Philly music with Brandi Carlile, Turnpike Troubadours & Robert Earl Keen, and a surprise bluegrass and country night

This week in Philly music features a Turnpike Troubadours and Robert Earl Keen double bill, two shows with rising Americana star Kashus Culpepper, a Black History Month celebration of Philly house music, Pulitzer Prize winning drummer Tyshawn Sorey, and Brandi Carlile opening her first ever arena tour in South Philly.

Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar has been a regular in the Philadelphia region, fronting an electric band that showcases his Tuareg guitar music blended with hypnotic modern rock. This show is a rare solo set that will showcase his 2024 album Funeral for Justice in an intimate setting. Philly trumpeter and electronic musician Koof Ibi opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1021 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

Oklahoma sextet Turnpike Troubadours sounds as road tested as its band name implies on its seventh album The Price of Admission. The Shooter Jennings-produced band has steadily risen in popularity with a dependable brand of fiddle- and steel guitar-fueled Red Dirt country.

And they get big points for taking Robert Earl Keen out on the road with them on this tour. The wry Texas songwriter best known for outlaw narratives like “The Road Goes On Forever” and the hard-earned optimism of songs like “Feelin’ Good Again” retired from touring in 2022, but has thankfully reneged on that vow. 8 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad Street, themetphilly.com.

Join the Navy, then become a country and Americana star. That was Zach Bryan’s route to success, and Alabama native Kashus Culpepper has a similar origin story. The soulful singer started getting serious about music during the COVID pandemic, and fronted cover bands before starting to write his own songs in 2023. His new album Act I features guest appearance from Sierra Ferrell and Marcus King. He plays Free at Noon, then heads across town for another gig that night. Noon, World Cafe live, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 8 p.m., Foundry at the Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com.

Japanese pianist, trumpeter, and electronic musician Takuya Nakumara has collaborated with artists like Airto Lindsey and Quincy Jones and brings his space ambient mixture of jazz and jungle to Philly this weekend. 9 p.m., Warehouse on Watts, 923 N. Watts St., wowphilly.com.

Drummer, composer and Pulitzer Prize-winning Penn professor Tyshawn Sorey won’t have to travel far from the classroom to his Annenberg Center gig on Friday. He’s paying tribute to jazz giant Max Roach and his 1968 album Members, Don’t Git Weary with a band that includes trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. 7:30 p.m., Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St., pennlivearts.org.

This showcase is part of the Black History Month Celebration of Black Excellence at the Fallser Club. Spoken word poet Ursula Rocker will be joined by dance music diva Lady Alma, singer Carla Gamble, and DJ Sylo. A short film, featuring Sylk 130 creator King Britt, will be screened too. 5 p.m., The Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org

A bluegrass double bill spotlighting mandolinist Tom Mindte, a standout of the Washington D.C.-Baltimore scene at the Black Squirrel Club, the Fishtown venue that’s also home to a hotly tipped Monday night jazz jam. The night begins with an open-to-all-pickers bluegrass jam. 7 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah St., blacksquirrelclub.com.

Saturday is bluegrass and country night, apparently. Philly’s quick picking ensemble Red Tailed Rounders will be joined by Virginia honky tonk band Ramona and the Holy Smokes. 8 p.m., Milkboy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St., milkboyphilly.com

The side project of prolific punk rock solo artist and former Bomb The Music Industry! leader Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Warren of Fake Problems hasn’t produced any new music since the 2018 album Love In the Time of E-Mail. But after reuniting last year, the duo is about to tour together this winter. Opener is Philly’s Golden Apples, whose latest is last year’s Shooting Star. 8 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnuit St., r5productions.com.

On 10K, Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton of Electric Guest are in fine funky form on their first album in six years. Philly’s Snacktime opens the show, so here’s hoping they sit in with the headliners and turn the party up a notch. 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden st., utphilly.com.

In 2020, the proud Pennsylvanian put out a single called “Lancaster County” about carrying the region with him as he traveled the world. This weekend, the singer-songwriter will be back in his hometown supporting his delicate and dreamy 2025 album Anything At All, which is produced by his old pal Sufjan Stevens. Witmer will play with a full band on Saturday, and a solo show on Sunday afternoon. 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, West Art, 816 Buchanon Ave., Lancaster, westartlanc.com.

Brandi Carlile will sing ”America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, and two days later, she kicks off her Human tour in South Philly. The concert trek is for Returning To Myself, her new album that gets personal after she’s spent much time in recent years working alongside Joni Mitchell and Elton John, the latter of whom she teamed with on last year’s Who Believes in Angels. The Head and the Heart open. 8 p.m., Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St, xfinitymobilearena.com