From Julio to Jay-Z … The talent playing Atlantic City this weekend is truly an absurd mix that spans half a century, crossing many demographics. First you’ve got Julio Iglesias Friday and Saturday at Caesars. I’ve gotta be honest, I have no idea what Julio sings or what the draw is, but he’s said to have played more than 5,000 shows throughout his career, so there must be somebody out there who is his Biggest Fan. Then you’ve got Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. Unlike the dynamic duo’s recent Philly performance, lots of tickets remain. In a bizarre blast from the past, ex-clothes-shedding Debbie Gibson — oh, sorry, Deborah Gibson (remember her Playboy spread?) — begins a three-week run at Harrah’s on Sunday. And the incomparable-on-so-many-levels Dolly Parton plays her rescheduled (due to, er, back pain) Borgata gig Saturday night. Simultaneously in the Borgata, there’s Tracy Morgan. Even if he just puts 30 Rock re-runs on the projector, its bound to be funny.

And they’re off … Saturday is the 134th Kentucky Derby. Start the day off right at McGillin’s Olde Ale House with $3 mint juleps. If the kids are tagging along, precluding the consumption of copious amounts of bourbon, head to Franklin Square, where Philly’s own equestrian heroes Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex have been immortalized as carousel horses (for $60,000!!!). From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., every kid that rides will receive a first-place ribbon. Finally, everyone actually wins.

At last, a reason to hang out under I-95 … I love Zoe Strauss. Her photography is real Philadelphia: mean, gritty and honest. So there’s no better place for a Zoe Strauss exhibit than in South Philly, under I-95. Front and Mifflin from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Her work is so real, it’s realer than real. It’s unreal. Just, um, check it out.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you … A lot of people are confused. This Sunday is not Mother’s Day. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. Which gives you a whole extra week to completely forget. This year, skip the Godiva and opt for John & Kira’s locally made chocolates. You have to order by May 6th for delivery, and you don’t want to send them belated, right?

After years spent touring other zip codes and scoring movies (in both the acting and musical sense), these not-so-prodigal sons of Philadelphia are back. You can catch their mix of folk, rock, soul, and country on Friday at the Zellerbach at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m ($25 to $60 tickets are available). We caught up with Michael and the other guy to see what they have brewing in the studio. — Cheryl McEvoy

What’s your favorite part about playing in Philly?
Michael: Well, it’s been a long time. I’m not sure how many years. We played out in Phoenixville last summer, but right in Philly it’s been six or seven years.
Kevin: It’s always that hometown feeling … We don’t have as much family here, but we still have pretty strong ties. We still have a real fondness for the city and the people, so it’s fun to keep on playing.
Michael: Kevin wrote a song [for the new album] called “New Year’s Day,” and it’s about the Mummers.

(more…)

For those about to rock, I give you Georgia’s hard-loving, hard-living, oft-compared-to-Skynyrd Drive-By Truckers and their big, bad sound driven by lots of whiskey and not one, not two, but three guitars.

They pay a visit to the Fillmore on South Street tonight in support of their new, critically acclaimed album, Brighter Than Creations Dark. 9 p.m., $24.

In from Nashville, Johnny Cash and June Carter will play a benefit concert in Philadelphia this week. Well, kinda. When local Johnny Cash tribute artist David Stone (pictured) performs on Friday, you probably won’t know the difference. On the phone last night, in his smoky, calculated drawl, Stone explained the difference between a tribute band and an impersonator, and probably wanted to break my legs when I brought up Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

What’s up on Friday?
It’ll be me and June Carter playing. We’re going to be doing all the duets between 1965 and 1975. You can count on “Jackson,” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.” Soroptimist International of Indian Rock is a club that helps young women get back on their feet and provides scholarships for their education. They approached us and we felt it was a good cause.

You call yourself a “representation” of Johnny Cash. What does that mean?
We provide an authentic note-for-note reproduction, complete with costume changes and authentic instruments. We keep it in character and do it with dignity. For those who haven’t seen him, we’re the next closest thing.

You’re not an impersonator?
If you look at Elvis impersonators, they give great indignity to the person their impersonating. The moves that they do are grossly exaggerated and overused. We stand for who these people were as people and what they stood for: a way of life, of hard times and hope. You’ll never see us marrying people at the Johnny Cash Chapel in Vegas.

So, no worries about a the stigma that comes with being an impersonator?
I defy anyone to look at our show and call me an impersonator. That type of person wouldn’t come to see us anyway. Screw ‘em.

How accurate is the stage show?
If something didn’t sound right, we’ll go back to the record and listen to it again. Sometimes, that even means practicing the mistakes. We found out that Johnny Cash didn’t put his guitar over his back as much as we thought he did. And there’s one suit that we got rid of because it wasn’t the right shade of black.

What did you think of Walk the Line?
I think Joaquin Phoenix did a good job at representing a very complicated character. But I don’t think he sounds much like Johnny Cash. They did a passable job on the music.

And what about Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story?
I’ve seen the trailer and I think it was … I’m not going to say. I don’t know … I’m just not going to say.

Why did you become Johnny Cash?
The rule in our family growing up was that you had to take a year of piano lessons. A minister came and played a guitar, and I asked my parents, “If the minister can play guitar, why can’t I?” The Johnny Cash Show was on television at that time and I was taken with him. Here was this great, big, tall badass. He flashed that big spiritual smile and said “I’m Johnny Cash.”

Have you ever had an audience like the one Cash played to at Folsom or San Quentin Prison?
We’re actually in talks with San Quentin to play the 40th anniversary show for the prisoners there in February 2009. I just talked to the assistant warden this morning. There’s a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross.

David Stone: The Johnny Cash Experience, March 28th at Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland. $45; for tickets, call 215-357-8670. Benefits the Soroptimist International of Indian Rock.

I really don’t understand how this whole ticket sale thing works — seats keep popping up on ComcastTix for tonight’s Bon Jovi show at the Wachovia Center (last night’s sold out), from $129.50-apiece floor seats (including pairs) to inexplicable $16.50 seats, which is less than the suggested retail price of Jon Bon’s newest CD.

If you’ve been craving the much-rumored-about Led Zeppelin reunion, you’re going to have to wait until singer Robert Plant finishes his tour with the folksy Alison Krauss, featuring songs from their critically acclaimed and very unexpected new CD, Raising Sand. Tickets for their June 8th show at the Borgata just went on sale at 10 a.m.

I guess some people do have a bit of disposable income … Not so long ago, the idea of driving to Atlantic City for a concert not featuring an almost-dead person was absurd. But tonight alone you’ve got Carrie Underwood/Keith Urban at Boardwalk Hall and Alanis/Matchbox Twenty at the Borgata, both of which are utterly sold out, though your friendly neighborhood scalper is surely well-stocked. Should you prefer to see the almost-dead, the the Commodores are at Trump Plaza. Well, actually, it’s the Commodores without Lionel Richie,, so I’m not sure what you call that, other than totally not worth the $50 ticket price.

Won’t this false holiday ever end? … It’s possible that you, like a lot of people, don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day on Valentine’s Day because you know that’s for suckers. So I asked Philly Mag super-intern Andrea Carayiannas (we just call her “Andrea”) to come up with some Valentine-specific suggestions for the sensibly belated among you, and here’s her short list: Hunky New York jazz vocalist Jack Donahue on unrequited love at the Art Museum’s Valentine’s Cabaret; nudity and adult situations abound in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love at Plays & Players; and, uh, for the “knotty couple,” as Andrea puts it, adult-oriented Passional Boutique in Queen Village offers a two-hour “Bound for Pleasure” workshop. Hey, we don’t make the news, we just report it.

Wait a second — it’s not First Friday … In case you feel completely disconnected from the city’s visual art scene, you might want to check out Art Glut, featuring nearly 50 Philly artists. It’s not at PAFA. It’s not at the PMA. It’s not in Old City. It is, of all things, in the South Philly rowhome (aka My House Gallery) of UArts grad Alex Gartelmann. Really. There’s not even a website. Friday 5:30 to 8:30 p.m, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 2534 South 8th Street; 908-370-1656.

So that you’re not trolling around on Craigslist at the last minute for overpriced and quite possibly counterfeit tickets to your favorite shows …

On Sale This Morning
Prettyboy crooner Gavin DeGraw at the TLA/Fillmore

Infectiously wild gypsy punk freaks Gogol Bordello at the Factory

Funnymen Ron White at the Tower and Frank Caliendo at the Borgata

On Sale Tomorrow
Still-hot surgery patient Dolly Parton at the Borgata

Way-too-complicated Canadian rockers Rush in Jersey