This week in Philly music features hip-hop and country in Camden, classic rock in Fairmount Park, folk-rock in King of Prussia, a Philly Live Aid anniversary celebration at Union Transfer, and an Atlantic City weekend that includes Darius Rucker and the Dead Milkmen.
The folk-rock of which I speak, is a double bill of Dawes and Phosphorescent double bill at Concerts Under the Stars on Thursday.
Siblings Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes suffered serious losses in the Los Angeles fires, and released their album Oh Brother earlier this year. They were also just in town playing the Fillmore in April, with Taylor also dropping in to do an in-store at Main Street Music in Manayunk.
Now they’re back with underrated songwriter Matthew Houck’s Phosphorescent, that opened last year’s XPoNential Music fest, as openers.
Also on Thursday, Pittsburgh’s “Black and Yellow” rapper Wiz Khalifa, who has a new album on the way called Wizzlemania, headlines the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, on a bill that also includes Sean Paul and Da Baby.
It’s a chance for Wiz to do serious business — and eat for free, presumably — because his stoner’s delight Packed Bowls, tater tots layered with mac-and-cheese and chicken nugs, among other varieties, will be available on the concourse.
The next night, the Pavilion goes country, with Thomas Rhett, the Nashville songwriter who is the son of 1990s country star Rhett Atkins. He’s touring behind his 2024 album About A Woman.
Also on Friday, WXPN June Artist to Watch the Tisburys do Free at Noon at the World Cafe Live. On Friday night, Doylestown’s own Anthony Green — formerly of Circa Survive, currently of the Sound of Animals Fighting and L.S. Dunes — is playing a solo show at Underground Arts with Geoff Rickly of Thursday and Kurt Travis.
Philly-born powerhouse vocalist Nicole Henry — her father Al played for the Sixers — holds it down for two shows a night at South Jazz Kitchen, Friday through Sunday.
On Saturday, Rod Stewart comes to town. The great Brit went on one of rock and roll’s most impressive hot streaks; with a series of albums under his own name and with the Faces in the early 1970s before moving on to soft-rock. He turned 80 earlier this year and Sir Rod made a big splash playing with his old Faces buddy Ronnie Wood at Glastonbury last month. He’s calling this world tour “Rod Stewart: One Last Time.” Fun will surely be had at the Mann Center with 1970s power-pop standouts Cheap Trick on the undercard.
Veteran Indiana indie band Murder By Death plays Union Transfer on Saturday. Laura Jane Grace opens in support of her new album Adventure Club.
The 40th anniversary of Live Aid — to the exact day — will be celebrated on Sunday at Union Transfer with Martha Graham Cracker & Friends, including Johnny Showcase, Paula Holloway, and Preston Elliot of WMMR’s Preston & Steve, who will do his best Phil Collins impression and play drums on a Led Zeppelin song. Pierre Robert emcees.
Also on Sunday, the Flying V’s, the four woman harmony singing American band, featuring Brechyn Chace, Shannon Vasile, Caitlin Ramsey, and Hannah Taylor, celebrates the release of their self-titled EP at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. It’s a 5 p.m. show.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the mellifluous chorale whose music draws on Isicathamiya, where workers would sing softly while working in South African mines, first came to international fame after they worked with Paul Simon on his 1986 album Graceland. The group has a new album, Soothe My Soul: Songs From My South African Church and it plays the Sellersville Theater Monday night.
Irish “Take Me To Church” and “Too Sweet” singer-guitarist Hozier returns to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Tuesday, with Gigi Perez opening.
In Atlantic City this weekend, Rick Springfield leads the “I Want My ‘80s Tour” into the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena on Friday and former Hootie & the Blowfish leader-turned-country-star Darius Rucker plays there Saturday. DJ Steve Aoki is the cake-tossing party starter at the HQ2 Nightclub at Ocean on Saturday, Young the Giant plays the Tropicana and the Dead Milkmen headline Anchor Rock Club.