This week in Philly music: Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Nick Lowe, and a tribute to Philly jazz organ great Shirley Scott
And a whole host of other options, from British guitarist Johnny Marr, Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters, to Shemekia Copeland
Stevie Wonder is coming to town. Need I say more?
Whatever you think of the never-ending presidential election season, it has at least one thing going for it. With the intent of encouraging participation in the democratic process, it gets the artist born Steveland Morris out on the road and playing music from his matchless catalog for people.
On Saturday, Wonder brings his “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” tour to the Wells Fargo Center as part of a 10-date concert trek that he has said is meant to promote “joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.”
Wonder’s show is the highlight of this week in Philly music and the second night of a busy weekend at the Wells Fargo. On Friday, Justin Timberlake is scheduled to bring his “Forget Tomorrow” tour to the South Philly arena.
Yes, this is the same tour that Timberlake referred to back in June when he was arrested and charged with DWI in Long Island. “This is going to ruin the tour,” he allegedly told a police officer.
The tour does not seem to have been ruined, as Billboard has reported that “Forget Tomorrow” is on track to be one of the top 10 grossing tours of the year.
But the Philly show may be in question: Timberlake postponed his show Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., citing “an injury that is preventing me from performing.”
On Thursday, English singer Calum Scott plays the Fillmore Philly in Fishtown. , With a Phillies loss on Wednesday, it will be more like a wake for a Red October that never really was by the “Dancing On My Own” singer.
Also on Thursday, Brit post-punk redux band Yard Act plays Union Transfer in support of its new album Where’s My Utopia?. Siblings Eva and Sam Hendricks bring their Brooklyn bubble grunge band Charly Bliss to Underground Arts on Thursday, and another sibling band — the glammy power-pop band the Lemon Twigs, led by Brian and Michael D’Addario — play UA on Friday.
Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters play Thursday at the Sellersville Theater. That’s the start of a big weekend at the Bucks County showplace. Rickie Lee Jones headlines on Friday, and Los Lobos play on Sunday.
British guitarist Johnny Marr — always the classy one when conflicts with his former Smiths bandmate Morrissey go public — headlines Franklin Music Hall, with James, on Friday.
Shirley Scott, who died in 2002, was a Philadelphia jazz organist, steeped in blues and gospel and part of a local tradition that’s included Jimmy Scott, Jimmy McGriff, and Papa John, and Joey DeFrancesco. The Greg Duncan Organ Quartet pays tribute at the Black Squirrel Club on Friday.
Rhett Miller of the Old 97′s rocks out at the Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City on Friday. And it’s a busy weekend in casino showrooms. Comedian John Mulaney is at the Borgata on Friday. Country singer-guitarist Brad Paisley plays Ovation Hall at Ocean Resort, while R&B singer Bryson Tiller is at the Borgata and Qawwali vocalist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is at the Hard Rock, also on Saturday.
Bluesy singer-guitarist Marcus King headlines the Fillmore on Saturday, with rising country star Brittney Spencer opening. Dostoyevsky-inspired Philly power trio Stinking Lizaveta plays the First Unitarian Church on Saturday.
Powerhouse Americana vocalist and sometime New Pornographer member Neko Case plays Ardmore Music Hall on Sunday, with Imaad Wasif opening. Then on Sunday, exemplary blues woman Shemekia Copeland takes the Ardmore stage.
The great Nick Lowe, the wily and witty English songwriter, producer, and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” auteur, has a typically terrific new album called Indoor Safari. He’s doing two shows with his longtime backup band, the Mexican wrestling mask-wearing surf rock instrumentalists Los Straitjackets, at World Cafe Live on Saturday and Sunday.
Afro Cuban funk band Cimafunk — a fabulous live band — headlines Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday. Back in April, Maggie Rogers played an intimate show at the TLA on South Street to hype her new album Don’t Forget Me and point forward to a future date at the much larger Wells Fargo Center. Now that date has arrived, with a show on Tuesday.
The The, the British band led by Matt Johnson, has just released Ensoulment, their first album in 24 years. The band plays the Fillmore on Tuesday.