Somber, sincere songs with a barroom grit and smokiness, Don Babylon captures the feel of pushing through the gray days in the hope that tomorrow represents a fresh start. As the clouds weigh heavy overhead, the band captures a rough-around-the-edges, honest, in-the-moment sound that’s willing to expose its flaws with storytelling that makes those tales ring true. With their new album Does It Even Matter, Party Muscles delivers crisp, melodic rippers, while Madalean Gauze delivers mesmerizing, psych-infused rock. The Brooklyn-based, garage-rock quintet, Damn Jackals, rounds out this Saturday evening lineup at Boot & Saddle. – Michael Colavita
More places to hit for the non-beach goers this weekend…
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Erin Incoherent, Joe Jack Talcum, The Spirit World, Lust for Nothing, SAT Don Babylon, Madalean Gauze, Party Muscles
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Hardwork Movement, Martronimous, LikeBirds
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI You Do You, Rubber, SAT Andhera, Dark Waters End / Fame Lust, SUN Julia Rainer
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SUN Deep Tissue
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Riverside
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) FRI Function
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Maddogg, Vixen77 / (Downstairs) 25th Anniversary of Jeff Buckley’s Grace (Presented by The Key) The End of America, SAT (Upstairs) A Day Without Love
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SUN Mrs. Kitching
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) Soraia (Vinyl Release), Siravo, Mach 22, SAT Rosu Lup
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Space Donkey and the Moonbouncers (Record Release), Somethin’ Divine, Dot Gov, Archpalatine, SAT Stealing From Thieves, Delmont, Threefold Fire, SUN Fast Car Slow Car, Starberry
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Line Leader, Puppy Angst, SAT Leon Budrow, Blueprint
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Camp Candle (EP Release), Overwinter, Weekend Athlete, SAT The Groove Merchants, Kirby & the Vibe Tribe, Petite Sketches, SUN Mike Space, Highnoom
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Aktive, Richard Issa, SAT DJ Deejay
2nd Street Brew House (1700 S. 2nd St.) FRI Roger Harvey & The High Lifers, Bobby Barnett
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Live Band Karaoke, SAT Live Band Karaoke, SUN Rusty Cadillac
The Tusk (430 South St.) SAT The Lot, Lamplighters
Century (1350 S 29th St.) FRI Tartarus Horde, Since the Fire
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI The Death of Saul, Port Arthur, Radish
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI DJ Mighty Mike Saga, Elijvh Vrms, SUN The End of Summer Bash
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT DJ Ricky Lee, SUN Frank Daly
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Lower Case Blues, James Pace Band, Ghost of the Mill, SAT This Kills Me, Erin Incoherent
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Jellyroll, Kenn Kweder, SAT Splintered Sunlight, The Newspaper Taxis, SUN Catullus
Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) FRI Moral Code
The Mothership (602 S. 52nd St.) SAT Impressionist, Likebirds, Hermit High Priestess
Couchtown (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Twin Beds, Mechanical Canine, Carly Cosgrove