We’re crossing the halfway threshold of the year this week, and though the month is winding down into a long holiday weekend, there’s a lot that we’re excited about. Here are ten concerts to see in the next seven days, all around Philly. Get details and information at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page.
Sunday 6/25: Natalie Merchant at NJPAC
On tour for her recent loungey and finessed record Keep Your Courage, music industry lifer Natalie Merchant plays the 3,400 capacity New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Sunday. If you were lucky enough to be here for Merchant’s NON-COMM performance in May, where she sang accompanied only by the piano, know this full-band set will be much grander, and closer to what you hear on the record. // 7 p.m., $49.50 and up, AA
Sunday 6/25: Cub Sport at MilkBoy
The Shamir-assisted “High For The Summer” is the latest in a line of uplifting, emotive pop songs for sun-kissed seasons by the Brisbane four-piece Cub Sport. But their music goes so much deeper, as we heard on the melancholic introspection of their earlier records like 2017’s Bats and 2020’s spellbinding Like Nirvana, not to mention this year’s phenomenal Jesus At The Gay Bar. The lush, gorgeous record is fueled by electronic dance energy, house rhythms and textures, and themes of queer joy and being your most authentic self. The Aussie band’s tour vlogs have been a tremendous amount of fun to follow, and they make their first Philly visit since the pre-pandemic days at MilkBoy tonight. // 7:30 p.m., $17, 21+
Monday 6/26: Celisse at Wiggins Park
Blues rock singer-guitarist Celisse lit up the stage at the Mann last summer, opening for and jamming with Brandi Carlile, and she’ll join us this fall for the XPoNential Music Festival. In between, you can see her for free at Camden County’s Sunset Series at Wiggins Park this monday when she’ll shred into the sunset. // 8 p.m., free, AA
Tuesday 6/27: Diana Ross at Hershey Theatre
If iconic singer Diana Ross is on your concert bucket list, proceed directly to Central Pennsylvania this Tuesday where she’ll headline the gorgeous Hershey Theatre. The Motown star turned disco deity and actress released Thank You, her 25th studio album, in 2021, and the record found her exploring a house pop sound through collaborations with Jack Antanoff and Tayla Parx. Experience that, and travel back through “Upside Down,” and further back to “Where Did Our Love Go” in what’s sure to be a era-spanning night. // 7:30 p.m., $95 and up, AA
Tuesday 6/27: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at Upper Merion Concerts Under The Stars
From Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN to a little gazebo in King of Prussia…guitar shredder and station favorite Christone “Kingfish” Ingram performs for the “Under The Stars” series presented by Ardmore Music Hall. His performance will undoubtedly electrify the quaint scene. // 7 p.m., $30, AA
Wednesday 6/28: Sparks at The Keswick Theatre
Siblings Ron and Russell Mael have made groundbreaking music that changes the shape of music for over 50 years now. From their iconic third album, 1974’s Kimono In My House, to this year’s The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte, their 25th release, Sparks has built a career on music that is unusual, theatrical, incredibly catchy, and with genuine hit potential. They’ve also laid the groundwork for generations of artists, and you can hear their DNA in artists from Devo to Depeche Mode to The Magnetic Fields to The Postal Service. See the originators in person this Wednesday at Glenside’s Keswick Theatre. // 8 p.m., $35 and up, AA
Thursday 6/29: Low Cut Connie and Chill Moody at The Mann Downstage
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at The Mann this Thursday night. Rock outfit Low Cut Connie and rapper Chill Moody have a special set planned where together they’ll showcase the intersection of hip-hop, rock, and visual art (by Gianni Lee and Made By Murdic). Get tickets now for this one-time-only event. // 8 p.m., $37. AA
Friday 6/30: Lito & The Shepherds at Johnny Brenda’s
New Jersey’s Lito & The Shepherds bring a fun-loving, hazy, surf-rock set to Johnny Brenda’s this Friday. The band celebrates the release of their latest LP Easy Peasy with special guests Echo Kid and Perils. // 8 p.m., $15, 21+
Friday 6/30: Christina Ward at Ortlieb’s
Bucks County singer-songwriter Christina Ward has a pensive, reflective, yet surprisingly whimsical sound in the spirit of dream pop as well as introspective aughties singer-songwriters like Laura Viers and Jenny Lewis. Live, her songs transform with heady prog and math rock technical skill – Ward’s a low key shredder, and her bandmates (including Good Old War’s Tim Arnold on percussion) keep up at a high level. Take a journey with them Friday at Ortlieb’s. // 8:30 p.m., $12, 21+
Saturday 7/1: Jupiter and Okwess at Arden Gild Hall
Delaware’s Arden Gild Hall attracts a variety of worldly and eclectic acts, including the fantastic Jupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess. With African and Latin influences, the XPNFest vets play music driven by rhythm and filled out with a blend of electronic and funk instrumentation. Come energized and ready to move; arrive early for a set by recent Key Studio Sessions stars Hennessey Bonfire. // 5:30 p.m., $28, AA
