10 concerts to see this week, including Janelle Monae, The Breeders, XPoNential Music Festival and more

Here are ten concerts to see in the next seven days, all around Philly. For tickets and more information, head to our Concerts and Events page!

Sunday 9/17: New Cumberland Music + Film Festival ft. Shawan Rice

The New Cumberland Music + Film Festival is a brand-new performing arts event centering around the impact of music both in film and in all of our daily lives. With concert stages, film viewings, and various buskers all throughout Downtown New Cumberland, this three-day festival will be taking over town, celebrating the additive voice music gives to media and to us as listeners. On Sunday, Harrisburg-born soul vocalist Shawan Rice will be headlining the West Shore Theatre to close out the festival, supported by West & Ward. You won’t want to miss this grand finale, so make sure to grab tickets while you still can. // 7 p.m., $10 and up, AA

Monday 9/18: Janelle Monáe at The Met Philly

Janelle Monáe is bringing The Age of Pleasure to The Met this Monday, accompanied by Jidenna, Flyana Boss, and Nana Kwabena. As a celebration of love, empowerment, and sexuality, their newest album reinstates their ability to bring forth a sense of fantasy and magic within innately human concepts, with stage presence and pyrotechnics that further affirm their creative excellence. As a prolific singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, and advocate, Monáe continually raises the bar for entertainers of our time by challenging societal issues and taboos while oh-so-nonchalantly marching to the beat of their own drum (a groovy one, at that). If you like R&B, stunning visuals, and grand, uplifting on-stage phenomena, be sure to check out this show. // 8 p.m., $59.22 and up (verified resale), AA

Tuesday 9/19: Brandi Carlile at Citizens Bank Park

It’s been just over a year since our friend Brandi Carlile played a thrilling, sold-out show at the Mann Center. On the road this summer with singer-songwriter pop star P!nk, she’s in an even bigger venue on her current Philly stop. Tuesday Carlile plays the direct support slot on P!ink’s Summer Carnival tour (night one is very sold out), and material from her celebrated 2021 album In These Silent Days will sound properly massive in this setting. Don’t forget about the Doylestown-raised headliner, either, who this year released her solid ninth studio album Trustfall which will light up the night with a mix of dance, pop, rock, and R&B. // 6:30 p.m., $29.50 and up, AA

Tuesday 9/19: Ray La Montagne at The Met Philly

This Tuesday, Ray LaMontagne will be stopping by Philly on his Just Passing Through tour, where he’ll be putting his extensive discography on full display for fans of raw, roots-inspired songwriting. He recently followed up his 2020 album Monovision with two new singles, “Broken Sky” and “It Takes Me Back”, teasing what’s to come after nearly a decade of stand-out folk releases. You can catch him at The Met this week, and make sure to stay tuned for more from this New Hampshire-born nomadic songster. // 7:30 p.m., $39.50 and up, AA

Wednesday 9/20: The Breeders at The Fillmore Philly

Just days after playing this year’s Riot Fest in Chicago, The Breeders are heading to The Fillmore this week with Screaming Females in honor of their 1993 album Last Splash’s 30th anniversary. The band, formed in Ohio by ex-Pixies bassist Kim Deal, has been alive and kicking since the early ‘90s, paving the way for and inspiring future generations of femme-fronted alternative rock and grunge. They’ve got a slew of shows coming up, both on their own accord and by way of Olivia Rodrigo, who they will be supporting on select dates of the pop icon’s 2024 tour. It’s clear that The Breeders have made a distinct, Vans sneaker-sized mark on the alternative scene, and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon – their latest single “Go Man Go” is out now, as well as tickets to Wednesday’s show. // 8 p.m., $39.50, AA

Wednesday 9/20: Bombino at City Winery Philly

Publications have named Goumour Almocta, better known as Bombino, as “the world’s best guitarist” and called him “a sultan of shred” based off his scorching desert rock. The Niger-rooted songwriter and guitarist battles the unstable political climate in his home country through musical protest, singing of peace and love for his nation’s people even when faced with a direct ban on guitar playing. (The guitar was viewed as a symbol of Tuareg rebellion by the Niger government and banned from 2007 until 2010 when a short-lived peace was reached.) Bombino was named one of NPR’s best discoveries of the year following his international debut in 2011 and his third album, Azel, was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 2019 Grammys, the first ever nomination for an artist from Niger. On tour for his latest record, Sahel, Bombino will be at Philly’s City Winery this Wednesday night. // 7:30 p.m., $25 and up, 21+

Thursday 9/21: The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie at The Mann

Thursday at The Mann is all about Ben Gibbard. As the frontman and songwriter for both Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, Gibbard orchestrated a joint tour for both of his musical endeavors featuring a mix of classic Transatlanticism alt-rock and the indietronica hits of Give Up. Death Cab for Cutie released an acoustic reimagining of their 2022 record Asphalt Meadows in March of this year and dropped a new single “An Arrow In The Wall” back in August. Meanwhile, The Postal Service has been on definite hiatus since 2003’s Give Up. Despite the success of the record, the pair of Gibbard and Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello followed the advice of the album title, only reuniting for the LP’s 10th anniversary and now for its 20 year reunion tour. // 7:30 p.m., $118 and up (verified resale), AA

Thursday 9/21: Judy Collins at Mayo Performing Arts Center

Folk singer-songwriter Judy Collins has had one of the longest spanning careers in music. She’s been going strong since the proverbial “cooling of the hippies” folk boom in the early 1960’s, hitting it big in 67’ with her landmark album Wildflowers and continuing to amaze audiences with her angelic folk tunes to this day. Collins saw a surprise resurgence nearly seven decades into her career thanks to her 2019 album Winter Stories, which charted at #1 upon release and saw her draw influence from bluegrass and country in addition to her folksy roots. Showing no signs of stopping, Collins comes to the Mayo Performing Arts Center this Thursday. // 7:30 p.m., $49 and up, AA

Friday 9/22 through Sunday 9/24: XPoNential Music Festival at Wiggins Park!

XPoNential Fest 2023 is finally here! This Friday kicks off a weekend full of amazing music with headliners including Margo Price, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Hold Steady, Tegan & Sara, Josh Ritter, and a stacked bill beyond that. Love local music? Don’t miss Moustapha Noumbissi, Julia Pratt, Don McCloskey, Mobbluz, and Velvet Rouge. Want to discover new faves from around the country? Asheville’s Wednesday is not to be missed, nor is New England’s pop ensemble Sammy Rae and the Friends. The whole festival takes place in lovely Wiggins Park, which you can get to via car, public transportation (PATCO and the Riverline), and boat (the RiverLink Ferry). Celebrate 30 years of XPN Festival with us and get your passes now! // 4:30 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday and Sunday, $75 and up, AA

Saturday 9/23: Bully at The First Unitarian Church

Obviously we can’t imagine you’d want to be anywhere else this weekend but at Wiggins Park, celebrating with us at the XPoNential Music Festival. But if you had to dip early to head to another concert, Bully would be the one to do it for. The Nashville band has been working hard for the past decade, and their fourth LP Lucky For You is their best offering to date. More than that, it’s one of the year’s best records, mixing up fiery hooks with gritty post-grunge pop melodies in a way that rages but has the most fun doing so. The band’s NON-COMM set this spring was only 17 minutes long but was one for the ages, and this Saturday’s headlining stop in the Church basement will warm things up for the start of autumn. // 8 p.m., $25, AA