July 12, 2017
Sweet soul pioneers The Dramatics have been making music for more than 50 years. Accordingly, their current lineup is a shadow of the original outfit. But that hasn’t stopped the Detroit-proud musicians from touring extensively, nodding back to their hits from the ‘60s and beyond. On Thursday, they join forces with a trio of other R&B OGs for a breezy, outdoor evening of summer jams.
Show 7 p.m. | With Bloodstone, The Intruders, and Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes | $32-75 | All ages
Maybe more than any other band, Foreigner sounds like the 1980s. Last year, when “Stranger Things” was lapping up everyone’s nostalgia, the soundtrack leaned on the group’s “Waiting For a Girl Like You,” but the music supervisors had plenty of other options when it came to Foreigner’s hits. (“Cold As Ice” or “Hot As Blood” might have been too obvious). Believe it or not, Foreigner is now celebrating the 40th anniversary of their eponymous debut, and they’re making the requisite fan-pleasing rounds to play those familiar hits. This week, at BB&T Pavilion, they’ll crank the memories up with help from Cheap Trick and a second generation Led Zeppelin tribute.
Doors 6 p.m. / Show 7 p.m. | With Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience | $18-126 | All ages
The twin sisters Allison and Katie Crutchfield have fast become indie rock heroines. Together they played in the band P.S. Eliot, and separately they release their own splendid, auteurist indie works. Earlier this year, Allison’s “Tourist In This Town” reverberated through the scene as one of the best debuts of the year. Now, it’s Katie’s turn, who revisits her much-acclaimed Waxahatchee project with “Out In The Storm,” streaming now on NPR, but releasing officially via Merge Records on Friday. The album expands Katie’s recording band to include sister Allison and a handful of familiar faces like Ashley Arnwine and John Agnello. (In-the-know fans can catch Waxahatchee for a free show earlier in the day.)
Doors 7:30 p.m. / Show 8:30 p.m. | With Cayetana and Snail Mail | $16-18 | All ages
The Moody Blues is one of those bands that pops up in any hand-me-down record collection from the ‘60s or ‘70s. The English outfit were first-wave prog rockers, but they never got too high brow that a mainstream audience couldn’t hang. Instead, records like “In Search of the Lost Chord” and “Days of Future Passed” became quiet, resilient classics. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the group’s inception, and they’ll be treading through the nostalgia with a show at The Mann this weekend.
Show 7:30 p.m. | $39-80 | All ages
Ziggy Marley is reggae royalty, but it’s not like he’s just skating off his name. The eldest Marley son has been leading his own band since he was a kid, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that he broke through as a star unto himself. Over the last few decades, Ziggy has been a force of placid positivity, continually pumping out gracious reggae sounds that have an internationalist bent.
Doors 12 p.m. / Show 1 p.m. | With Beres Hammond, Sizzla, and Capleton | $49-166 | All ages
Alec Ounsworth is a tireless, one-man show. After spending more than a decade cranking out records with his band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ounsworth has carried the band forward as a solo act over the last few years. This year, he put out “The Tourist” under the CYHSY banner, and its solidified his standing as one of Philly’s most lauded indie acts. This weekend Ounsworth—err, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah—performs at the second installment of the Twilight Music Festival’s ongoing Parks on Tap series, a weekly outdoor program running Sundays through the summer.
Show 9 p.m. | Free w/RSVP | 21 and over
