This weekend, September 6-8:

Hey!  I guess my summer break from this is over, and I'm back.  The summer was pretty slow for rock shows, anyway (except maybe for Firefly, which - can I take a moment to brag? - I was given guest list passes to by one of the bands), but from the looks of it, the musical floodgates are about to open and fill our mid-Atlantic lands with the sweet sounds of ... ugh, I am so sickened by my own attempt at a metaphor that I'm just going to stop right there.  Enjoy your weekends!

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FRIDAY:

General Events:

• Art: This month's Art Is Social event at the Delaware Art Museum: "Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School of Philadelphia is back for this exciting event celebrating French Twist: Masterworks of Photography from Atget to Man Ray! Professional and amateur artists alike are invited to sketch costumed models dressed in Parisian attire." 8pm, free for members, $5 for non-members.  Beer/wine prices are $1-$4.  8-11pm.
• Film: Showings at Theatre N - La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus and I Give it a Year. http://www.theatern.org/Films
• Art On The Town.  5-8pm, all over Wilmington. http://www.artloopwilmingtonde.com/
• Market: Kennett Square year-round Farmers Market, 2-6pm Fridays on State Street.

Concerts:

• Irish Fest at WCL at the Queen, featuring Black 47, The Young Dubliners, The John Byrne Band, and locals Mythica. All ages, doors at 6pm, $28. Ticket link.
• Sold Out: The Melton Brothers with John Lilley (of The Hooters) and harmonica master Bob Beach at the Kennett Flash.

~In Philly and beyond~

• Man Man play an XPN Free At Noon concert at The Porch (nice little landscaped patio) at 30th Street Station.  Noon. Free.  RSVP here: http://xpn.org/events/free-at-noon
• mewithoutYou play Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem. All ages, doors at 7, $18. Ticket link.

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SATURDAY:

General Events:

• Festivals: Brandywine Festival of the Arts. 10am-6:30pm, Brandywine Park. $5 (children under 12 free), includes admission to the zoo. Music by Shane Palko, Jessica Graae, Brene Wilson, and more. Music schedule here: http://www.brandywinearts.com/music/
• Film: Showings at Theatre N - La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus and I Give it a Year. http://www.theatern.org/Films
• Jazz: Jam session at The Nomad Bar at 9th & Orange. Every Saturday, 4-7:30pm, FREE.

Concerts:

• Sponge at The Note in West Chester.  Sponge had a run of success in the mid-90s, with top 5 hits "Molly" and "Plowed".  Opening will be local W.C. band Your Ghost (band bio cliche alert: "If X band and Y band got together and had a super baby, it would be [our band name]"), and Desoto Jones, whose music has been featured on several MTV reality shows. 18+, "doors at 8, show at 8" if that can be trusted, $15.
• Chris Bruni and Geri Smith at the Kennett Flash. 1st 15 people in the door receive a Chris Bruni CD. 21+, doors at 7, $18. Ticket link.
• Folky John Prine is at the Grand Opera House. 8pm, $40-$60. Ticket link.

~In Philly and beyond~

• The Dear Hunter with string quartet at Union Transfer. All ages, $20. Ticket link.
• Blayer Pointdujour and Kuf Knotz play Ortlieb's, a small but charming and historic bar - what I like to think of as an "old man's bar", in the best possible way - in Northern Liberties. 21+, listing is saying 11pm show but that seems pretty late, $5. Ticket link.
• No Age (from LA, on SubPop) and Perfume River (first ever show.  Hmm...) at PhilaMOCA, also a charming, petite place to see a show, on the northern side of Center City. All ages, doors at 7:30, $12. Ticket link.
• Slavic Soul Party and Falu at Johnny Brenda's. 21+, $14. Ticket link.
• "The Hemp Heals Music Festival" at Festival Pier, featuring Rebelution, Matisyahu, and more. $35. All ages, 4pm, $35. Ticket link.
• Blondie plays the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City. $48-$68. Ticket link.

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SUNDAY:

General Events:

• Festivals: Day 2 of Brandywine Festival of the Arts. 10-4pm in Brandywine Park. $5 (children under 12 free). Music by Tilting Windmills and 3 singer-songwriters. Music schedule here: http://www.brandywinearts.com/music/
• Film: The start of the 5th annual Taiwan Film Festival at the Delaware Art Museum. Today's showing is Warriors of the Rainbow, a 2011 epic about a little-known 1930 uprising by Taiwanese aboriginal people against Japanese colonists.  At the DMA, opening remarks at 1pm and film at 1:15, free.
• Film: Showings at Theatre N- La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus and I Give it a Year. http://www.theatern.org/Films

Concerts:

• Interesting hip hop show at Mojo Main tonight, with New Orleans based Outlaw Nation headlining. Openers are D.O.B., Rise N Shine, and Part One Tribe.  Info link.
• Montreal's Suuns and more at Johnny Brenda's. 21+, $10. Ticket link.

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Upcoming: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo at the Boot & Saddle (S. Philly) Monday. Muse and Cage the Elephant at Wells Fargo Center Monday. Spiritualized at Union Transfer Monday. Crystal Bowersox in Sellersville Tuesday. Mayer Hawthorne at Union Transfer Tuesday. The Rosebuds at Johnny Brenda's Tuesday. Pere Ubu at the North Star Wednesday. Pinback at Union Transfer Wednesday. Rusted Root at the Queen Thursday.