The five best shows in Philly this week, with Boyz II Men, Kimbra, Gregory Porter, and more
Date night at the Met, hard rock by the boardwalk, and more.
Here are five shows not to miss, with indie rock at the Latvian Society, 1980s hair metal in Atlantic City, and Philly’s most-beloved vocal harmony group on North Broad Street.
1. Lilys
Kurt Heasley’s formerly Philadelphia-based indie rock band Lilys last played here in 2015 at the Lithuanian Music Hall. The band started out in the early 1990s sounding like a My Bloody Valentine knockoff and then expertly melded that dreamy sound with British Invasion vibes on records like 1996′s Better Can’t Make Your Life Better and 1999′s The 3 Way. This weekend, they are doing back-to-back nights at the Latvian Society. With guitarist Don Devore, bassist Evan Weiss, pedal steel player Matthew McDermott, and drummer Chris Collie, the rare Lilys shows are happening Friday and Saturday, with the former already sold out. $25-$75, 8 p.m., 2/11, Latvian Society, 531 N. 7th St., r5productions.com
2. Motley Crue and Def Leppard
Seeing Motley Crue and Def Leppard last summer meant spending all day in 90-degree heat at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia for their double-headlined Stadium Tour. It ought to be a much more comfortable situation this weekend. The pop-metal bands will be playing with their famous drummers — Crue’s Tommy Lee and Def Leppard’s Rick Allen, who has played with one arm since losing a limb in a car accident in 1985. Friday and Saturday’s shows at the Etess Arena at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City are the most intimate on the groups’ ongoing world tour. $249-$599, 8 p.m., 2/10-11, Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com
3. Boyz II Men
It’s hard to imagine a more romantic Philadelphia weekend. First a Valentine’s Saturday night with Boyz II Men getting down on bended knee, followed by a date with the Eagles vs. the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The annual tradition of Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanya Morris warming the hearts of loving couples on North Broad Street every February began in 2019.
This year, the “I’ll Make Love To You” and “End of the Road” vocal harmony group’s night-before the big game entertainment comes 32 years after they broke out with their Cooleyhighharmony debut album. $39-$139, 8 p.m., 2/11, Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St., the metphilly.com.
4. Kimbra
New Zealand art-pop singer Kimbra is still best known for “Somebody That I Used to Know,” the 2011 mega-hit by Australian singer Gotye that she sang on, winning a record of the year Grammy. Since that time, she’s carried on with four genre-splicing solo albums, the latest of which is the serious-minded hip-hop and electronic-flavored A Reckoning, which was co-produced with Ryan Lott of Son Lux. “What’s that moment just before you break?” Kimbra asks in the album notes. “To me, that’s the reckoning.” Tei Shi opens. $26-$126, 8 p.m., 2/14, Music Hall at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., worldcafelive.com
5. Gregory Porter
With his expressive baritone and trademark Kangol hat, Bakersfield, Calif.-born jazz, soul, and gospel singer Gregory Porter has built a following over this past decade. He has recorded for Blue Note Records, carrying on in the tradition of heroes like Nat “King” Cole and Bill Withers in mapping out a comfortable satisfying style that always puts the song (and the melody) first. His 2020 album, All Rise, emphasizes his spiritual, socially conscious side, and his new Still Rising spans his career, while including new songs and duets with Laura Mvula and Renee Fleming. $29-$79, 8 p.m., 2/16, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., kimmelculturalcampus.org.