VALLEYTAINMENT
SUGAR RUSH RECAP: A SWEET NIGHT AT LEVEL UP 🍭🔥
By Vibelord Ford Presented by Valleytainment.com
If you weren’t at Level Up Studios this weekend, you missed one of those intimate-but-loud nights that remind you why Pittsburgh’s underground scene has teeth. Level Up is cozy — 25 to 30 people in a small room — but when the place fills out, it feels like a neighborhood squeezed into four walls. You couldn’t just stroll to the restroom; you had to respectfully swim through bodies. And honestly? That’s the charm.
Shoutout to Mario Lyles, the owner of Level Up, who once again gave artists a space that feels less like a venue and more like a living room for the city’s creative pulse.
Family Energy at the Door
Right at the entrance, the Crook Lives family was holding it down. Ben (@kustomkarz98), his wife, and even one of their daughters worked the merch table all night, creating that immediate feeling of walking into a family function instead of a show.
And then there was Happy Clouds (@happycloudsyo) — rapper, artist, and one of the most genuine dudes doing it. He was invited to vend, showed up ready, but after feeling the vibe he left his table and merch in the car because he didn’t want to step on toes at a Crook Lives–centered event. Total class move. That’s community.
A Surprise for the Homie 🍰
One of the best moments of the night came after my set, right before the headliner. Yantri Torry (@yt412) and I hit the lights and surprised Ben with cupcakes for his upcoming birthday. The room softened instantly and we sang Happy Birthday — a whole crowd of creatives, homies, and strangers all cheering on one dude who never asks for a spotlight. Felt good. Felt right.
Performances Full of Heart
Every performer brought their own flavor, and Jacob “Jake” Elliot (@longjawnstillers) kept the mic hot as MC/host, stringing the sets together with smooth transitions and real charisma.
I went up buzzing — that perfect little “I’m alive” buzz — and the crowd was fully in tune. Even when I slipped up, nobody blinked. Nobody judged. Everyone was locked in. That’s the energy you hope for as an artist.
The performers deserve their flowers:
Yantri Torry (@yt412), Marley Dimitri (@marley_dimitri), TripThaDemon (@bigtripp412), Tweez (@tweez06), Blueboy062 (@blueboy062_), and of course our headliner Johnny Mase (@johnmase54th) who wrapped the night with pure force.
KrackKill$: The Turntable General 🎚️
Huge love to KrackKill$ (@krac_kills) on DJ duty. He didn’t just play music — he dialed the entire room’s heartbeat. When artists weren’t performing, he ran absolute GOAT-level jams. Perfectly timed throwbacks, deep cuts, and classics that hit perfectly.
But the real MVP moment?
He filmed alternate angles of every single set on his iphone from behind the decks and gave the footage to the artists. Completely unprompted. Just real love for the scene.
Mini Bikes, Art Cars & Most Wanted Legends 😂🏍️
Outside, things were just as entertaining thanks to the wild legends from Most Wanted Car Club (@mostwantedcarclub). They pulled up with mini bikes and art cars, ripping up and down the block in the cold like it was summer.
If you know the backstory, it made the moment even funnier. Months ago, at a different event, the Most Wanted prez was flying around on his mini bike when the promoter threw his longboard into the street to stop him — almost causing a whole cartoon-level crash. Since then, mini bikes have become a running joke between our crews.
So naturally… they brought them to Sugar Rush. Pure chaos. Pure comedy. Pure Pittsburgh.
Lights, Camera, Vibes 🎥
All night, Joe Camp (@joescampin) moved through the venue like a ghost with purpose — shooting a music video for Johnny Mase while also capturing tons of candid moments. And like the real one he is, Joe handed out extra footage to every artist, even stuff that wasn’t going into the music video. That kind of generosity builds culture.
Closing Thoughts
Sugar Rush wasn’t a giant festival or high-budget production — it was something better:
a small room full of big hearts, inside jokes, real support, and authentic Pittsburgh creativity.
We had:
✨ A family-run merch table
✨ Cupcakes mid-show
✨ Mini bikes tearing up the block
✨ A DJ filming performers because he cared
✨ A videographer handing out free content
✨ Artists giving it their all
✨ Crowd energy that felt safe, warm, and locked-in
It wasn’t perfect — it was alive.
And nights like this are why we do what we do.
-Vibelord Ford