The spring concert season continues to be hot and heavy, and this week there are sort of “sold out” shows you can still get tickets to, and a couple very Sold Out shows that you’ll have to experience vicariously through your friends who got their tickets sooner. We’re talking about 100 gecs at Franklin Music Hall, and Indigo Girls at the Appell Center’s Strand Theatre, which have no tickets available, and haven’t for weeks. But there’s plenty going on; here are 18 concerts to see in the next seven days, all around Philly. Tickets and information can be found at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page.
Sunday 4/23: Nickel Creek at The Fillmore
Newgrass icons Nickel Creek are back with Celebrants, their first new album in a decade, and one they told World Cafe was inspired by the community that Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins have connected with over the years. They make their first of two Philly stops this spring (look out, NON-COMM) tonight at the Fillmore. // 7 p.m., $41.50, AA
Sunday 4/23: Michigander at The Foundry
Emotive Nashville outfit Michigander – the project of singer and songwriter Jason Singer – recently raised the Free At Noon roof with soaring, uplifting modern rock. They’re back tonight to headline at The Foundry with songs from the new EP It Will Never Be The Same. // 8 p.m., $18, AA
Sunday 4/23: Scott McMicken and THHE EVER-EXPANDING at TLA
Speaking of Free At Noon, Dr. Dog’s Scott McMicken and his solo band THE EVER-EXPANDING killed at this past week’s midday concert. Their everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to eclectic psychedelic folk keeps crowds on their toes, delightfully so, and The TLA tonight is the perfect place for an encore. // 8 p.m., $22, AA
Monday 4/24: Pouty at PhilaMOCA
Philly native Rachel Gagliardi has been based in California for much of the past decade, making music and starting a family and being a generally creative person on the left coast. But she returns to her roots often, like when she made a new album with her band Pouty and long running Philly DIY scene producers Evan Bernard and Chris Baglivo. She’ll play some of the new songs Monday at PhilaMOCA, supporting Shana Cleveland of La Luz. // 7:30, $15, AA
Tuesday 4/25: Overcoats at Johnny Brenda’s
Once again, it’s a good week for recent Free At Noon stars headlining in Philly. Overcoats played an acoustic set a couple months back to preview their new record. Tuesday we’ll hear it in all its synth-dipped, dancefloor-ready glory at Johnny Brenda’s. // 8 p.m., $18, 21+
Tuesday 4/25: John Kim Faye at Ardmore Music Hall
After decades fronting modern rock bands like The Caufileds, Ike, and Those Meddling Kids, Philly music vet John Kim Faye has put his story to the page. The Yin And Yang Of It All: Rock And Roll Memories From The Cusp As Told By A Mixed-Up Mixed-Race Kid is out now, and it finds Faye not just reflecting on his time in bands, but on themes of family, his Korean-Irish heritage, pop culture, and the very specific experience of growing up in Delaware in the 70s and 80s. He celebrates the book release by playing with The Caulfields, as well as many of his other longtime musical collaborators – and new ones, like Sug Daniels – Tuesday at Ardmore Music Hall. // 7:30 p.m., $18, 21+
Tuesday 4/25: Father John Misty at The Stone Pony
A favorite of cynics and sentimentalists alike, Josh Tillman’s Father John Misty released his gorgeous fifth studio album Chloë and the Next 20th Century last year. Another lap of touring in support of it comes to the Jersey Shore Tuesday night, and though face-value tickets are sold out, you can still get to the gig through LiveNation’s verified resale at a bit of a markup. // 7 p.m., $75 (verified resale), AA
Tuesday 4/25: Fatoumata Diawara at Williams Center For The Arts
Malian singer-songwriter and charismatic performer Fatoumata Diawara graces the Leigh Valley’s Williams Center For The Arts in Easton tonight. Her latest album, LONDON KO, is out next month and was co-produced by Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, with whom she previously worked on “Désolé” from the multimedia pop band’s Song Machine project. // 8 p.m., $29, AA
Wednesday 4/26: Sweet Juice Fest Fundraiser at The Dolphin
Held at Germantown’s pastoral Rigby Mansion, the Sweet Juice Summer Fest was one of last year’s most positive musical events. The queer- and femme-centered day-long show is returning for 2023, and a fundraiser for the event happens this Wednesday at The Dolphin featuring performances by co-organizers Sug Daniels and The Lunar Year, as well as Justmadnice and Popcorn Daddy. // 8 p.m., $12, 21+
Wednesday 4/26: Elizabeth Moen at MilkBoy
Chicago singer-songwriter Elizabeth Moen takes her rootsy retro rock stylings east this week for a show at MilkBoy on Wednesday night. Her latest album, Whatever You Aren’t, dropped in 2022 and it’s mix of classic Nashville and and midwestern DIY rock in the spirit of Sarah Shook and The Disarmers and Those Darlins. // 8 p.m., $14, 21+
Thursday 4/27: Screaming Females at Union Transfer
If raging on a Thursday night is your thing, head no further than 11th and Spring Garden, where Screaming Females will return to the Union Transfer stage in celebration of their latest album, Desire Pathway. It sprints, hits hard, and soars in step with the best of the New Jersey heroes back-catalog, and the band has tapped Iron Chic and Eye Flys for support. // 7 p.m., $18, AA
Friday 4/28: Carla Gamble at World Cafe Live
Funky soul singer Carla Gamble just curated a stellar Voices Of Philly Soul – Ladies Edition showcase at World Cafe Live last month, and she’s back this Friday to headline the venue’s Lounge stage and celebrate the release of her new EP. // 8 p.m., $20, AA
Friday 4/28: Built to Spill at Union Transfer
Doug Martsch is the singer-guitarist, songwriter and only permanent member of revered indie rock outfit Built to Spill, and for the past few years he’s been backed by bassist Melanie Radford, and drummer Teresa Esguerra. The trio comes to Philly Friday for their second time at Union Transfer, in support of last year’s When the Wind Forgets Your Name. // 8 p.m., $30, AA
Friday 4/28: Arnetta Johnson at SOUTH
Camden trumpeter Arnetta Johnson fuses her music with tones of progressive jazz, R&B, trap and hip-hop, and vibrant marching band energy. She calls it disruptive jazz, best exemplified by last year’s “Move Round” single, and this weekend she plays four sets at SOUTH Jazz Cafe, beginning with two shows on Friday and Saturday night. // 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $35, 21+
Saturday 4/29: Placebo at Franklin Music Hall
Brit rock outfit Placebo last year released Never Let Me Go, their first album in nine years. The NME called it a return to form for the band, which has worked in various forms of glam-tinged modern rock and atmospheric punk in its three decade career, and they headline Franklin Music Hall on Saturday. Poppy Jean Crawford opens. // $39.50, 8:30 p.m., AA
Saturday 4/29: Lizzy McAlpine at The Fillmore
The meteoric rise of Narberth’s Lizzie McAlpine continues this Saturday when the singer-songwriter and pop star headlines The Fillmore Philadelphia in support of her new album five seconds flat, a meditation on various forms of heartbreak and loss – including the passing of her father, which is reflected on in the moving song “chemtrails.” Face value tickets for the show have sold out, but dedicated fans can still scoop their admission through LiveNation’s verified resale. // 8 p.m., $160 (verified resale), AA
Saturday 4/29: The Heavy Heavy at Brooklyn Bowl
Led by Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, the Brighton, UK-based band The Heavy Heavy has spent the past year making its mark stateside with delightfully careening retro psychedelia. They’re WXPN’s Artist to Watch for the month of April, and they headline Brooklyn Bowl Saturday night. // 7 p.m., $20, 21+
Saturday 4/29: The Wallflowers at The Strand Theatre
Jakob Dylan and his long-running band The Wallflowers returned from a nine-year hiatus in 2021, releasing their seventh studio album Exit Wounds, a stirring set of music that draws on similar 80s rock influences as The War On Drugs. See them play it Saturday night in Central Pennsylvania at The Appell Center’s Strand Theatre. // 7:30 p.m., $42.75 and up, AA
