Arrah and the Ferns’ live performance has really come into its own in the last year or two. That is why I was greatly sadden to hear that tonight’s album release show at PhilaMOCA will be their last show together for a very long while. Like many bands that I’ve come to know and love over the years, there comes a point in time when growing pains set in and personal lives takeover. Daniel Ryan Belski will be leaving Philly to study in Montana for his master’s degree in music. Arrah Fisher will be taking off on a lengthy journey to see the world in August. And drummer Mike Harkness has joined The Extraordinaires, replacing Smoker. To quote The Rolling Stone: “This could be the last time/maybe the last time/I don’t know!” Whatever it is. Let’s send these wonderful, talented people off with a bang! (Also they’ll be joined this evening by Pretty & Nice, Andrew Cedermark and Jackie Paper, and all attendees will get a free download card for Arrah and the Ferns’ beautiful new record Make Your Mind, which you can listen to below.) PhilaMOCA, 531 12th St., 8pm, $7 – $10 Donation, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
Weekend Warrior, May 24 – 27
Other things going on this Memorial Day weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Watery Love, Perfume River
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI (Downstairs) Residuels, The Tough Shits, (Upstairs) Avery Rosewater, The Interest Group, SAT Blayer Pointdujour and The Rockers Galore, SUN (Downstairs) Hound, Static Mountain, (Upstairs) House of Fire
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI North Philly Funk Band, Jeff Thomas’ All-Volunteer Army, Dave Quicks Quartet
Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) SAT Hop Along, Cayetana
Bamboo Bar (927 Delaware Ave.) SUN Making Time Rad-B-Q
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Big Terrible, Ali Wadsworth, Satellite Hearts, SAT The Retinas, The Chelsea Kills
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Sundrop Festival w/Modern Colour, The Terribles, SAT Sundrop Festival w/Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang, Anjuli Josephine, Chalk & The Beige America, Wallace Brothers Band, Satellite Hearts, TheMuffinManIsABand, Sweetbriar Rose, Adam & Dave’s Bloodline, Former Belle, Mike Bell & The Movies, Jerimiah Tall, CaveWomen, SUN Sundrop Festival w/Andrew Lipke, Slowey & The Boats, August John Lutz II, Up The Chain, Kevin Killen, A Fistful of Sugar, Brad Hinton, Bob Dylan Tribute Night w/Foxhound, The Spinning Leaves, Swedeland, Reverend TJ McGlinchey, Andrew Lipke, Brad Hinton, Kevin Killen, Mat Burke, The Matt Helm Scream, Levee Drivers, Showey & The Boats
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Philadelphia Music Co-Op Presents: Folk Fest Showcase, SAT Glim Dropper
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) SUN Maiden Creek Lodge
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) FRI Daniel Collins, Daniel Scholl, James Hearne
TLA (334 South St.) FRI The High Five, SAT Peedi Crakk, Black Deniro, Chase Allen, MZ Lynx, Teff
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Sparklefight, Mad World Order, Bong Hits For Jesus
The Blockley (3801 Chestnut St.) FRI Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Boris Garcia, Fisher, SAT Splintered Sunlight, Montoj, House Jawn, SUN Let’s Dance (Deathwaltz & Blockley Tribute to David Bowie) w/Nicos Gun, Tom McKee’s Spiders From Mars
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT The Hype’s Show Me Your Soul Festival, SUN Gorilla Music Presents: Philadelphia Battle of The Bands Finals
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Pravda, The Revere, The Naked Suns, SAT The DeFused, Sunshine Superman, Kenny Raye, Fantastic Planet, SUN Judah Priest
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI The Menzingers, Restorations
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Vitamin Cheese, Emmett Drueding, Community Service
The Barbary (951 N. Frankford St.) SUN Ma Jolie, Omar
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI The Great Endangered, SAT Stealing Fame, Above Conneticut, Palaceburn, Mike Nappi
Mt. Thrashmore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Rock Bottom, Benchpress
Golden Tea House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Hoax, Muscle Revolution, SAT Greek Favourites, Address
Safety Meeting (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Post Sun Times, Castellan, Hugface
Moishe House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Blown Away, Sasha Aleiner
The Old Folks Home (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Rasputin’s Secret Police, Cousin Brian, The Snails
Don’t Tread on Me House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Thief, Steal Me A Peach, Christopher Walking, Airman Trout, Lucy Spacehead, Leaky Soups, Twin Pines, Tiger Lily, The House Cat
Rooftop Studios (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI The Bedouins, Cornelius The Third, No Excuse For A Cheap Suit
The Hovel (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT The Bedouins, Cornelius The Third, No Excuse For A Cheap Suit