13 concerts to see this week including Nick Hakim, Neko Case, Stereo League and more

Here are 13 concerts to see in the next seven days, all around Philly. Get tickets and more information at the WXPN Concerts and Events page.

Sunday 1/22: Branford Marsalis at The Pullo Center

Legendary saxophonist and band leader Branford Marsalis heads up his quartet at York’s The Pullo Center this Sunday. Marsalis’ international legacy includes three Grammy awards, four decades of improvisational jazz, and most recently scoring work like in the 2020 Netflix biopic Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. // 7:30 p.m., $49, AA

Sunday 1/22: Dan Bern at 118 North

Songwriter Dan Bern was championed by idol Ani Di Franco for a reason: his blunt and quirky lyrics – think cheerful Daniel Johnston – and Dylan-esque phrasing are unflinchingly unique and transparently authentic. It’s this formula that makes Bern well-suited to write children’s albums, where this writer personally discovered some of his most poignant compositions. But don’t hold that against him; enjoy the purity of it all when he plays 118 North this Sunday. // 7 p.m., $10, AA

Tuesday 1/24: Nick Hakim at World Cafe Live

Progressive R&B singer-songwriter Nick Hakim’s latest, the boundary-breaking COMETA, was one of the buzzworthy albums of 2022. It’s sleepy, but deeply groovy and a little sexy. The dark cave that is the Music Hall at World Cafe Live will suit Hakim’s music well. // 8 p.m., $37, AA

Wednesday 1/25: Neko Case at Musikfest Cafe

Eclectic and eccentric singer-songwriter, and a favorite of WXPN, Neko Case is at Bethlehem’s mid-sized (and often seated) venue among the city’s iconic Steel Plant stacks for this mellow mid-week concert. Get there on time to hear opener Indigo Sparke perform songs from her latest Hysteria, which the artist describes as “a diary built for big stages.” // 7:30 p.m., $45, AA

Thursday 1/26: Barney Cortez at Johnny Brenda’s

Local songwriter Barney Cortez has been hard at work on his most recent record, Hullabaloo, for perhaps a lifetime. Shifting between pop, indie, and grunge influences, Cortez’s music over the years has just about explored everything. Hullabaloo is an organized synthesis of that exploration, which is upbeat and striving toward timelessness. // 8 p.m., $12, 21+

Thursday 1/26: Emily Drinker at Lansdowne Folk Club

With a new album under her belt and a stellar performance at the Philly Bowie Week tribute A Night Of Stardust in her rearview, pop-rock powerhouse Emily Drinker plays Lansdowne Folk Club this Thursday for the club’s special 30 year anniversary. Come celebrate with an entertaining duo performance by Drinker backed by her bandmate Mykk Hoffman, who are sure to be proudly featuring songs from new Starting to Feel. // 7:30 p.m., $20, AA

Friday 1/27: Taylor Kelly at Kimmel Cultural Campus

Whatever you’re doing Friday, you in all likelihood can start your evening out with indie pop powerhouse Taylor Kelly. She’ll play a free gig in the Commonwealth Plaza of the Kimmel Center for the South Broad Street venue’s Happy Hour Sessions. Philly DJ royalty Lil’ Dave of Eavesdrop Radio fame sets the tone, followed by Kelly playing a set of songs from her captivating 2022 release All I Need. If we only see a fraction of the energy she brought to her recent gig opening for St. Paul and the Broken Bones, it will be a great way to begin the weekend. // 4 p.m., Free, AA

Friday 1/27: Stereo League at Johnny Brenda’s

You can’t go wrong with this all-Philly lineup at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday. Stereo League played an impressive Free At Noon not too long ago dipped in retro R&B and newly featuring versatile vocalist Turquoise Cobb joining frontperson Alex Savoth at the mic. Equally impressive is soulful singer-songwriter Ajay, who wowed us with his set opening for Thee Sacred Souls last fall. But don’t be late, since Moustapha Noumbissi will open the show with his eclectic sound that encompasses the bright pop of The Beatles and the emotive anthems of Michael Kiwanuka. // 8 p.m., $15, 21+

Friday 1/27: Ikechi Onyenaka at City Winery

Chops, chops, and more chops will be on display when composer and band leader Ikechi Onyenaka headlines The Loft at City Winery Friday night. A heady fusion of progressive funk and jazz jams, Onyenaka’s 2022 album City Dreams stretches out to songs that mostly blow beyond the ten minute mark, giving his vastly talented bandmates their time to shine. // 7:30 p.m., $12, 21+

Friday 1/27: G Love & Special Sauce at TLA

Philly hero G. Love is once again back with his old friends and bandmates in Special Sauce and they return to their South Street stomping grounds this Friday for a headlining show at the TLA. // 8 p.m., $37, AA

Friday 1/27: Bells at Zoetropolis

A gig from impressionistic Lancaster post-rock outfit Bells is a little bit like sighting a sasquatch: rare, mysterious, unclear when it will happen again. So in that spirit, make sure Central Pennsylvania’s lovers of moving instrumental music make their way to Zoetropolis this Friday. Bells’ most recent album is 2018’s Coloring In The Sun, and Tigers + Thieves and Thoughts on Leaving open the show. // 8 p.m., $15, AA

Saturday 1/28: Brittany Ann Tranbaugh at Godfrey Daniels

Returning to activity last year for the first time in a decade, singer-songwriter Brittany Ann Tranbaugh released the impressive Quarter-Life Crisis Haircut, which was packed with catchy songs and clever lyrics that ran the gamut from funny to vulnerable. After following up the project with a live EP, Tranbaugh plays a couple area shows this week, including a Saturday night gig at Godfrey Daniels; Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light open. // 8 p.m., $23.50, AA

Saturday 1/28: Echo Kid at Tellus 360

One of the best live bands in the Philly indie rock scene is lighting up Lancaster this Saturday night. Echo Kid, whose heady and lively Fever Dream was a 2022 highlight, plays a late set at the King Street music hub Tellus 360. Its low ticket price gives you all the more reason not to stay home. // 10:30 p.m., $5, 21+