What to do in Philly, July 12-18: Belle and Sebastian, Robyn, Blobfest

Have you shaken off your post-holiday-weekend haze yet? If not, may we suggest lounging on the patio later today, cold beer in hand? (If you’re feeling really lazy, get it delivered.) Are the mosquitoes getting you? We’ve got expert advice for keeping them away from your yard, whether it’s for an hour or all summer. Our favorite pro tip: grilling a sprig of rosemary.

If you did regain your energy this week, we have other suggestions. Head out to bustling Phoenixville for Blobfest, Ardmore for restaurant week, or Parkesburg for a long bike ride with Victory Brewing Co. Or stick close to home and shop your local farmers’ market for the makings of a home-cooked meal. — Jenn Ladd (@jrladd, jladd@inquirer.com)

For 20 years, the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville has re-created one of the most iconic scenes from the 1950s Steve McQueen sci-fi classic (which was filmed there), inviting folks to sprint out of its theater en masse. Besides the reenactment, there’s a street fair featuring a fire extinguisher parade and a wacky costume contest, as well as screenings of Teenagers from Outer Space, Forbidden Planet, and, of course, The Blob. — Grace Dickinson

Various times, Friday through Sunday, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, prices vary per activity, 610-917-1228, thecolonialtheatre.com

First Sundays at the Barnes always mean free family programs, but this early-evening block party is bigger than those, spilling from the museum’s parking lot into Target’s with art-making and communal jam sessions led by GLBL VLLG. There will be food trucks and a beer garden, too. — Lauren McCutcheon

5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., free, 215-278-7000, barnesfoundation.org

Restaurant week stretches for two in Ardmore, where you can enjoy a multicourse meal for as low as $10 (for a two-course lunch) or as high as $35 (for a three-course dinner). Culinary options run the gamut, from Korean fried chicken to stuffed poblanos, spicy papaya salad, and Moroccan tagine. It’s also a prime chance to dine at Main Line darlings like the Bercy and Tired Hands Fermentaria. — G.D.

Monday through Sunday, July 28, select locations throughout Ardmore, $10-$35, destinationardmore.com/restaurantweek

Marvel may still have top billing at the city’s biggest science museum, but this week, the Franklin Institute gives props to the Apollo 11’s golden anniversary. Special exhibits, speakers, Night Skies sessions, and films lead up to the 50th itself, on Saturday, July 20, when the museum invites guests to dress up in ’60s attire, wander the Planetarium and the Observatory, and watch the 1969 footage of that small step and that great leap. — L.M.

Monday through Saturday, July 20, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., prices vary per event, 215-448-1200, fi.edu

Head out on a 15-, 30-, or 45-mile pedal-powered ride and be rewarded with two Victory Brewing Co. brews at this bike and beer party. Free coffee and pastries will fuel all participants before heading out, as will snacks at multiple pit stops along the way. At the end, live music, food, a tour, and cold beer await at the Chester County brewery. — G.D.

9 a.m., Saturday, Victory Brewing Co., 3127 Lower Valley Rd., Parkesburg, $25-$70, bikesandbeers.com

Watch as 16 local artists compete in a live art-making tournament at Center City’s Blick. The first round kicks off on Saturday, when the artists have a two-hour window to create a piece based on a theme announced that day. Spectators can cast $5 voting ballots to determine which artists move forward to next week’s throw down, future battle rounds at bars and restaurants, and a finale (with a $1,000 prize). The creative competition, which is touring the East Coast, was dreamed up by a Lehigh Valley marketing firm. — G.D.

4 to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, (also 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., July 20), Blick Arts Materials, 1330 Chestnut St., free to attend, $5 to vote, facebook.com/ArtWars2019

For another artistic competition in a different medium, head to MilkBoy to watch open mic singers — winnowed down to four over several months of vetting — compete for a recording contract, a publishing deal, and radio time. MilkBoy launched the weekly open mic sessions last year. Each week, a winner was chosen to compete in a monthly competition, where the top-voted artists moved onto quarterly showdowns. The finale, featuring Mark Bullet, JJ Brown, Xo What, and Supreme Da Rezarekta, goes down Tuesday. — G.D.

8 p.m., Tuesday, MilkBoy, 1100 Chestnut St., $5 online, $10 at the door, milkboyphilly.com

Later this summer, Belle and Sebastian are sponsoring a cruise ship from Barcelona to Sardinia, headlining a floating three-day festival that includes Yo La Tengo, Camera Obscura, and Philly’s Japanese Breakfast (and many others). But first, the beloved Glasgow band comes to the States to celebrate last year’s politically engaged (and ironically titled) How to Solve Our Human Problems and perhaps preview this fall’s lovely Days of the Bagnold Summer soundtrack. B&S shows are always lovefests for happy introverts, and the band is generous with their extensive back catalog. Opening the sold-out show is Mary Timony’s bracing Ex Hex, whose raucous It’s Real is one of this year’s best. — Steve Klinge

8:30 p.m., Friday, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., sold out, 215-232-2100, utphilly.com

Long one of the most arresting of Americana singer-songwriters, Eilen Jewell remains at the top of her game on the new Gypsy, due Aug. 16. After taking a detour on her last outing by showing off her impressive interpretive skills with a deep dive into the blues, Jewell has returned to self-penned songs that incorporate country, folk, and roots-rock. And whether she’s looking inward, as with the swamp-tinged “Crawl,” or outward, with the sing-along feminist anthem “79 Cents (the Meow Song),” she is razor-sharp. With Jimmy Scranton and His Cosmic Guilt. — Nick Cristiano

7:30 p.m., Saturday, the Locks at Sona, 4417 Main St., Manayunk, $20-$27, 267-606-3595, thelocksmusic.com

In the four decades since the Electric Light Orchestra ruled the pop charts with hits like “Livin’ Thing,” “Strange Magic,” and “Mr. Blue Sky,” Jeff Lynne put his skills as precise producer and arranger to use working with a slew of classic rock acts: Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and, of course, the Traveling Wilburys, the all-star band whose members included those three late songwriters, plus Bob Dylan and Lynne himself. Since 2014, Lynne has been out of the studio and back on the road, touring with the 12-piece band version of what is now billed as Jeff Lynne’s ELO that played Philadelphia last summer to rave reviews. He’s back on Saturday, with George’s son, Dhani Harrison, opening. — Dan DeLuca

8 p.m., Saturday, Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., $49.50-$179.50, 215-336-2000, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

Bill Callahan has recorded prolifically since 1990, first under the rubric Smog and more recently under his own name. But the 53-year-old songwriter and guitarist with the questioning, comforting voice hadn’t released a new studio album for six years before his terrific new Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, an often beautiful 20-song collection. It benefits greatly from a less cryptic, open quality in his writing that’s emerged in response to life events — the death of his mother, getting married, and becoming a father — and seems to have opened up a wellspring of creativity. Jake Xerxes Fussell opens. — D.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., $25, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com

West Coast rap might have a new face and a weird, fresh flow with Blueface, but the first thing you see when you look at the L.A.-born rapper is the tattoo of Ben Franklin on the side of his mug. How Philly is that? Famed first for 2018 single, “Respect My Crypn,” he followed up with the wonkily offbeat rapping on “Thotiana,” his early 2019 single and his biggest hit. He’s currently touting a new track (“Bussdown”) and touring before the release of an upcoming album. You’ll want to get as close to the stage as possible to catch a glimpse of Ben. — A.D. Amorosi

8 p.m., Tuesday, the Fillmore, 26 E. Allen St., $47.50-$92.50, 215-309-0150, thefillmorephilly.com

Robyn has a habit of disappearing, so Wednesday’s show at the Mann, the first of only five U.S. dates this summer, is an event. The Swedish dance-pop star’s last three albums have been uniformly excellent but frustratingly sporadic, with a five-year gap between 2005’s Robyn — her debut on her own label — and 2010’s Body Talk, then another eight before last year’s Honey. But Honey was worth the wait, a thoughtful dance party with svelte pop hooks, joyful but often tinged with melancholy. Wednesday’s rare chance to join Robyn in singing and dancing to songs such as “Missing U,” “Honey,” “Ever After,” and older classics such as “Dancing on My Own” and “Be Mine,” is not to be missed. — S.K.

7 p.m., Wednesday, the Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave., $39.50-$99.50, 800-982-2787, manncenter.org