17 concerts to see this week, including CJ Mills and Sophie Coran, Bikini Kill, Shady Grove Music Festival and more

From a Graceland tribute tonight to a local music festival in Delaware on Saturday, here are 17 concerts to see in the next seven days, all around Philly. Tickets and more information can be found at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page.

Sunday 7/10: Bakithi Kumalo at Upper Merion Township Park

Soweto, South Africa bassist Bakithi Kumalo famously played on Paul Simon’s Graceland LP in the mid-80s, and in more recent years has been leading a touring tribute to the iconic album. The show returns to the area tonight at Upper Merion township’s long-running Concerts Under The Stars series; Emily Drinker opens. // 5 p.m., $15, AA

Tuesday 7/12: Sixteen Jackies at Liberty Point

Local gigs at Philly’s newest outdoor concert venue continue Tuesday when Sixteen Jackies play Liberty Point on the Delaware River. The band has one foot in glam, one foot in a vintage horror aesthetic, and their live shows are always a blast. They’ll be joined by post-Vernes indie project Number One Lovers, and 20% of proceeds will go towards reproductive rights efforts through the National Network of Abortion Funds. // 7 p.m., $15, AA

Wednesday 7/13: Foxing at World Cafe Live

Impressionistic post-emo outfit Foxing is bringing their fourth LP Draw Down the Moon to Philly this Wednesday at World Cafe Live. Having explored more experimental avenues on previous releases, the St. Louis band recentered on Moon, pursuing a bolder and broadly accessible modern rock sound that will doubtless shake the walls of an intimate space like World Cafe Live’s music hall. // $18, 8 p.m., AA

Wednesday 7/13: CJ Mills and Sophie Coran at City Winery

It’s a double-header of top-notch Philly singer-songwriters at City Winery’s Loft this Wednesday. Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and loop artist CJ Mills released her latest textured bop “Try” last year, and it compliments her previous cuts like the groove-oriented “Focused” terrifically; Sophie Coran’s 2021 album Space strikes a balance between classic jazz-informed songwriting and shimmering future pop. // 8 p.m., $15, 21+

Wednesday 7/13: Anika Pyle at Johnny Brenda’s

Punk-rooted singer-songwriter Anika Pyle is leaving her beloved South Philadelphia this summer to head out west and resettle in her native Denver, but she’s playing one last show as a Philadelphian and east coast resident this Wednesday, when she opens for Kevin Devine at Johnny Brenda’s. Pyle released the terrific songs-and-poetry collection Wild River last year, and her warmth, compassion, and positive outlook will be missed in the local music community. // 8 p.m., $22, 21+

Wednesday 7/13: Bikini Kill at Franklin Music Hall

(UPDATE: Bikini Kill’s Philadelphia concert has been postponed due to a positive COVID test in the band’s camp. Information on a rescheduled date will be coming soon.) Riot grrrl originators Bikini Kill bring their long-awaited reunion tour to Philadelphia this Wednesday for a headlining show at Franklin Music Hall. Frontperson Kathleen Hanna has been a force on the indie music scene for three decades — she’s also led Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin, and brought insightful takes to countless music documentaries — but seeing her return to the propulsive feminist punk band that started it all is a rare treat. // 8 p.m., $45, AA

Thursday 7/14: Death Cab for Cutie at Riverfront Park

Long-running modern rock outfit Death Cab For Cutie is releasing its latest album, Asphalt Meadows, in September, and though the official tour in support of it doesn’t begin until fall, they’re warming up fans with a summer run that comes to Central PA this week. Seeing Ben Gibbard and co at Harrisburg University’s stellar concert series at Riverfront Park sounds good; getting an early taste of new material sounds better. // 8 p.m., $50, AA

Thursday 7/14: The Warhawks and The Mary Veils at The Oval XP

There are ample arguments for catching a free concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway this week, beginning with this double shot of trippy hard rock on Thursday. Gloucester City bruisers The Warhawks team up with prismatic Fishtowners The Mary Veils for what’s sure to be a loud and cosmic night at at The Oval XP. // 7:30 p.m., free, AA

Friday 7/15: LEV at The Royal

In the early 20-teens, singer-songwriter Josh Levandoski and his band The New Motels brought spirited, Squeeze-inspired indie rock to venues all around Philly. The recent batch of singles under the name LEV is the first music the songwriter has released since that time, and their heady and introspective tones give the project a mature feeling in the line of mid-period Wilco and Radiohead. But don’t get too cozy; driving rhythms and catchy riffs of a song like “Napalm of Late 95” will bring on your feet if you let them. LEV plays new-ish Glenside venue The Royal on Friday night. // 8 p.m., $12, AA

Friday 7/15: Femi Kuti and The Positive Force at The Queen

Festival favorite Femi Kuti and The Positive Force makes a couple regional stops this week. Before performing at The Mann on Saturday night, the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti will play an intimate headlining set at The Queen in Wilmington. Passing the music down another generation still, his own son Made Kuti joins him and The Positive Force on this tour. // 8 p.m., $30, AA

Friday 7/15: Dave Matthews Band at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

What is summer without a night or two with Dave Matthews Band playing an outdoor amphitheater concert for a night or two? The long-running Charlottesville jammers settle into the Camden, New Jersey music pavilion on Friday and Saturday night. // $48.50, 7:30 p.m., AA

Friday 7/15: Arthur Thomas and The Funkitorium at The Oval XP

Catch some Funky Friday vibes this week when local favorites Arthur Thomas and The Funkitorium bring the party to The Oval XP. Their latest single — appropriately titled “Summer Time Funk” — is their most direct fusion of hip-hop and funk to date. // 8 p.m., free, AA

Saturday 7/16: RedTouchBlack at Johnny Brenda’s

Dramatic and doomy, hard-hitting and heady, Philly heavy rockers RedTouchBlack return to the Johnny Brenda’s stage this Saturday, where they’ll join Lady HD and Kid Souf for a wild and eclectic bill. // 9 p.m., $15, 21+

Saturday 7/16: Shady Grove Music Festival

The best kept secret in your summer festival schedule, Arden Gild Hall’s annual Shady Grove Music Festival returns this weekend with a stacked lineup. Delaware-aligned rootsy collective Cosmic Guilt headlines, with some rock and roll care of Eyeball and Kelsey Cork and the Swigs, your second chance to see The Mary Veils this week, and a lot more. // 12 p.m., $29, AA

Saturday 7/16: The Bouncing Souls at The Stone Pony

Jersey’s own punk rock true believers The Bouncing Souls have two regional gigs this week, and Millersville’s Phantom Power will be a terrifically hot and sweaty place to catch their live energy — still strong after 30 years — on Thursday night. But there’s something uniquely special about the prospect of seeing a beloved Jersey band on the Jersey shore on a Saturday night in July, so if The Stone Pony summer stage sounds right to you, go with the flow and get ready to scream along to “The Ballad of Johnny X” and beyond with a couple thousand of your new best friends. // 4 p.m., $45, AA

Saturday 7/16: Velvet Rouge at 118 North

Velvet Rouge is the new name that Philly hard rock combo Zo is now going by as a signal of solidarity with women in the music industry. Under the leadership of singer-guitarist and songwriter Gina Costanzo, they bring gritty and mesmerizing bluesy rock tones to your speakers. Saturday they play Wayne spot 118 North, with Goldpark headlining. // 8:30 p.m. $15, AA

Saturday 7/16: Queen of Jeans at The Oval XP

Philly indie pop crew Queen of Jeans emerged from lockdown with a batch of remarkable new songs recorded with Will Yip and released on his Memory Music label as the Hiding In Place EP. Cuts like “Why Hide” go hard and mix wonderfully with the band’s back-catalog, so much so that another trip to The Oval XP is in order this week. // 8 p.m., free, AA