April 20, 2016
It’s another busy weekend for live music. At the Keswick, Tower of Power and Average White Band take turns in the headliner spot. Meanwhile, a pair of Philly rappers representing two generations of hip-hop — Tunji Ige and Bahamadia — celebrate a new album and an old one with a respective release show and 20th-anniversary throw-down on the same night. Check out our rundown of the best concerts in the city this weekend below. (All events are 21+ unless otherwise noted.)
Tunji Ige & Noah Breakfast: Coda
One of Philly’s fastest rising stars, rapper and producer Tunji Ige, celebrates the release of his latest EP, “Missed Calls,” at Coda tonight. The 20-year-old upstart collaborated with Noah Breakfast — formerly known as Xaphoon Jones of Chiddy Bang — on the record and found his stride with the energetic singles “On My Grind” and “Bring Yo Friends.” Tunji will be hopping from a Red Bull sponsored show at Underground Arts headlined by OCD: Moosh & Twist to the late-night release gig for a busy Thursday night.
Show 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., free w/ RSVP (ages 18+)
Bahamadia, one of Philly’s most respected emcees, celebrates the 20-year anniversary of her debut album at Johnny Brenda’s tonight. “Kollage,” which was released in 1996, found Bahamadia floating over top-tier production from the likes of DJ Premier and Da Beatminerz for a record that remains one of the city’s crown jewels of rap.
Show 9 p.m. (Doors 8 p.m.), $10
Silk City Diner keeps its weekly event series moving with another third Thursday party sponsored by Reebok and Cult Classic. Quite Hype (a.k.a. Anthony Somebody) holds down the fort (and DJ duties) with some special guests for a night of hip-hop, house, and club music. The best part? It’s all free, even the beer — between 10 and 11 p.m. at least.
Show 10 p.m., free
After a decade together, Boston emo band Transit is calling it quits. The group bids farewell with a short tour that lands at The Barbary for a matinee show with New Jersey alt-rockers Gin War. The early billing will allow Transit to throw down a lengthy set of up to 25 songs.
Show 2:30 p.m. (Doors 2 p.m.), $15 (all ages)
Legendary horn-driven Oakland outfit Tower of Power teams up with Average White Band for a night of funky nostalgia at the Keswick Theatre this weekend. Tower of Power, currently functioning as a 10-piece band, is nearing its 50th anniversary as a group and still collaborating on new music, according to co-founder Emilio Castillo.
Show 8 p.m., $39.50 - $59.50 (all ages)
The 67-year-old soul singer Charles Bradley is an unlikely star. After a life of manual labor and building a name as a passionate James Brown impersonator, Bradley released his first album at the age of 63 by teaming up with the retro-funk label Daptone Records. Bradley has just released his third and best album to date in the form of “Changes,” the title track a moving and unexpected cover of a Black Sabbath song. On Sunday, Bradley brings his emotional and high-energy live show to Union Transfer. Belgian singer Selah Sue opens.
Show 8:30 p.m. (Doors 7:30 p.m.), $23-25 (all ages)
This Sunday marks the end of a three-month long DJ residency at Silk City Diner from famed hip-hop producer 9th Wonder. 9th, who made a name for himself as a member of the North Carolina hip-hop trio Little Brother before producing for top-billing artists including Jay Z, has recently eased into the academic world by teaching courses at North Carolina Central University and working through a hip-hop archive-driven fellowship at Harvard. Still, his first home is behind the boards and turntables, where he’ll be commanding the dancefloor this weekend.
Show 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., $10 at the door
