What we're doing 4th of July weekend!
Thursday, July 2: Swirlies
A swirlie is a horrible prank where someone sticks your head in a toilet, then flushes. Swirlies are a Boston guitar band who craft dreamy melodies that appear to swirl around you, toilet water-like (except lovely and not gross). Originally formed as a Go-Gos cover band, the Swirlies released a half-dozen trippy, noisy records in the '90s and early 2000s, and while they never achieved great levels of fame, we think they're pretty great, and have spent many a night getting lost in their messy, delicate songs. Originally anchored by vocalist/guitarist Seana Carmody — whose airy, floaty vocals first drew us in — plus guitarist/vocalist Damon Tutunjian, the Swirlies' line-up was as fluid as their sound, and over the course of their two decade career, more than a dozen members came and went (even Kurt Vile played a few sets with them a few years back). So we're pretty stoked that both Carmody and Tutunjian will be on hand this Thursday when they drop by Johnny Brenda's, for a pretty dreamy start to the holiday weekend. Plus come early for local synth-pop dreamboats Suburban Living, featuring Philly transplant Wes Bunch.
9:00 at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., $12–14. Tickets available here.
Friday, July 3: West Philadelphia Orchestra
In some ways, there's no better way to celebrate the eve of our nation's birth than with the West Philadelphia Orchestra, the spirited 14-piece (and sometimes more!) Balkan party band whose repertoire draws from both Slavic, Romanian, and Macedonia folk music as well as classical, jazz, and punk. I mean, America's supposed to be a melting pot for this kinda stuff, right? Really though, we pick the WPO because no one knows how to rile a crowd in quite the same way — and because their All Songs Considered segment is one of our recent favorites. Over the past near-decade, the group's evolved from a West Philly porch jam session to a unique and original band, who's played everywhere from neighborhood block parties to museums, and always exudes positive vibes. They're joined this Friday by Johnny Showcase & The Mystic Ticket, another band that's living proof that life in the U.S. is all about indulging your true self — even if that self is slick and smarmy (which we mean in the best possible way).
8:00 at Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., $10. Tickets available here.
Saturday, July 4: 4th of July Jam
I'll likely be spending my 4th of July far, far away from the Parkway, hopefully somewhere with a grill and a pool. But for those of you spending your holiday weekend in the city, Wawa's annual Welcome America concert jawn is both the party you love and love to hate. It's hot, crowded, and drinks aren't cheap — but it's always totally free, which considering its size and scope is actually pretty amazing (Wawa boasts it's the largest free concert in America). In addition, this year's line-up is stacked — Philly stalwarts The Roots headline, alongside sultry R&B crooner Miguel, whose sexy singles and moves are enough convincing for us. (He is not, as others noted, appropriate for children. So leave your kids at home). And while I admit I had to Google second opener Jennifer Nettles to figure out who the hell she is (she's one-half country-music duo Sugarland it turns out) — I'm psyched to see a diverse line-up that offers something for everyone. Isn't that what America is all about?
7:30 at the Ben Franklin Parkway, 20th St. to Eakins Oval, free.
Tuesday, July 7: Raekwon + Ghostface Killah
Corey Woods and Dennis Coles were born a few months apart in Staten Island, NY and starting rapping together in the early '90s as part as NYC royalty the Wu Tang Clan. Yet it was arguably Woods' — aka Raekwon's — 1995 record Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, featuring Ghostface — that really launched the pair to fame, selling over a million copies and earning props as one of most bad-ass hip-hop records ever. Recorded and released shortly after the Wu's classic Enter the Wu, Linx teems with scenes from the dark underbelly of the New York streets — drugs and money, excess and paranoia, giving in and trying to get out. It's also a hard-hitting and thrilling listen from two of hip-hop's best storytellers, credited with popularizing both the Mafioso genre and Cristal consumption (who wants gin and juice when you have champagne?) Since then, Rae and Ghostface have both led pretty much untouchable careers. But we keep coming back to Linx, and this Tuesday we'll revisit it again during the Linx 20th anniversary tour, featuring your fave Wu-Gambinos and hopefully some ice cream. No word yet on whether the TLA stocks Cristal behind the bar.
8:00 at the TLA, 334 South St., $28.50. Tickets available here.
See also: Wildhoney at Boot & Saddle (Wednesday, July 1), Melvins at Underground Arts (Wednesday, July 1), San Cisco at Johnny Brenda's (Wednesday, July 1), PINS at Boot & Saddle (Thursday, July 2), Dikembe with Slingshot Dakota at PhilaMOCA (Thursday, July 2), Revolution I Love You at Milkboy Philly (Friday, July 3), Foo Fighters at Penn's Landing (Monday, July 6), Fake Boyfriend at Kung Fu Necktie (Monday, July 6), LeBon LeBon at Boot & Saddle (Tuesday, July 7), Shitty Wizard at Kung Fu Necktie (Tuesday, July 7)