42 Things to Do This Weekend
!!! aka Chk Chk Chk plays Underground Arts on Friday. (Erez Avissar)
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
Unlimited Devotion @ Ardmore Music Hall
Two busy nights of jammy bands jamming out in tribute to the Grateful Dead. Talent includes: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Steve Kimock, John Kadlecik, Vinnie Amico, Aron Magner, Marc Brownstein, Michael Travis and a bunch more, with guest of honor Wavy Gravy. Find out who plays Friday and who plays Saturday here.
Southern Culture on the Skids @ World Café Live
This North Carolina rock/soul trio has been doing their thing since 1983, amazingly enough. Their thing, of course, is funny, high energy and kinda trashy music you can dance to. Make sure to get there in time to see the GTVs, fronted by Sam Steinig of longtime Philly rockers Mondo Topless.
Chris Gethard @ TLA
The comedian/actor/talk show host/podcaster brings a live, interactive version of his Beautiful Anonymous show to town. Basically, he’ll be talking on the phone with an unidentified stranger and soliciting questions from the audience. Check out my interview with Gethard from earlier in the week.
Transparency: An LGBTQ Glass Art Exhibition @ National Liberty Museum
Glass works by LGBTQ+ artists Nancy Callan, Joseph Cavalieri, Pearl Dick, Sarah Gilbert, Jenny Pohlman & Sabrina Knowles and lots more. Reception is Friday. The show runs through August 6.
B.O.B. @ Kung Fu Necktie
An intimate show by Georgia rapper B.O.B., whose guest-star-studded 2010 record The Adventures of Bobby Ray I remember fondly. Anyway, now he’s a flat-earther, moon-landing denying, 9/11 conspiracy theorist. What a world.
School Play @ St Peter’s School
Tribe of Fools presents this comedy set in the American education system. Stars Terry Brennan.
The Banter Show @ Good Good Comedy
Comedians Alison Zeidman and Scotland Green invite random pairs of comedians up to have funny conversations off the cuff. This evening’s guests include Chip Chantry, Alyssa Al-Dookhi, Nicole Yates and more.
A More Perfect Union @ Asian Arts Initiative
Subtitled “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Loving v. Virginia,” this group show curated by Dave Kyu commemorates the Supreme Court ruling in favor of interracial marriage. Includes contributions by Emily Chow Bluck, Klyde Breitton, Priyanka Dasgupta & Chad Marshall, Adalena Kavanagh, Jino Lee, Shannon Lewis, Jacque Liu & Sarah Kate Burgess, Zavé Martohardjono and lots more. Runs through Aug. 25.
!!! @ Underground Arts
Dance-punk mainstays !!! — or Chk Chk Chk, if you want to Google them — just released their seventh record, Shake the Shudder. As always, Nic Offer and co. are all about that style and sass.
Nichole Canuso Dance Company @ The Bok
“The Garden of Forking Path is a movement and sound installation that leads audience members via audio prompts on a headset through a sprawling fabric labyrinth.” Multiple performances on Friday and Saturday. Through June 27.
Slightly Stoopid @ Festival Pier
Spelled it wrong, brainiacs.
Uncle Vanya @ Quintessence
Says theater critic David Fox: “While Chekhov deals with profound spiritual ennui, too often what we see [in this production] looks merely enervated. The acting is a mixed bag, though a few performances shine.” Runs through June 18. (Read the whole review here.)
Adele Givens @ Helium
The veteran comedian has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies over the years, including the Hughleys, Def Comedy Jam and Beauty Shop. Through June 10.
Project Dawn @ People’s Light and Theater
The world premiere of a play written by Karen Hartman and directed by Abigail Adams. Project Dawn is about the “lawyers, judges, parole officers, and staff [who] work to transform the lives of women repeatedly convicted for prostitution” in an unusual Philadelphia court. Runs through July 9.
Jo Koy @ Punchline Philly
As seen/heard on Chelsea Lately and The Adam Carolla Show. At press time there are still tickets for the Saturday and Sunday shows available. Through June 11.
Gypsy @ Arden Theatre
Theater critic David Fox had this to say: “Now that’s what I call a hit! Arden Theatre’s Gypsy was extended even before it opened, acknowledging that the combination of one of the greatest musicals ever written — and one of Philly’s most gifted and beloved actresses in Mary Martello — would be sure-fire. Still, there are no guarantees in life, and even fewer in the theater. Would Terrence Nolen’s Gypsy equal the high level of expectation? I’m happy to say it does, and occasionally even exceeds it.” (Read the whole review here.) Runs through June 25.
Ron Funches @ The Trocadero
With his adorable personality and infectious giggle, Ron Funches is kind of a comedy teddy bear. He’s often the funniest contestant on @Midnight.
Philly Full Moon Bike Ride @ Philadelphia Museum of Art
Meet at the Museum, then bike around in the light of the Full Strawberry Moon with likeminded people. The route is TBA.
Fresh Air with Terry Gross with guest Seth Meyers @ Kimmel Center
The NPR superstar interviews the late night talk show host. I could not find a photo of Meyers and Gross together. Here’s one of him with the Count.
Angel Heart / Lord Shango @ Lightbox
Exhumed Films partners with the theater formerly known as International House to offer two “underappreciated, intellectual horror films.” Alan Parker’s supernatural noir flick Angel Heart (1987) stars Mickey Rourke, Lisa Bonet and Robert De Niro. The other film on the bill is Ray Marsh’s Lord Shango (1975), “an intelligent exploration of difficult topics such as sexual abuse, religious hypocrisy, and cultural identity.”
Deadfellow @ Milkboy Philly
Hayden Sammak has the kind of rasping, swaggering voice you can listen to all day. Right now the rock/folk artist better known as Deadfellow is in the middle of a trilogy of EPs that deal with modern love. On Friday he celebrates the release of Mescalifornia: A California Dream by fronting a 10-piece band.
How to Use a Knife @ The Drake
InterAct Theatre presents Will Snider’s drama starring Scott Greer as a tyrannical master chef at a Wall Street restaurant, directed by Seth Rozin. Through June 18.
One More River to Cross: A Verbatim Fugue @ The Latvian Society of Philadelphia
James Jackson directs the world premiere of playwright Lynn Nottage’s work based on interviews with former slaves conducted in 1936 and 1938 by the Federal Writers Project. Shows Thursdays through Sundays through June 11.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
Bryan Adams @ Mann Center
The Canadian rock/pop star is responsible for a lot of songs awkwardly danced to at high school dances a couple decades ago. Among them: “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” “Heaven,” “All for Love” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” And then there are the peppier numbers, like “Run to You” and “Summer of ’69” — both of which probably qualify as classic rock at this point.
Candy Volcano @ World Café Live
This’70s glam rock tribute act has style, swagger and some serious chops.
Camp Lo @ Johnny Brenda’s
A rare appearance by the veteran hip-hop duo. “Luchini” was fire before we started calling things fire:
State Street Blues Stroll @ Media, PA
This annual festival offers a full day of music up and down State Street, including Lonnie Shields Band, Steve Guyger & The Excellos, Philly Gumbo, Judy Sings the Blues, Sister Blue Band, Stevie & The Bluescasters and tons more bands that may or may not have the word blues in their name. Headliner Ruthie Foster caps everything off at the Media Theatre.
Jack Johnson @ BB&T
FYI, Jack Johnson is a surfer, but this ain’t surf rock. (I’m looking at you, people who put genre tags on Wikipedia articles.) Laid back and purposely casual, Johnson is the pop equivalent of a Corona commercial. For some, sitting on the BB&T lawn and listening to “Traffic in the Sky” sounds like heaven and that’s just fine
Black Marble @ Underground Arts
Synthy coldwave pop from Brooklyn. Listen.
Girlpool @ Union Transfer
The L.A. indie-poppers return to Philly, where they lived for a bit with a rockin’ new record, Powerplant.
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Electric Factory
This Mexican folk/rock duo explores the sonic potential of their guitars with intricate, high-energy arrangements. Dazzling and lovely.
Bits w/ Barats @ Good Good Comedy
The NYC comedian does an hour of solo sketches and other assorted bits.
Philadelphia Dyke March @ Kahn Park
Rally in the city’s finest triangular park, then march, then come back to the park to eat water ice. Allies welcome.
goldenSpiral @ Creep Records
Philly producer/artist goldenSpiral celebrates the release of his newest album Waveformation and the debut screening of “Eternal Life (dub),” a music video featuring Philly singer-songwriter Sonni Shine. Expect audio and visual delights all evening long.
Dawes @ Fillmore Philly
I’ve often heard the music made by this slick, folk-rocking L.A. band and thought, “Hey that’s not bad, but Dawes is such a boring name for a band. I hate it. Why do little things make me angry? Why can’t I find peace? Why do my friends look at me like that?” Anyway, I just stumbled across this Spin article about how Dawes got its name. It’s not satisfying but at least that’s one of life’s little mysteries solved.
Terrapin Turtle Races @ Tiki
I know what you’re thinking. Terrapins are land turtles but when you click that link, all you see are re-eared sliders, or some other kind of water turtles. You’re right and I’m glad we can talk openly about turtles. Terrapin in this case is referring to a brand of beer. This is a Beer Week event.
Flesh World @ PhilaMOCA
Queer punk from San Francisco.
Secret Cinema “Bicycle Shorts” @ The Rotunda
Jay Schwartz digs deep into his archives to find short films about bikes and the people who sit on them. You probably have never heard of the films on this bill, and you likely won’t get the chance to see them again.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
The Steel Wheels @ World Café Live
Sweet, earthy folk music with violin, banjo, earnest lyrics and traditional melodies.
Science Thrill with Lali Gill @ Good Good Comedy
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate curator and chair of vertebrate biology at the Academy of Natural Sciences, is the special guest scientist at this comedy show that discusses science things and performs science experiments. This month’s topic is “Ancient Earth.”
STEAMpunk Expo 2017 @ Morris Arboretum
Come dressed in your best “adventurous Victorian” garb and party with other people wearing awesome homemade brass contraptions.
Broken Arrow @ Ardmore Music Hall
Neil Young cover band featuring Joe Mass on vocals.
Jeremy Enigk @ Fillmore Philly
A solo show by the frontman of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft.
