs, putting out mixes that EVERYONE wants to get their hands on – And we have the honor to experience a live one in the making!!! Minimal and Tech-house, check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/redrichards
• Blueshift: Emphatically unique and indulgent for any crowd, Blueshift fuses together progressive house with nu-disco and various other elements to provoke a nostalgic vibe that is perfectly in balance with the sounds of today. Check it out here:https://soundcloud.com/blueshiftmusic
• DJ Roman: Coming straight out of retirement just to support the Get Lucid! cause, DJ Roman will grace us with his unique blend of trance and hip hop, riding on pure taste and perfect judgement to give the audience exactly what it wants!
• Exhibition by Jason Brueck of Alter Images Studio. He began creating images in 2009 and is now “The President, CEO and Janitor” of Old City art gallery, Alter Images. “Much like a few of my astronauts, I’m still trying to figure out where I am and how I got here.” Check his work out: http://alterimages.net/
• Party process art and comic event capturing by Annie Mok maker, cartoonist, & illustrator http://anniemok.tumblr.com/
• Visual projection by Nubi Ra

About the organization:
The Attic Youth Center creates opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. Donate directly at www.indiegogo.com/atticyouthcenter. 

Get Lucid! is a multimodal art experience intended to create a fun, safe, and collaborative environment for all communities seeking social justice to make new connections and explore new causes. The Activist Dance Party is a blend of innovative music, performance, auditory and visual experiences centered around the celebration of Philadelphia Art. Check out our Blog at www.GetLucid.org.