POP . . . plus

Riding a crest of renewed critical and public admiration for their lively and oft-light-hearted new, self-titled album, alt-rock poster boys Wilco are hitting the stadiums this summer. Or at least, the Wilmington Blue Rocks' ballpark where the likes of Steve Miller and Counting Crowes have previously scored hits. Jeff Tweedy and friends will be joined on the bill by the leading light of the Omaha music scene, the fretfully compelling Conor Oberst and his current group the Mystic Valley Band. As the Wilco/Oberst tour is bypassing Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Jersey, this is your best shot to enjoy.

Frawley Stadium, 801 S. Madison St., Wilmington, Del., 7:30 tonight, $35, 302-652-5577, www.ticketsatthegrand.com.

- Jonathan Takiff

HIP-HOP, R&B

From critical and commercial standpoints, few rappers hold a candle to Nas. His nine-album discography not only features seven platinum and two gold releases, but its crown jewel, 1994's "Illmatic," is regarded by many as the greatest hip-hop record ever. His complex lyricism, socially conscious subject matter and knack for storytelling has influenced his peers and drawn controversy, most notably from his 2001 feud with Jay-Z. While the two have long since patched things up, arguments still rage as to who won that battle. The Queens MC has been working with Grammy-winning reggae artist Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. Their upcoming "Distant Relatives" is using this summer's tour as a launching pad.

House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, 8 p.m. Thursday, $39.50, 609-236-2583, www.hob.com.

- James Johnson

ALTERNATIVE

Mannequin Men formed in Chicago in late 2003, but after doing dates with the like-minded Black Lips and having two of its members back up no-wave master James Chance on tour in 2006, the band's on the minds of people who like their rock loud and snotty. You'll hear a lot of your favorite punk bands mixed together - a little bit of the Replacements bash and pop, or the guitar attack of the Wipers or Radio Birdman - but it's the high, sandpaper voice of Kevin Richards that can really grab you where you live. He can sound vulnerable and ready to throw a punch all at the same time. Opening up is Philly's Tough Sh-ts, offering their own swaggery take on the Flamin' Groovies and the Ramones.

Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 p.m. Thursday, $10, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.

- Sara Sherr

JAZZ

The Philadelphia Jazz Heritage Project, founded in 2007 to preserve and promote the legacy of the region's rich jazz history, will honor two artists who have contributed much to that legacy at Jazz Fair 2009, a free event with performances, film screenings and a discussion. The two honorees are bassist Jymie Merritt, whose credits include Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Max Roach and Lee Morgan, and pianist/organist Trudy Pitts, one of the pioneers of the Philly organ sound. Both will perform, Merritt with his quintet and Pitts solo, then talk over their lives and careers with WRTI's J. Michael Harrison. It's a celebration not only of two local legends but of Philadelphia's valuable contributions to the music.

University of the Arts' Caplan Center for the Performing Arts, 211 Broad St., 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday, free, www.phillyjazzheritage.com.

- Shaun Brady

CLASSICAL

The Lenape Chamber Ensemble will kick off its 23rd three-weekend season with a sparkling program. The ensemble is a who's who of artists from the Philadelphia Orchestra and other top-shelf performing groups nationwide. Violinist Ayano Ninomiya, an Astral Artists alumna, teams with local pianist Marcantonio Barone tomorrow. The bill includes Beethoven's Piano Trio, Opus 1/1, followed by Faure's first masterpiece, the A Major Violin Sonata. The finale is Prokofiev's Second String Quartet, written during the 1941 evacuation of Russian composers and artists to the Caucasus Mountains. Inspired by folk tunes in the region, Prokofiev fashioned a chamber work combining innocence with harmonic aggressiveness, a scorching finale to the ensemble's season opener.

Delaware Valley College, routes 202 and 611 in Doylestown, 8 p.m. tomorrow, $18, 610-294-9361, www.lenapechamberensemble.org.

- Tom Di Nardo