KATIE KATE AND HELLUVASTATE, SPITTIN' IN A TREE

For this City Arts Fest showcase of local hiphop, the main attractions are Katie Kate and Helluvastate. The former recently dropped Flatland, a bold demonstration of left-of-center hiphop production, sharp-witted rapping, and sassy singing. The bizarre space funk of "Rutiger" ranks as one of the tracks of the year, in any genre. On the Adventures in a Helluvastate mixtape, the latter—Helladope's Tay Sean (aka Swan Coltrane) and State of the Artist's Thaddeus Turner (aka Thadwick Tristen Trevor III—sound like a righteous synthesis of Shabazz Palaces' clipped, incisive verses and THEESatisfaction's lush, soulful funk productions. The skeletal, wood block–powered "Brain Champagne"—which reminds me of Jeru the Damaja's "Come Clean"—is one of the tracks of the year, in any genre. With Mad Rad and Slow Dance. Neumos, 7 pm, $12 adv, 21+.

BLACK UP, INDEED: SHABAZZ PALACES, METAL CHOCOLATES, DJ RIZ

Shabazz Palaces leader Palaceer Lazaro was recently spotted watching Odd Future from Showbox's back-bar zone, a stoic, faintly unimpressed look on his visage. It surprised one to see the catalyst behind Seattle's most innovative hiphop group there, as Shabazz are almost diametrically opposed to OF's reckless wrongheadedness. While Shabazz figuratively/artistically dwell in the Taj Mahal, OF squat in a Greyhound bus station's men's room. Anyhoo, Shabazz lead this stacked bill with fellow local hiphop futurists Metal Chocolates (OC Notes and Rik Rude) and DJ Riz, a legendary Seattle selector with vast knowledge, impeccable taste, deep crates, and two KEXP time slots. Only a buster would miss this. Triple Door, 8 pm, $18 adv/$20 DOS, all ages.

SKRILLEX'S DUHSTEP [SIC]

"Due to overwhelming demand, Skrillex has been moved to WaMu Theater." So Showbox Sodo ain't big enough for Skrillex, now? The former singer for hardcore band From First to Last, Skrillex—aka Sonny Moore—zeroes in on the most sledgehammer-obvious elements from rave (pitched-up voices, Ecstasy-rush keyboards) and dubstep (grotesquely distorted bass riffs, Richter-scale beats) to create a newish kind of stadium dance pop with hooks big enough to snag sperm whales. Electronic music's Hot Topic–ification ensues. With 12th Planet, Two Fresh, Nadastrom. WaMu Theater, 7 pm, $30, 16+.