Speedy Ortiz – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA – July 18, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Speedy Ortiz, Two Inch Astronaut & Old Maybe – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA – July 18, 2018 Speedy Ortiz are masters at turning out earworm rhythms etched out by crunchy guitars. Last Wednesday the Sadie Dupuis-led quartet set PhilaMOCA on fire. They blasted out works from their 2018 LP Twerp Verse as well as fan-selected cuts from the past. Opening with the first three tracks from T

Matthew Sweet – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 21, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Matthew Sweet & The Parsnip Revolt – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 21, 2018 Seminal indie rocker Matthew Sweet put on a solid show at World Café Live on June 21. Playing behind his 2018 release Tomorrow’s Daughter , he brought out the hits and new works. Classic works like “Girlfriend” and “Sick of Myself” played well next to new material like “I Belong to You.” His

U2 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 13, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 U2 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA –...

Skating Polly – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – June 9, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Skating Polly, Potty Mouth & Control Top – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – June 9, 2018 A super triple bill took Kung Fu Necktie by storm on Saturday. Led by the youthful rock energies of Skating Polly with a raucous Potty Mouth and Philly’s own punkers Control Top, it was a beautiful June night of rip-roaring sounds. With their newest album The Make It All Show out on wax,

Depeche Mode – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 3, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Depeche Mode & EMA – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 3, 2018 It took 17 years for Depeche Mode to return to Philly. They made their Sunday show – as part of the Global Spirit Tour at Wells Fargo Center, their first in the city since 2001 – a worthy visit with a brilliant display of old hits and new works. Led by original members Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Flet

Red Aunts – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA – June 1, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Red Aunts, RunHideFight & Control Top – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA – June 1, 2018 Punk rock was alive and well during last Friday’s Red Aunts show at Boot & Saddle. Playing a rare East Coast show, the quartet of Terri Wahl, Kerry Davis, Debi Martini and Lesley Ishino put on an explosive show. Joking with each other and ready to move into the crowd or rock with each other, they led

Questlove – Roots Picnic – Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA – June 2, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 This past Saturday the 11th annual Roots Picnic occurred at Festival Pier. The humid warmth of pre-summer yielded to a severe storm that ended The Roots’ headline set after only two songs. Before that abrupt conclusion the day was full of awesome moments. The top highlights were: *Philadelphia’s own Lil Uzi Vert, playing the second top-billed spot, dazzled with an energet

Wye Oak – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – May 14, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Wye Oak & Palm – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – May 14, 2018 Last Monday, Baltimore-based Wye Oak delivered a stunning set of indie rock at Union Transfer. The duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack unleashed tracks from their latest record, the sublime The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs as well as some older tracks. Opening with a track from the new record, “The Instrument,” Wasner’

Lydia Lunch – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – May 7, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Lydia Lunch – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – May 7, 2018 Lydia Lunch is one of our great iconoclasts, an artist destroying and recreating expectations with each syllable and movement. On Monday she brought her brand of no wave music to Kung Fu Necktie and obliterated the crowd. With her solid band Retrovirus featuring guitarist and frequent jumper Walter Weasel, drummer Bob Ber

Forth Wanderers – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA – May 4, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Forth Wanderers, Ó & The Obsessives – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA – May 4, 2018 Last Friday, the First Unitarian Church saw a youthful triple threat play through the unseasonable heat. Headlined by the superb Sub Pop-minted New Jersey band Forth Wanderers with the wonders of Ó and the rocking The Obsessives opening, it was an awesome affair. Playing behind th

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – April 28, 2018 – Photo by Shana Bergmann © 2018 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – April 28, 2018 People of all ages packed into Philadelphia’s Union Transfer this past Saturday night, welcoming New Zealand’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The band is on tour following the release of their fourth studio album, Sex and Food. Upon entrance at the venue, one was overcome with pink light. The s

5 Seconds of Summer – TLA – Philadelphia, PA – April 9, 2018 – Photo by Rachel Disipio © 2018 5 Seconds of Summer – TLA – Philadelphia,...

Jacob Banks – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA – December 1, 2017 – Photo by Ruth Bekele © 2017 Jacob Banks – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA – December 1, 2017 Jacob Banks, a British-Nigerian singer and songwriter from Birmingham, England made a stop at the Foundry in Philadelphia PA on a Friday evening in December. Banks released his debut EP “The Monologue” in 2013 and has since released two additional EP’s, “The Paradox” (which came out in 2015) and his most recent EP “The B

Enrique Iglesias – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – October 13, 2017 – Photo by Chris Sanchez © 2017 Enrique Iglesias – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – October 13, 2017 “Who here speaks Spanish?” Enrique Iglesias shouted out to the ecstatic crowd at the Wells Fargo Center the other night. This inner knowledge, the ability to share his music with crossover audiences as well as honoring the traditions of his upbringing, is probably one of the reasons that his car

Jake Miller – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA – September 25, 2017 – Photo by Ruth Bekele © 2017 Jake Miller – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA – September 25, 2017 Twenty-four-year-old pop singer, songwriter and rapper Jake Miller is back on the road and he brought his Back to the Start Tour to The Foundry at the Fillmore in Philadelphia. Before the Florida native took the stage, he had three incredible opening acts that got the crowd pumped for the main event. Each of the ope

Boyce Avenue – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – September 17, 2017 – Photo by Tyler Michael DiValerio © 2017 On Sunday night, Megan Davies got to play in her home state of Pennsylvania at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, where she claims that all the “cool” bands while she was in high school got to perform. This time though, it was Megan who was showcasing her talents, mostly performing her original songs off of her EP “Bad Poetry”, which she released in the beginning of Au

Khalid – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA – August 11, 2017 – Photo by Maggie Mitchell © 2017 Khalid – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA – August 11, 2017 If you haven’t heard the name Khalid in the past few months, then you have obviously been living under a rock. This American Teen has been taking this world by storm. At 19 years old, he’s done more than your typical teenager. Khalid has been giving us hit after hit with his album American Teen . Being so young, he wound up r

Conor Oberst – XPoNential Music Festival – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ – July 28, 2017 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2017 XPoNential Music Festival – BB&T Pavilion & Wiggins Waterfront Park & Marina – Camden, NJ – July 28-30, 2017 Mother nature kept threatening to spoil the party – there were flash flood warnings both Friday night and Saturday – but even mother nature could not stand to stop the music. There were a few drizzles periodically on those days, but the deluges promised

Ed Sheeran – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 12, 2017 – Photo by Rachel Disipio © 2017 Ed Sheeran – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 12, 2017 Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a stop in Philadelphia for two nights on July 11th and 12th. With James Blunt as opening act, the crowd warmed up their singing voices as they sang along to one of Blunt’s most famous songs, “You’re Beautiful.” After James Blunt’s 30-minute set it was time for the man of the hour t

P!NK – Atlantic City Boardwalk – Atlantic City, NJ – July 12, 2017 P!NK – Atlantic City Boardwalk – Atlantic City, NJ – July 12, 2017 We have a saying in my family: If someone offers you an opportunity to jet ski for free, you just say yes (and thank you). So when PopEntertainment offered me the opportunity to cover the 2017 Atlantic City Beachfest Concert Series’ P!NK concert, I just had to say yes. I have been a fan of P!NK’s music for years, have admired videos of her per