April 07, 2016
After a week that brought the return of regular season baseball as well as some out-of-season cold weather, this weekend in Philly is reliably packed with live music. Following Rihanna’s performance at Wells Fargo last week, another pair of high-production tours are swinging through the city with the arrival of Santana at the Tower Theatre and Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire at the PPL Center. Elsewhere you can catch a legendary Japanese psych band at Johnny Brenda’s, dance along to Pete Rock at Silk City Diner and plenty more.
Check out our picks for the best live music touching down in Philly this weekend below. (All events are ages 21+ unless otherwise noted.)
It’s been two decades since guitarist Makoto Kawabata jumpstarted the Japanese psych band Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. In the years since, the group has undergone a handful of member changes and sprouted separate outgrowths, but a familiar lineup remains.
After cranking out an impressive discography of experimentalism throughout their collective careers, Acid Mothers Temple’s American tour stops in Philly tonight at Johnny Brenda’s with an opening set from synth-driven duo Mounds.
Show 9 p.m. (Doors 8 p.m.), $13-15
One of hip-hop’s most venerable triple threats, Pete Rock brings his DJ skills to Silk City Diner tomorrow night. The producer half of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, the Bronx-bred Peter Phillips first ventured into hip-hop as a DJ in the late 1980s, and while his jazzy beats will forever be a career calling card, seeing the man work the turntables is a special treat.
Rock will spin a late-night set following venue-regular DJ Lil’ Dave’s opening slot.
Show 9 p.m., $10-12
Milwaukee band Jaill might roughly be described as an indie rock band, but their music leans specifically towards guitar-laden power pop. After releasing a pair of albums on both Sub Pop and Burger Records between 2010 and 2015, Jaill linked up with Nashville label Infinity Cat Recordings for their latest, a 10-track record called Wherever It Be. The headlining four-piece is joined by Dirty Dishes, What Moon Things, and CaveWoman for a stacked bill at Ortlieb’s tomorrow.
Show 8 p.m., $10
Carlos Santana is in the rare company of singularly famous rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric, Clapton, and Jimmy Page, and the Mexican-born legend has shown off the rare ability to weave his relevance through a handful of decades.
The living monument to Latin rock brings his brimming band to Upper Darby’s Tower Theatre on Saturday.
Show 8 p.m. (Doors 7 p.m.), $82+ (all ages)
Naeem Juwan, better known as rapper/producer/DJ Spank Rock, is a Baltimore native, but he’s been a Philly stalwart for years: releasing music, holding down regular club nights. On Saturday Spank brings his eclectic blend of hip-hop, club, and electronic music to Franky Bradley’s for a night dubbed Perico and the crew of Grave Goods and Brian Toll are tagging along for the fun.
Show 10 p.m., $5
Sunday, April 10
Doubling down on a decade-long streak of late career collaborations, legendary Chicago bands Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire have launched another joint national tour and arrive at PPL Center on Sunday. Sunday’s show comes just over two months after Earth, Wind & Fire’s founder Maurice White passed away earlier this year due to complications stemming from Parkinson’s disease.
The Heart and Soul Tour 2.0 might be bittersweet so near to White’s death, but it also seems like the best tribute longtime fans will ever get.
Show 7:30 p.m. (Doors 6:30 p.m.), $30.25 - $116.75 (all ages)
Ben Harper is a traditionalist and fusionist rolled into one. Generally Harper’s music fits squarely into the world of blues rock, but he’s just as likely to come off funky, soulful, and even a bit psychedelic. Harper and his band, The Innocent Criminals, have been around for the amount of time that it’s easy to forget they’re there, but after winning a Grammy as a solo act in 2014 the whole gang is back with a new album, Call It What It Is. The new record, which sounds forwardly political from the singles and what the singer has let on, releases on Friday, which means Sunday’s crowd at The Fillmore will be one of the lucky firsts to hear it live.
Show 8 p.m., $50
