What to do in Philly, July 19-25: Rolling Stones, J-Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Star Wars’ at the Mann

A flurry of blockbuster concert acts descends on Philly this week, in tandem with the hottest temperatures of the year — it hit 95 degrees yesterday, and worse is expected this weekend. But that presumably won’t stop the Stones, J-Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen, and John Mayer from coming to town. (Also the Mountain Goats, a personal favorite.)

It probably will — or should — stop you from taking a long run this Saturday, but once we’re out of heat-health-emergency territory, consider these tips on working out when it’s hot outside, even if you don’t have an air-conditioned gym to retreat to. We also answer the oft-asked question: Do you burn more calories when you work out in the heat?

Finally, if you’re looking to feel far away this weekend, consider observing the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Most celebrations happen Saturday, but you can also relive it through the recollections of these Philly stargazers.

— Jenn Ladd (@jrladd, jladd@inquirer.com)

Wood-fired pizza topped with pork ragu, a peppercorn ranch-slathered crispy “chicken” sandwich, steamed dumplings and spicy curry: Just a few options you can choose from during University City Dining Days. The three-course deals will be on menus at more than 30 West Philly restaurants, from Dock Street Brewery to Walnut Street Cafe, with culinary options as wide-ranging as Ethiopian, Indian, Vietnamese, and dim sum, plus farm-to-table fare. Dinners are priced at $15, $25, and $35; lunches at $15 and $25. Reservations are encouraged. — Grace Dickinson

Thursday, July 18, through July 28, various locations in University City, $15-$35, ucdiningdays.com

One of the most gratifying aspects of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s current concentration on live orchestra-to-film concerts is, well, you. Films in the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises bring out the kind of fan who knows every twist and turn, so visceral audience reactions become a part of the experience. Best of all, these fans are good listeners, too, and they tend to stay through the credit-roll at the end of the movie to make sure the orchestra gets a few minutes of ovations. This year’s presentations of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (music by Patrick Doyle) and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams wrote the score) are likely to produce no less a wave of gratitude for the ensemble. — Peter Dobrin

8 p.m., Saturday (“Harry Potter”) and 8 p.m., Friday, July 26 (“Star Wars”), 5201 Parkside Ave., $25-$85, 800-982-2787, manncenter.org

Launched 10 years ago by Bucks County-based writer D.F. Whipple, the New Hope Film Festival spotlights underappreciated filmmakers from around the world. This year’s selection includes nearly 90 films, sourced from Ghana, Thailand, Argentina, and beyond, as well as work from a small group of local artists from Bucks, Lehigh, and Hunterdon Counties. Topics include LGBTQ issues, sex trafficking, life on a deaf football team, and relationships, with film styles ranging from documentary to comedic narratives to music videos to animation. — G.D.

Friday through Sunday, July 28, select locations in New Hope, $11-$12.50, 1-800-838-3006, newhopefilmfestival.com

Want to test your FIFA gaming skills against Philly’s own soccer pros? Several Philadelphia Union players, as well as retired Phillie Ryan Howard and hip-hop artist Freeway, are participating in a two-on-two video game tournament. Interested competitors can bid online for a chance to play. The 18 highest-bidding fans will get a spot in the tournament. All proceeds will go toward charities, including CHOP’s Center for Childhood cancer Research and the Ronald McDonald House. The BYOB event is free to watch. — G.D.

6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Localhost Philadelphia, 908 N. 3rd St., free to watch, philadelphiaunion.com/fans/2v2-charity-fifa

Spend a day this weekend beautifying community spaces with the Philadelphia City Repair Project. Volunteers will build picnic benches, create flower beds, paint fences, pull weeds, tile, pick up litter, and more in various North and West Philly spaces: the Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden, the Sankofa House, North Philly Peace Park, Uber Street Garden Cooperation, and the Creative Vine. Afterward, celebrate the community efforts at after-parties at Kensington’s Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden, on both Friday and Saturday night, each featuring live music, guest speakers, food, and drinks. — G.D.

Various times and locations Friday and Saturday, free to volunteer, $10 suggested donation for after-parties, facebook.com/PhillyCityRepair

The spectacle that is Cirque unravels a love story with a focus on strong women, mostly goddesses — as if Cirque produced anything else. Forty(!) performances make this one hard to miss. — Lauren McCutcheon

Opens Wednesday, with additional performances through Aug. 25, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, $54 and up, 877-924-7783, cirquedusoleil.com/amaluna

The Mountain Goats are no strangers to concept albums: Songwriter (and novelist) John Darnielle has written song cycles about professional wrestling (Beat the Champ in 2015) and teenage goth culture (Goths in 2017). The new In League With Dragons would seem to follow suit as a thematic exploration of the fantasy board game Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, though, only a handful of songs deep dive into D&D. Instead, Darnielle explores mythological figures other than flying, fire-breathing lizards, such as former New York Mets pitcher “Doc” Gooden. Black Sabbath singer and road warrior Ozzy Osbourne is the theme of the fabulous “Passaic 1975”: “Tonight Indianapolis, tomorrow the flood.” The idealistic hopes for humanity are expressed in the song’s hook: “I want everyone to get high.” With Erin McKeown. — Dan DeLuca

8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $31, 215-231-2100, utphilly.com

And the award for playing the most times at Making Time, Philadelphia DJ-impresario Dave Pianka’s roving dance party, goes to … the Rapture, the recently reunited New York dance-punk-funk outfit led by singer-guitarist Luke Jenner. The band that first came to prominence with “House of Jealous Lovers” on James Murphy’s DFA label in 2002 and that first played Making Time at the 2-4 Club (now Voyeur Nightclub) in 2003 is coming back for the record-breaking sixth time to another Philly venue with a name that is also a number. They’re at 714 on Friday, with Tandem Jump, Zillas on Acid, and, of course, globe-trotting party starter Dave P. himself. Tickets are available sans service charges at the Last Drop Coffee House. — D.D.

9 p.m., Friday, 714, 714 W. Girard Ave., $20, facebook.com/makingtimeisrad

What with Bruce Springsteen following his Broadway show by spending 2019 as a recording (but not touring) artist, E Street Band members have another year to spend on their own creative pursuits. Which means that consigliere Steven Van Zandt is following up Soulfire — his 2017 album made up mostly of his own versions of songs he gave away to other artists — with Summer of Sorcery. Its all-brand-new Van Zandt songs summon up a horns-and-backup-singers, 1960s-style Wall of Sound that the singer, guitarist, and Sopranos-Lilyhammer actor will bring to life with a 16-piece band in Glenside. — D.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, $55-$81.50, 215-572-7650, keswicktheatre.com

The omni-talented, multi-hyphenate that is J-Lo hasn’t performed in the area as a solo touring artist since touching down at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall in 2012. She’s been too busy producing and appearing in cop series (Shades of Blue) and dance competitions (World of Dance), stripper musicals (her upcoming Hustlers with Cardi B), working out, and getting engaged to another high-profile hyphenate (A-Rod). But any flurry of J-Lo film work usually comes with new music, so along with this “It’s My Party” tour of her Latin-laced greatest hits, expect fresh funky grooves and her usual light, lyric soprano trilling as part of the act. — A.D. Amorosi

8 p.m., Saturday, Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., $49.95-$499.95, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

With King of California in 1994, Dave Alvin successfully rebooted from self-described “blues guitar basher” to folkish troubadour, with acoustic textures and slower tempos dominating. The quieter, more measured approach highlighted just how great a songwriter the former Blasters guitarist is, and it also helped the late-to-vocalizing performer find his voice as a singer. Since then, Alvin has alternated between electric and acoustic, but on the heels of a 25th-anniversary reissue of King of California, he is on the road with multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz, the album’s producer and Alvin’s key accompanist on the set, and singer Christy McWilson. — Nick Cristiano

8 p.m., Saturday, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., $30-$32, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com

There are no maybes about Carly Rae Jepsen’s place in the pop universe: She’s both a pop star and a critic’s favorite. In the summer of 2012, Jepsen seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder based on the ubiquitous and unapologetically perky earworm “Call Me Maybe.” But the Canadian has since proved an adventurous and wide-ranging songwriter and singer, both on 2015’s Emotion and especially this year’s Dedicated. With the squelchy synth-pop of “Julien,” the slow-build ecstasy of “Now That I’ve Found You,” and the thumping, swirling “Party for One,” Jepsen has a growing canon of undeniable tracks to offer the sold-out crowd at the Fillmore on Saturday. Call that definite. — Steve Klinge

8 p.m., Saturday, the Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., sold out, 215-309-0150, thefillmorephilly.com

John Mayer has been many things in his nearly two decades as a performer: pop hit-maker, blues revivalist, guitar god, reformed provocateur. While it isn’t always easy to get a handle on Mayer’s latest craze/phase, his talent is unmistakable. Fresh off his six-week tour with Dead & Company, he’s hitting the road with his seven-member band (including Pino Palladino on bass) and a backing singer. There is no opening act, and the shows are split into two sets covering his entire career. While the seven-time Grammy winner hasn’t released a new album since 2017’s The Search for Everything, he put out a single earlier this year, “I Guess I Just Feel Like,” implying more new music is forthcoming. So fans will be treated to a career-spanning mix of material, stretching back to Mayer’s first hit, 2002’s exuberant “No Such Thing.” — Nicole Pensiero

7:30 p.m., Monday, Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., $59.50-$164.50,1-800-298-4200, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

Funny how a reminder of impending mortality can turn something as grandiose as a Rolling Stones stadium tour into an emotionally meaningful event. The once-greatest rock-and-roll band in the world has been around so long that the members’ aged presence is taken for granted. The “No Filter” tour ceased being ho-hum when dates were postponed this spring when Mick Jagger underwent heart surgery. The procedure was an apparent success, and the 75-year-old singer is quickly getting back in action. Gimme Mick! — D.D.

8 p.m., Tuesday, Lincoln Financial Field, 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way, resale tickets from $170 and up, 267-570-4000, lincolnfinancialfield.com