Courtney Marie Andrews | photo courtesy of Fat Possum Records
10 concerts to see this week including Courtney Marie Andrews, Nothing, Body Meat, KRS-One and more
It’s a busy week for music in Philadelphia, and we easily could have recommended another ten shows for you to see; particularly since Philly Music Fest is happening, and there have been a handful of ticket drops for that sold out run of shows starting Alex G, Moor Mother, Hop Along, and The Menzingers. Keep tabs on Philly Music Fest’s IG for more on that, and read on for our show picks for this first full week of October; the action is largely concentrated on Friday and Saturday, but there’s stuff to love all week long.
Monday 10/4: Courtney Marie Andrews at Johnny Brenda’s
Phoenix, Arizona’s Courtney Marie Andrews comes to Johnny Brenda’s for a dreamy and heartfelt show to get the week started. Andrews’ sweet country voice and accompanying piano and guitar are a classic combination, but with an indie sensibility reminiscent of Jenny Lewis. It’s no coincidence that her music is produced by Mark Howard, who’s worked with Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams — her honest take on the nature of life and relationships is what makes folk music so powerful in its simplicity. Andrews’ Monday night show is worth being sleepy at work Tuesday morning. // 7 p.m., $15, 21+ // TIX + INFO – Paige Walter
Thursday 10/7: Jonatha Brooke at City Winery
Jonatha Brooke started her career as part of the folk-pop duo Story in the 90s, and later went on to release her own solo music — with Steady Pull cementing her status in the XPN-verse of the early 00s. In recent years she’s tried her hand at everything from writing musicals, a one woman off-Broadway play, and co-writing songs with Katy Perry, and her City Winery show will doubtless reflect all of the above. // 7:30 p.m., $25-38, AA // TIX+INFO – Samantha Sullivan
Friday 10/8: Nothing at Anchor Rock Club
Attending a Nothing show feels like drowning in a sea of sound. The long-running heavy shoegazers from Philly will have you completely submerged in their layers of gloomy riffs, opaque percussion, and wispy vocals when they headline Atlantic City’s new Anchor Rock Club space on Friday. The floor suddenly gone from under your feet, you can either return to the surface or swim down even further. Joining them on the stacked bill is Noun, the solo project of Screaming Females’ Marisa Paternoster, and Soul Glo, playing their first of two shows this week. // 8 p.m., $15, 18+ // TIX+INFO –S.S.
Friday 10/8: Body Meat at PhilaMOCA
There are some things you just need to experience in person, and something tells me Body Meats’ glitchy hyper-pop is one of them. Slamming beats, disconcerting samples, and brash synths create a sort of sensory overload that would probably vaporize you when experienced live. The exaggerated use of compression and distortion on his vocals create a sort of auditory assault that makes you feel simultaneously blissed out and overstimulated. This terrific Friday night bill at PhilaMOCA finds Body Meat joined by incredible Philly-via-San Miguel de Allende rapper Pieri. // 7:30 p.m., $15, AA // TIX + INFO – S.S.
Friday 10/8: Dehd and Bnnu at Johnny Brenda’s
Dehd’s 2020 album Flower of Devotion made a big splash in the indie world. Perhaps you’ve heard the track “Loner” on Spotify, as it seemed to get preferential treatment by “the algorithm.” I couldn’t begrudge that song for long though — singer Emily Kempf’s vocals are distinctly playful and expressive. She belts out “Loner” like a lone wolf howling at the moon. The rest of the album is also not-to-be-missed, as it stands out in Dehd’s discography as their most tastefully produced studio record, a feat for a DIY band whose stripped-down sound is already groundbreaking. Fellow Chicago group Bnny (imagine Angel Olsen mixed with slower Velvet Underground vibes) join Dehd at Johnny Brenda’s for what is sure to be an enchanting evening. // 8 p.m., $16, 21+ // TIX + INFO – P.W.
Friday 10/8: Stereo League and Lady HD at Ortlieb’s 10/8
Two Fishtown neighbors are at Ortlieb’s on Friday: Stereo League and Lady HD. The former is a more straight-forward rock group that sounds like Modern English mixed with The Black Keys. The latter is a blend of LA funk and Latin soul, with a surprisingly theatrical stage presence. Both groups are often hard at work in the studio, constantly improving their craft and pushing boundaries. This is the kind of bill you’d expect to see at a mid-size club like Johnny Brenda’s, so fans and newcomers alike should take advantage of Ortlieb’s small-capacity room and experience a more intimate show. // 8 p.m., $15, 21+ // TIX + INFO – P.W.
Friday 10/8: Mobbluz at World Cafe Live
Versatile drummer, educator, and connection-maker Barbara Duncan — who our Melissa Simpson sat down with for this feature story last week — is once again bringing the beat on Friday night, this time with her 7-piece Mobbluz collaborative. A mix of heady instrumental grooves and snappy bars from MC Illadel, the band made the Philly rounds this summer at outdoor spots like Sunflower and Pentridge Station, and is poised to take their show indoors at World Cafe Live’s Lounge stage. // FREE, 9 p.m., 21+ // RSVP – John Vettese
Friday 10/8: KRS-One at Ardmore Music Hall
Rap royalty KRS-One pays this Philly area a visit this weekend with a headlining set at Ardmore Music Hall, which has become a reliably awesome spot to see hip-hop legends in a low-key setting. (See also: the Little Brother show just before lockdown, the live album Digable Planets recorded here.) Teacha released his 16th studio album last year, and between his trailblazing jams from the Boogie Down Productions days to his hot streak throughout the 90s, this will be an action packed gig — especially with Philly icon Reef The Lost Cauze opening the show with his first in-person performance in almost two years. // 8 p.m., $32, 21+ // TIX + INFO – J.V.
Saturday 10/9: Dar Williams at Sellersville Theater
We’re longtime fans of upstate New York folk singer Dar Williams here at XPN, particularly her flawless run of late 90s / early 00s albums: 1996’s Mortal City, 1997’s End of Summer, 2000’s The Green World, and 2003’s The Beauty of the Rain. Her tenth album, I’ll Meet You Here, just came out on Friday, and the songwriter says it a reflection on meeting life where it’s at. In addition to playing the Sellersville Theater on Saturday, Dar also brings old and new tunes to Happy Valley’s State Theater on Sunday. // 8 p.m., $45, AA // TIX + INFO – J.V.
Saturday 10/9: Armand Hammer at The First Unitarian Church
Experimental hip-hop duo Armand Hammer raised their profile earlier this year with their fifth album Haram, a heady and contemplative collection of free-form rap music. Lyrically it examines themes that are psychological, self-analytical, and deeply emotional; sonically, the dreamlike backdrop often downplays the presence of beats and weaves in and out of verses and found sound in the spirit of psychedelic sound collage. Guests like Curly Castro and Quelle Chris shine, but the chemistry of Billy Woods and Elucid is the focal point; for this Church basement show, Armand Hammer will share the stage with another boundary-shattering band: Philly’s Soul Glo, whose work spans screamo punk, harsh techno, and noisy rap. // 7 p.m., $20, AA // TIX + INFO – J.V.
Saturday 10/9: RedTouchBlack at Oddity Bar
Heavy rock four-piece RedTouchBlack channels Sabbath and Mastodon and Pink Floyd all at once, and their self-titled album from earlier this year was a late pandemic treat filled with beauty and rage. They’ll take a short run down I-95 to perform it live at Wilmington’s Oddity Bar for this sludgy show curated by our friends at Cherry-Veen Zine. // 9 p.m., $10, 21+ // TIX + INFO – J.V.