BT and Thomas Dolby

Thu., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., $24-$39, World Cafe Live.

by A.D. Amorosi

pop/electronic/experimental

This seems like an easy marketing pitch: young electronic music acolyte touring with one of its most revered oldheads. The science student and the scientist. But there could and should be more afoot here if techy dream house head Brian "BT" Transeau and innovative cinematic musicmaker Thomas Dolby (pictured) get together at evening's end as promised. Because over time BT's brisk, bright skyscapes have grown brooding (Monster's soundtrack) and more sonically twitchy (This Binary Universe was created as 5.1-channel SurroundSound epic). And Dolby, the whiz kid whose natty suits and spectacles made the complex jazzy composer (The Flat Earth) a caricature? He spent time out of the pop game developing Internet music systems and a profitable ringtone business before re-entering the game with a live album (The Sole Inhabitant) and a cartoonish stage show filled with vintage oscilloscopes and military equipment. Spooky.

Thu., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., $24-$39, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.