Black Opry Residency, Ibeyi, and Future & Friends are all headed to Philadelphia this week
Future's hip-hop party is at the Wells Fargo Center. The Black Opry Residency and Ibeyi are at World Cafe Live, and Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar's guitar showcase is in New Hope.
This week’s highlights include an all-star hip-hop show in South Philly, a free Black Opry showcase, and a Parisian sister act in West Philly. There’s more: a guitar summit in Bucks County and an African desert blues band in Fishtown.
1. Future & Friends
Future, the Atlanta-based melodic mumble rapper, has turned impresario, hosting his “One Big Party Tour” with rotating guests. The trap music maker who hit his artistic peak with DS2 in 2015 and Evol in 2016, and continued to ride high with last year’s I Never Liked You, will be joined in Philly by Don Tolliver, G. Herbo, Mariah the Scientist, and Dess Dior. $80-$240, 7 p.m., March 24, Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com.
2, WXPN Black Opry Residency Showcase
Since 2021, the Black Opry Revue has been a touring entity initiated by Nashville music lover Holly G. It showcases Black country and Americana artists in round-robin songwriter performances, like the ones staged at City Winery Philadelphia and the Xponential Music Festival, last year. This year, WXPN-FM (88.5) has created a residency project with five musicians who have been mentored in Philadelphia by veteran songwriters and industry insiders. The five residents are Nashville-based artists Tylar Bryant, Denitia, and The Kentucky Gentlemen; plus Grace Givertz from Boston and Philadelphia’s own Samantha Rise. All five will showcase their sounds and show off all that they learned and created at the World Cafe Live. Free, 8 p.m., March 24, 3025 Walnut St., worldcafelive.com
3. Ibeyi
Parisian sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz sing in English, French, Spanish, and Yoruba, the language in which ibeyi translates as “twins.” (They’re fraternal, not identical.) Their father is Cuban percussionist Miguel “Angá” Diaz. Their 2022 album, Spell, moves fluidly among genres, even including a reinterpretation of punk rock band Black Flag’s “Rise Above.” Ojerime opens. $30-$45, 8 p.m., March 25, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., worldcafelive.com.
4. Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar
Sonny Landreth is the Breaux Bridge, La., bottleneck slide guitar great who has shown himself to be an underrated singer and songwriter on albums like South of I-10 and Bound by the Blues. He has backed John Hiatt, Jimmy Buffet, and many others. Cindy Cashdollar is a master of the dobro and steel guitar. She’s won five Grammy awards with Western swing kings Asleep at the Wheel and has backed Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Leon Redbone, and Dave Alvin. Landreth and Cashdollar are playing together, which ought to be fascinating with such dazzling musicians playing off of one another. $40, 8 p.m., March 25, New Hope Winery, 6123 Low York Road, New Hope, newhopewinery.com
5. Etran de L’Aįr
With a name that IDs them as stars of the mountainous Aįr region of northern Niger, this family band is from Agadez, the city known as the capital of Saharan rock. They conjure a hypnotic, electrified sound that will be familiar to fans of African desert blues groups like Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar, but with a free-ranging spirit befitting a trio that also plays weddings to pay the bills. Emily Robb opens. $17, 8 p.m., March 28, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. johnnybrendas.com