Our monthly concert picks: September 2015

What we're checking out this month!

Saturday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 6: Made in America

It's hard to believe it's already year four for Made in America — it seems like just yesterday that Jay Z was on hand at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, announcing a brand new festival. Since then, over 4 million concert-goers have flooded the parkway, to see acts like Kanye, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, and of course, the King and Queen of Modern Pop, Jay and Bey themselves, and this year proves no different. More than 50 acts will take the stage this Labor Day weekend, including Beyonce (headlining Saturday), plus Sunday headliners The Weeknd, and big names like Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Earl Sweatshirt, and J. Cole. This year's fest also features an impressive line-up of local talent, including street-smart rapper Meek Mill, genre-spanning electro-pop artist Santigold, and rising punk band Hop Along — in addition to myriad other acts we've highlighted here before, including emo-revivalists Waxahatchee, Haverford pop duo Marian Hill, local hip-hop trio Ground Up, sprawling rockers Strand of Oaks, and dark grunge-rockers Creepoid. Of course, part of the fun is also wandering around the Parkway, discovering bands you've never heard of — and this weekend should give you the opportunity to do just that. Bust out your very best red, white, and blue, and get ready to celebrate being made in America.

12:00 noon at the Ben Franklin Parkway, $150 for a 2-day pass. Tickets available here.

See also: Pat Finnerty debuts new musical "The Lid" (Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6 at Underground Arts), Steve Miller Band and The Doobie Brothers keep on rocking you baby (Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Susquehanna Bank Center), Earl Sweatshirt raps about staying inside (Saturday, Sept. 5 at The TLA), August John Lutz II celebrates his new EP (Saturday, Sept. 5 at Bourbon & Branch), The Space Merchants get interstellar alongside The Silence Kit (Saturday, Sept. 5 at Boot & Saddle), Death Cab for Cutie coax deep emotions (Sunday, Sept. 6 at The TLA), Howlish chill out your Wednesday (Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Boot & Saddle), Pile do DIY right (Wednesday, September 9 at First Unitarian Church), Work Drugs bring the smooth (Thursday, Sept. 10 at Boot & Saddle), Dinosaur Jr.'s Lou Barlow teams up with Hop Along's Frances Quinlan (Thursday, Sept. 10 at Johnny Brenda's)

Wednesday, Sept. 9 through Saturday, Sept. 12: Dr. Dog (do experimental theater)

When casually listing the best bands from Philly, it's easy to overlook Dr. Dog — the winsome six-piece lack the cathartic impulses of Waxahatchee or The War on Drugs; they're not memorialized in a mural like Kurt Vile, reported on in the news like Meek Mill, or the subject of countless "best new music" features like Hop Along. Yet for the past decade-and-a-half, few bands have contributed to the scene as consistently and energetically. Their bright, Beatles-esque tunes a welcome constant and easy go-to for bbq and party playlists. Formed in 1999 (although they trace their roots back to guitarist Scott McMicken and bassist Toby Leaman's middle school days), the band boasts eight records of laidback, playful pop and an affinity for engaging live shows — I remember one particular performance when they played not one, not two, but three encores. Yet the hallmark of any great band is constant reinvention and this month, the group teams up with Philly experimental theater company Pig Iron to deliver something truly unique for this year's FringeArts Fest. Inspired by an early, self-released record titled Psychedelic Swamp, the band now presents Swamp Is On, one part theatrical performance, one part musical experiment, that deals with questions of identity, government conspiracy, and hidden messages behind your favorite tunes. Bring an old mixtape, and be prepared for something strange. Full concert by DD to follow.

8:00 Thursday through Sunday at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $30. Tickets available here.

See also:  Arc Divers exude moody charm (Friday, Sept. 11 at Johnny Brenda's), L7 reunites and joins forces with The Pretty Greens (Friday, Sept. 11 at The Troc), Titus Andronicus cause a racket (Friday, Sept. 11 at First Unitarian Church), Thee Oh Sees slay with garage-rock riffs (Saturday, Sept, 12 at Underground Arts), Cruisr make perfect summer pop (Saturday, Sept. 12 at The TLA), Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats craft music to get high to (Sunday, Sept. 13 at Union Transfer), King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard drip hot wax on you (Sunday, Sept. 13 at Johnny Brenda's), Porches tap into your darkest fears (Sunday, September 13 at First Unitarian Church)

Thursday, Sept. 17: Nick Diamonds

I've long held the view that Nick Diamonds (né Thorburn) is one of the most underrated songwriters of our time; his discography so creative and ever-evolving. Originally half of Canadian lo-fi group The Unicorns, who released two records of whimsical, outsider pop then split, Diamonds went on to form dark, electro-pop group Islands, in addition to lending his skills to Man Man/Modest Mouse supergroup Mister Heavenly, Hawaiian hip-hop duo Reefer, and releasing several records of his own, which run the gamut from bedroom confessions to the bloopy electro-pop found on new release City of Quartz. (I could make an entire playlist of "The Best of Nick Diamonds" and it would be the perfect soundtrack for every car trip ever). But Diamonds is perhaps most impressive live — I still remember the first time I saw him, at The Barbary, in 2010 — being blown away as the quirky Canuck, dressed all in white, with one fingerless glove, proceeded to step off the stage and approach my boyfriend, then remove the glasses from his face and wear them atop of his own — before inciting an unlikely moshpit to "Don't Call My Whitney, Bobby." Years later, during an acoustic show at the First Unitarian Church, he inspired so much reverence you could hear a pin drop. And while I'm not 100% sure what to expect this Thursday, I have a feeling it will memorable — whatever that entails.

8:30 at Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., $12. Tickets available here. 

See also: Alabama Shakes sing directly into your soul (Thursday, Sept. 17 at The Mann Center), Vita and The Woolf make a case for new Siren-hood (Thursday, Sept. 17 at Johnny Brenda's), Chris Forsyth and the Solar Motel Band quench your thirst for guitar solos (Saturday, Sept. 19 at Johnny Brenda's), Diana Ross charms you baby, love (Sunday, Sept. 20 at The Mann Center), Dogs on Acid make cool modern music that sounds like cool '90s music (Monday, Sept. 21 at Boot & Saddle)

Tuesday, Sept. 22: The Jesus and Mary Chain

I was first introduced to The Jesus and Mary Chain many years back by a handsome older man I had a crush on, who burned me a copy of Psychocandy (this was when people still burned CDs) and told me it would change my life. He was pretty much right — and perhaps as a result, I'll always associate the band with a mysterious and dark sexiness, unattainable but endlessly enticing. Formed in the early '80s by brothers Jim and William Reid in home country Scotland, The JAMC released five albums of smoky, trippy pop, oft described as someone running a Beach Boys record through a wall of feedback — and in doing so, tapped into something sad, sweet, and oddly cathartic. Yet if their music is soothing in its attack, their live show proved anything but — in their heyday, the band was known to incite violence and riots, the crowd mostly reacting to short, drug-fueled sets and a lack of interaction (the band generally played with their backs to the audiences, refusing to make eye contact). They eventually broke up in the late '90s, but still retained an air of icy cool, and this Thursday, they'll bring a reunited line-up to Union Transfer, where they'll celebrate the 30th anniversary of Psychocandy; riots not expected.

8:30 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $35. Tickets available here.

See also: Potty Mouth prove equally sweet and vulgar (Tuesday, Sept. 22 at Boot & Saddle), Mumblr make perfect fuzz-punk (Tuesday, Sept. 22 at Ortlieb's), Fidlar play punk you can dance to (Thursday, Sept. 24 at Union Transfer), Honey Radar pay tribute to the best of British invasion (Thursday, Sept. 24 at Bourbon & Branch)

Sunday, Sept. 27: Mikal Cronin 

Like Nick Diamonds, Mikal Cronin is a somewhat underrated singer, who makes the most perfect summer playlist pop and makes it seem completely effortless. A native of Laguna Beach, Calif., Cronin got his start playing with Ty Segall's band, before branching out on his own — crafting simple, radio-friendly tunes that draw from all your faves: '60s British invasion and '70s college rock, with a hinge of '90s lo-fi thrown in to boot. His breakthrough came with 2013's MCII, which won "Best New Music" props from P'fork — based partially on the strength of lead single "Weight," which encompasses feelings of restlessness and fear of aging better than anything else I've heard in a while. And ultimately, it's this relatability that makes Cronin so compelling — in interviews, he gushes about his love of cats and Kurt Vonnegut, of Legends of the Hidden Temple and Stephen Malkmus (impossibly, he even has a cat named Stephen Meowkmus) — which makes me feel like he's secretly my best friend, and singing songs lifted straight from my own internal monologue. Later this month, he brings his breezy, confessional gems to Johnny Brenda's, where both catharsis and clapping may occur. Highly recommended!

9:00 at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., $13–15. Tickets available here.

See also: Gardens & Villa eclipse you in vibes (Monday, Sept. 28 at Boot & Saddle), Myrrias' dark psych-pop blossoms (Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Ortlieb's), Twin Shadow amp up the sexy (Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Union Transfer), Bully make the case for a grunge-rock revival (Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Boot & Saddle), Wavves extends summer an extra week (Wednesday, Sept. 30 at The TLA)