Music critics' picks

"Non-comm" is broadcaster shorthand for "non-commercial," speaking of those community-supported, art-before-commerce radio stations that have become increasingly important in discovering and nurturing musical talent.

This week, about 400 broadcasters and label reps from that world are in town for the Non-Comm Convention, hosted by WXPN (88.5 FM), and dozens of noteworthy artists are passing through to say "thanks" with a performance.

The biggest showcase happens tomorrow night and is open to the public at an amazingly low admission price. It'll be your chance to hear Jakob Dylan's fresh batch of solo acoustic tunes (sans Wallflowers) before the album comes out, plus new and old material from the legendary Alejandro Escovedo, Canadian's most edgy roots singer, Kathleen Edwards, plus sets from beat-conscious U.K. artist Yoav and What Made Milwaukee Famous, an indie rock band from . . . Austin, Texas!

Electric Factory, 7th and Willow streets, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, $10, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.

- Jonathan Takiff

Veteran songstress Alicia Keys will be flanked by prolific songwriter Ne-Yo and relative newcomer Jordin Sparks as they return to the area for a Jersey Shore show.

Keys took the R&B world by storm with her Clive Davis-powered debut, "Songs in A Minor." Her latest, "As I Am," hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart in December. "American Idol" Season 6 winner Sparks is showing off her self-titled major-label debut, while Ne-Yo continues in the role of crooning, teenage heartthrob with his third album, "Year of the Gentleman."

Mark G. Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal, Boardwalk and Virgina Avenue, Atlantic City, 8 p.m. tomorrow, $76-$151, 609-755-4424, www.livenation.com.

- Damon C. Williams

Girls Rock Philly, the summer rock camp for little Joan Jetts ages nine to 17, was so good they had to do it again. This fund-raising, not-so-silent auction features 2007 camper band Oak Oak Okay, who went on to grace the stages of Johnny Brenda's and the Trocadero and hold their own quite nicely. Other performances include co-ed indie pop band the Bee Team and singer/songwriters Adrienne Hamilton and Courtney Fairchild. Silent auction items include several sets of concert tickets - including Ani DiFranco, Death Cab for Cutie and the Roots Picnic - and tons of goodies from local businesses.

Triumph Brewing Company, 117 Chestnut St., 2-5 p.m. Sunday, free, 215-789-4879, girlsrockphilly.org.

- Sara Sherr

Only in her mid-20s, Philly-based vocalist Joanna Pascale seems to channel past lives when she sings, fully occupying lyrics that were timeworn long before she was born. On her second CD, "Through My Eyes," Pascale gives the neo-noir treatment to 10 tunes circa 1934 to 1963, caressing the lyrics at the same time as she playfully teases them into unexpected directions.

To celebrate the CD's release, Pascale is throwing a performance and party at the Loews Hotel, where she enjoys a weekly residency. The fine band of locals that accompany her on the album - saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Andrew Adair, bassist Madison Rast, and drummer Dan Monaghan - will serve the same duties for the concert in Millennium Hall, along with a few surprise guests. Afterwards, Pascale will head downstairs to the Solefood Lounge for a CD signing and after party.

Millennium Hall, Loews Hotel, 1200 Market St., 5 p.m. Sunday, $25 (includes CD), 215-231-7333, joannapascale.com.

- Shaun Brady

"Patience," one of the funniest of Gilbert and Sullivan's 14 operettas, satirizes the flamboyant poets of Oscar Wilde's day. The fun begins when one falls for the innocent milkmaid Patience, riling the 20 spoiled maidens hot for attention.

Our own, 108-year-old Savoy Company - the oldest amateur theater company in the world to offer only these classic operettas - has chosen this romp for its current production. Dan Rothermel will conduct the orchestra and cast in a comic gem that overflows with melodies you'll sing on the way home.

Academy of Music, Broad and Locust streets, 8 tonight and tomorrow, $10-$35, 215-893-1999; and Longwood Gardens, Route 1, Kennett Square, 8:30 p.m. June 13-14, $25, 215-735-7161, www.savoy.org.

- Tom Di Nardo