April 27, 2016
All events are 21+ unless otherwise noted.
Nearly three years after their last concert in the city, Pearl Jam returns for a pair of shows Thursday and Friday at Wells Fargo Center. Last time around, in October 2013, the Seattle-based group swung through in support of their then-new album Lightning Bolt. This time, in the absence of new material, the guys are just keeping fans happy with a national tour.
Show 8 p.m., $77+ (all ages)
Abi Reimold’s stellar debut album Wriggling was released way back in January but the Philly singer hits Johnny Brenda’s this Thursday for a belated release celebration. The record, which finds Reimold mining a powerful and cathartic vulnerability in the form of a dozen original songs, was quickly followed by the debut EP from a new local punk trio called Fake Boyfriend in which Reimold sings and plays drums. Reimold might be in the midst of juggling her next projects, but Wriggling is entirely worth dwelling on. Thursday’s show finds Reimold with a full band and supported by opening sets from Loose Tooth, Jacqueline Constance, and Sarah M. Read our interview with Reimold, who says of her music, “this is just me being vulnerable,” right here.
Show 9 p.m. (Doors 8 p.m.), $10
A couple years after a group of Philly DJs and producers came together as the Illvibe Collective in the late 1990s, they launched a party called Bodyrock with some passionately simple ambitions: a consistent night of good music meant to fill a dancefloor. That first Bodyrock party took place 15 years ago and in the years since names like Prince Paul, Rich Medina, and DJ Cash Money have graced the bill.
The party remains a living tribute to the city’s recent nightlife epoch and Illvibe is celebrating the big anniversary milestone with a fitting throwdown at Ajax Hall (inside The Fillmore) this weekend. The special guest is out-of-towner DJ Day while a cast of familiar regulars — Mr. Sonny James, Phillee Blunt, Skipmode, lil’dave & Matthew Law — rounds out the night.
Show 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $7-10 (tix at the door)
Portland trio The Thermals has just tacked on yet another album to their sprawling discography. More than a decade after their debut, 2003’s No Culture Icons, the group seems to have regained some footing (they’ve reunited with producer Christopher Walla, one-time guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie) with their latest, We Disappear. About a month after the album’s release Thermals hopes to fill Union Transfer with an all-ages crowd this Friday night.
Show 8:30 p.m. (Doors 7:30 p.m.), $15 (all ages)
Freddie Gibbs has the kind of nagging problem most musicians would kill for: a magnificent album that seems impossible to top. The record, 2014’s Piñata, came in the form of an unlikely bit of matchmaking in which Gibbs, a punchy gangsta rapper from Gary, Indiana, rapped atop soulful beats from squirrely West Coast legend Madlib. The collaboration was a one-off affair, and Gibbs has released more music to less fanfare since. He will no doubt break open “Piñata” as a crowd-pleaser at Union Transfer this Saturday, but loyal fans will be rapping along to the rest of his catalog too. Maryland rappers Jay IDK and Dutch Capital open.
Show 9 p.m. (Doors 8 p.m.), $20-22 (all ages)
Boulevards is the stage name taken by Jamil Rashad, who makes forwardly danceable music and has just released his debut album, Groove!, via the Brooklyn-based indie label Captured Tracks. Just a few days after his album release show in New York, Rashad brings his funk to Kung Fu Necktie on Saturday where Philly’s own Suburban Living will offer up an opening set.
Show 8:30 p.m., $10
Questlove returns to The Fillmore for his monthly DJ residency. The perpetually busy Roots drummer has just released his third book, Something to Food About, written a touching tribute to Prince for Rolling Stone, and is no doubt in prep-mode for this year’s impending Roots Picnic. (Never mind his day job as a familiar face in the Tonight’s Show’s house band.) Quest has a penchant for themed DJ sets, so this Sunday he might still be feeling all sorts of purple.
Show 11 p.m., $15
