Jukebox The Ghost:Give up the ghost!
POP Give up the ghost! There's no resisting the infectious melodies, playful vocals and driving rhythmic punch of Jukebox The Ghost, this piano-pop trio, composed of Philly-based Ben Thorneill (keyboards/vocals and dominant composer) and his now Brooklyn, N.Y
POP
Give up the ghost! There's no resisting the infectious melodies, playful vocals and driving rhythmic punch of Jukebox The Ghost, this piano-pop trio, composed of Philly-based Ben Thorneill (keyboards/vocals and dominant composer) and his now Brooklyn, N.Y.-based buds Tommy Siegel (guitars/vocals) and Jesse Kristin (drums). The guys are materializing anew to celebrate the release of their "Everything Under the Sun" album for YepRoc Records, from whence springs future hits like the giddy-good "Empire" and haunting "Mistletoe." It's a hook-happy affair that still hearkens, at times, to role models Ben Folds, Billy Joel and Paul McCartney, yet more subtly and with more flair than with Ghosts' past. Opening: Meligrove Band, Dynamite Walls.
First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 7:30 tonight, $12 (all ages), 215-821-7575, r5productions.com.
- Jonathan Takiff
ALTERNATIVE
Taking its name from Bob Dylan and The Humpers lyrics, The Jukebox Zeros' Pete Santa Maria has been hosting Positively Sick on South Street, a monthly night of garage, punk and power-pop. After three years, the punk 'n' roll showcase comes to an end with a Toys for Tots drive. Tonight's swan song includes rockabilly faves Full Blown Cherry, a Christmas set from The Jukebox Zeros, classic '77-era NYC punk rockers The Victims, power pop from Baltimore's Ripovs, and burlesque from Peek-A-Boo Revue.
Tritone, 1508 South St., 9 tonight, $6 or free with a new, unwrapped toy, 215–545–0475, www.tritonebar.com.
- Sara Sherr
JAZZ
Over a career that has spanned more than 40 years, bassist/composer Dave Holland has adapted himself to a variety of contexts, exemplified by his two 2010 releases, one from his all-star Octet and the other a collaboration with flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela. But Holland's Big Band is demonstration enough of his open-mindedness and his strengths as a leader. The 13-piece ensemble, stocked with heavy-hitters (among them Chris Potter, Robin and Duane Eubanks, Craig Taborn and Nate Smith), blurs eras and styles from classic big band swing to modern jazz to rock and hip-hop influences with the same voracious dexterity as his former mentor and boss, Miles Davis. The band's Philly debut is a can't-miss event, one worth delaying the holiday shopping for a few hours to take in.
Painted Bride, 230 Vine St., 7 and 9 p.m. tomorrow, $25, 215-925-9914, www.paintedbride.org.
- Shaun Brady
R&B
The House of Blues in Atlantic City will host some of R&B's best talent this evening with its Ladies Night Out concert featuring Tank, Jagged Edge and Carl Thomas. Tank, whose career took off after touring with fellow singer Ginuwine, debuted with the album "Force of Nature" in 2001. He's since given fans two more LPs and plans to release his fourth studio album, Now or Never, on Dec. 14. Jagged Edge, consisting of Brian and Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman and Richard Wingo, started out on Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label in the late 1990s and had a run of five albums reaching gold or platinum sales. Rounding out the lineup is Carl Thomas, who began his career with Bad Boy Records when he released his 2000 debut, "Emotional." Thomas' 2007's "So Much Better," was released by Bungalo Records and hit No. 25 on the Billboard charts.
House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, 7 tonight, $37 to $57.25, 609-236-2583, www.hob.com/
venues/clubvenues/atlanticcity.
- James Johnson
CLASSICAL
Behzad Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto, heard last season on a Curtis Symphony Orchestra program, was a stunner, music that stayed in the heart and memory.
This weekend, we'll hear this brilliant Tehran, Iran-born composer's Piano Concerto, the centerpiece of the Philadelphia Orchestra's program. The performers are the hugely gifted artists who premiered the work - Atlanta Symphony maestro (and Curtis alumnus) Robert Spano and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
Spano, one of the finest American conductors around, has also programmed two works by Sibelius: the First Suite from "The Tempest" and the passionate Symphony No. 5.
Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce streets, 2 p.m. today and Sunday, 8 p.m. tomorrow, $39-$125, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.
- Tom Di Nardo