You may not have heard about Francis Farewell Strarlite, frontman of the vintage synth-pop group Francis and the Lights, but you can be damn sure that the rest of the music industry has. And don’t worry you will by the end of this year too. So how bout you get introduced to him now.

It’s not very often that artists of completely different genres fight over an opener for their shows, but in the 2010, Francis has already opened for Drake, MGMT & Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, three incredible artists of entirely different genres. It may seem weird to have a hip-hop, indie folk and experimental group fighting for you, but Francis really does sound like a funky mashup at times of so many different genres. The group has many claims to fame, including once performing an entire Otis Redding cd live and covering (very well actually) Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, but it’s their incredibly entertaining shows that has really brought the band to prominence in 2010. I mean their name is Francis and the LIGHTS.

Francis and the Lights have created a very polished sound with influences ranging across all genres—from James Brown soul to 80’s vintage Peter Gabriel to the jazz-fusions of Steely Dan and even a hint of modern day Ghostland Observatory. The music blends so beautifully though, creating a sincerely fun sound. And checking out other show reviews, they put on one of the most genuinely entertaining shows in the business right now. While most openers simply go through the motions, Francis and the Lights get the audience to nearly forget about the main act for the 45 minutes that they get to grace the stage.

Well, this Friday, May 21st, Francis and the Lights are headlining at The Echo here in Los Angeles. It is guaranteed to be an incredible show, that will go down as one of your favorite concerts of recent memory.

Tickets are only $8 in advance, or $10 the day of the show. Head to http://www.attheecho.com/ for more details.