Philly Music Concert Series Summer 2013

June 6, 2013

Roundup: Our Guide To The Awesome Lineup Of Recurring Outdoor Concert Series Set To Rock Philadelphia This Summer

Posted by Jillian Wilson

Filed in: ARTS MUSIC

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It's a summer chock-full of concert series' in the Philadelphia region, an array of live music fills the city and countryside all summer. (Photo by M. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Few things make a better pair than summer and live music.

While some of this summer’s concert series require purchasing a ticket purchase and planning ahead, many are free and open to the public, making for the perfect option for last-minute diversions.

As always, you can reference our events calendar to see what’s happening on a specific day or weekend, and look out for additional coverage on a lot of these events and festivals in the days and weeks to come, but for now, start making notes about the live music you’d like to see.

If you know of any other summer concert series happening in the City of Brotherly Love, be sure to let us know!

Our summer concert series picks satisfies all musical preferences; jazz, hip hop, ukele, pop, indie and much more. Read on for your summer music fix.

• 40th Street Summer Series: On the last Saturday of June, July, August and September, University City District presents the annual 40th Street Summer Seriesconcerts. The free concerts also include general festivities for children and adults to enjoy — fire artists, face painting, jugglers, balloon art and more. Concerts are located at 40th and Walnut Streets. The next concert is on Saturday, June 29 and features the Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra. Upcoming concert dates are July 27, August 31 and September 28.

• Center City Lunchtime Concert Series: From noon to 1:30 p.m., various locations in Center City host musicians of all sort for lunchtime concerts every Wednesday through August 28. Locations include Sister Cities Park, the Comcast Center and the Shops at Liberty Place. Concerts range from jazz to acoustic to reggae and are all free(!). Click here for the full schedule. In the case of rain, head to Reading Terminal Market for live music indoors.

• 104.5 Summer Block Parties: Radio 104.5 presents both up-and-coming and super-popular indie artists in a summer series of free concerts at the Piazza in Northern Liberties. The summer block partiesoccur once a month all summer, look out for the next one on Saturday, June 8. Metric, Royal Teeth and Goodnight Lights entertain at the June concert. As the summer continues, Cold War Kids, Panic! At The Disco and more provide Philadelphia with a rockin’ good time. Upcoming concerts are on July 13, August 3 and September 14.

• R5 Productions’ Free Summer Concerts at Morgan’s Pier: On various Wednesday nights throughout the summer, Morgan’s Pier comes alive with the sounds of live (and free!) music. R5 Productions’ free summer concerts begin on June 12 with performances from We Were Promised Jetpacks and PAWS. The free concerts continue as the summer progresses, with a few concerts each summer month. Click here for Morgan’s Pier’s events calendar.

• Friday Night Jazz in Cedar Park: Every Friday night in June and July, listen to live jazz from 6 to 8 p.m. in Cedar Park (at 49th Street and Baltimore Avenue). Every week, a new jazz group performs for the West Philly audience. Concerts run through Friday, July 26.

• City Hall Presents: On Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., live entertainment abounds in the courtyard at City Hall. Week by week, various musicians and performers take the stage for engaging concerts of all sorts. Spoken word and circus acts even make their way into the lineup. The series runs every Wednesday through August 28, with the exception of July 3.

• Concerts in the Park at Rittenhouse Square: On August 14, 21 and 28, Philadelphia Weekly presents its annual concerts in the park at Rittenhouse Sqaure. The evening concerts combine a variety of types of music (think everything from jazz to rock to country) and are totally free.

• Philadelphia Orchestra Free Neighborhood Concerts: Currently, only one of the hugely popularPhiladelphia Orchestra Neighborhood Concerts is slated for the summer, but it’s a concert you do not want to miss. On July 2, RiverStage at Penn’s Landing ushers in a free performance from the acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra followed by a fireworks show over the Delaware River. Additional concert dates are a possibility, so stay tuned.

• P.M. at the Penn Museum Summer Nights: The Penn Museum hosts evening concerts every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of its P.M. at the Penn Museum concert series. On concert evenings, the galleries at the Penn Museum remain open until 8 p.m. to allow guests to explore the extensive collection. Admission to the P.M. at the Penn Museum event is $5 per person. The concerts begin on Wednesday, June 19 and run through September 11.

• Smooth Jazz Summer Nights at Penn’s Landing: Every Friday night in August at 7:30 p.m., Penn’s Landing welcomes jazz tunes to the Great Plaza. Smooth Jazz Summer Nights kick off on Friday, August 2 with a performance by Alex Bugnon, a pianist and composer. All concerts are free and end with a spectacular fireworks show.

• Third Thursdays Live and Local at Race Street Pier: On the third Thursday in June, July, August and September, Race Street Pier turns into an oasis for live music and river breezes. From 6 to 9 p.m. an assortment of music entertains guests. The next concert is on Thursday, June 20.

• Jazz in Hawthorne Park: Hawthorne Park at 12th and Catharine Streets supplies Philadelphia with its jazz fix on the third Thursday of every month. Beginning at 7 p.m. on June 20, July 18, August 15 and September 19, live (and free!) concerts welcome guests to groove to the tunes of jazz musicians on the Catharine Street stage.

• Sugarhouse Casino’s Waterfront Concert Series: Every Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Sugarhouse Casino ushers in musical groups for an evening of outdoor dancing and dining. Each event brings local bands from a variety of genres to the stage. This summer, Sugarhouse also welcomes two new outdoor bars so guests can indulge in eats and beverages without leaving the outdoor music oasis. The first performance of the season is on July 4, and the concerts run through September 7.

• Carillon Concerts at Longwood Gardens: On almost every Sunday throughout the summer months, folks are invited out to Longwood Gardens for a series of peaceful concerts. The Carillon Concerts at Longwood Gardens begin at 3 p.m., and are located at the Chimes Tower and feature bell performances from different musicians each week. Concerts are included in the price of general admission.

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Celebrating the Spriit of Competition - Simeone Automotive Museum and Embassy Suites Philadelphia-Airport

"Celebrating the Spirit of Competition" Simeone Automotive Museum

After a visit to the Simeone Automotive Museum chances are you'll never look at museums in  the same way again.  Simeone is not the last home for automobile racing  relics gathering dust in dimly lit  corners, forgotten in some massive space.  This museum lets you experience the sounds, smells and see classic vehicles in motion.  The displays are centered around the Museum's theme - Celebrating the Spirit of Competition.   Visitors can be classic car enthusiasts but if you are interested in art, history, science or just want to get in touch with your inner competitor -- you owe yourself a visit here.   

The Simeone Museum is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can see, hear, and smell famous race cars run. The Demo Days, which began in 2009, feature extremely rare racing sports cars from the Simeone collection being driven on the three-acre lot in back of the Museum. A brief lecture by Dr. Simeone on the importance of the cars and their place in history precedes each driving demonstration.

Click Here to see what's happening at the Museum.

Simeone Automotive Museum 6825 Norwitch Drive,Philadelphia, Pa., 19153
(215) 365-7233 is 2.6 Miles - 5 minutes via Hotel Shuttle from Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport

Make your visit to the Simeone Automotive Museum an over-night success with this exclusive package with Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport which includes:

• Two adult admission tickets to Simeone Automotive Museum
• Hotel shuttle transportation to and from Museum
• Free cooked to order breakfast
• Two Room Suite
• Complimentary Evening Reception
• Complimentary Internet Access

Click here to begin your Simeone Automotive Museum Experience

Visit Motorweek's expose about Simeone Automotive Museum on You Tube

Celebrate the 4th of July Philadelphia Style

Star-Studded Lineup for 2013

 Wawa Welcome America! 

Lou Perri

Sunday, May 12, 2013 • 8:47am

Once again, Philadelphia is celebrating the nation’s birthday in style by putting on “The Largest Free Concert in America,” as part of the Wawa Welcome America! festival. Today, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that the Philly 4th of July Jam will feature a number of top musical artists, including: The Roots, John Mayer, Jill Scott, Demi Lovato, Ne-Yo, Grace Potter and J. Cole, along with Ben Taylor and other surprise guests. An additional performance by Marsha Ambrosius will take place on July 6 during the Taste of Philadelphia.

 

 

“The City of Philadelphia is proud to welcome an incredibly talented group of musicians to our city this Fourth of July,” said Mayor Nutter. “We believe that this year’s festival will go down in history as the best yet. We know that Philadelphia is the foremost place to celebrate our nation’s birthday. With this superb lineup of talent, we have an opportunity to prove it to the world.”

 

Philadelphia’s own The Roots, will return as the house band for the Philly 4th of July Jam. This year’s guest artists will join The Roots on stage in a series of nonstop, electrifying performance

 

 

John Mayer is one of few musicians to achieve both critical acclaim and popular appeal. A seven-time Grammy Award winner, Mayer has earned accolades for each album release while selling more than 20 million albums worldwide. Known as a musician who defies genre boundaries, he has collaborated with a range of artists, including Eric Clapton, B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.  His most recent album—Born and Raised—is nearing platinum and he kicks off his first tour in three years on July 6 in Milwaukee, WI.

 

After launching her career through several projects with the Disney Channel, Demi Lovato made a smooth transition into the world of Pop music before she even turned 20. With three successful albums under her belt and a fourth on the way, Lovato is a force to be reckoned with. In 2012, Demi was hired as a judge for the second season of the American version of The X Factor, and it has been confirmed that she will return for the show’s third season. “Heart Attack,” the lead single from her upcoming album, Demi, sold more than 500,000 copies and was certified Gold in just four weeks! Demi is scheduled to be released on May 14.

 

Jill Scott, a Philadelphia native and accomplished R&B songstress, has filled the airwaves with her music for more than a decade. With four studio albums and several Grammy, she has proven that she is here to stay.Scott has also been seen recently on HBO's Number One Ladies Detective Agency, Lifetime's Steel Magnolias, and numerous other film and TV projects.

 

 

A Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, Ne-Yo is one of the most talented artists in music today. With tracks such as “Give Me Everything” and “Let Me Love You,” Ne-Yo continues to dominate the Pop and R&B charts. When the R&B superstar isn’t recording platinum albums and Top 10 singles of his own, he lends his talents to others in the industry. For years, Ne-Yo has penned hits for Pop’s biggest stars, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and others.

 

 

When Grace Potter began performing with her band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in 2002, they were self-producing albums and touring extensively on the festival circuit, sometimes doing more than 200 shows a year. Today, the Vermont-based band has taken its place among music industry peers, creating critically acclaimed albums and having their music featured on hit TV shows like The Voice and The X Factor. Grace’s unique voice has landed her numerous comparisons to legendary rock blues singers such as Janis Joplin.

 

 

J. Cole, the first artist to sign to Jay Z's Roc Nation label, is one of the most successful emerging hip-hop artists in the game today.  After releasing several successful mixtapes on his own, the young rapper’s long-awaited debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, and sold more than 200,000 copies in the first week. J. Cole also received a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 2012.

 

 

Ben Taylor, the son of legendary folk rock artists James Taylor and Carly Simon, is currently on tour promoting his album Listening – his first in four years. After self-producing his music for more than a decade,Listening is Taylor’s first album with Iris Records.

 

 

“We are excited to be back celebrating the Fourth of July in our hometown and we can’t wait to put on another great show for everyone on the Parkway this year,” said The Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson. “These artists, who represent a variety of genres, are a perfect fit for the eclectic musical community that can be found in Philadelphia.”

 

 

This year, Wawa Welcome America! is giving festival attendees more reasons to celebrate with free events and performances extending past the Fourth of July. One of those performances will be that of Marsha Ambrosius, who will fill Penn’s Landing with the sounds of her soulful music on Saturday, July 6, followed by the Adventure Aquarium Waterfront Fireworks Spectacular. Ambrosius, who made a name for herself as a member of the duo Floetry, released her first solo album, Late Nights & Early Mornings in 2011. The album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard R&B charts, and its second single, “Far Away,” landed her two Grammy nominations.

 

The 2013 festival calendar provides visitors with enticing reasons to stay in Philadelphia after the Fourth of July holiday and enjoy all that the City has to offer. Wawa Welcome America! encourages travelers to extend their vacation and continue their holiday celebrations after observing the nation’s birthday, in its birthplace.

 

 

“Wawa Welcome America! is looking forward to putting on another outstanding festival this year,” said Desiree Peterkin-Bell, City Representative and Executive Director of Welcome America, Inc. “We are determined to provide our guests with the best possible experience during this 20^th anniversary year, and we believe that the musical talent secured for this year’s festival will help us achieve just that.”

 

 

Additional details about Wawa Welcome America!’s musical performances, including local acts that will be a part of the festivities, will be available online closer to the start of the festival.

 

Wawa Welcome America! is a multi-day festival that celebrates America’s birthday in America’s birthplace, Philadelphia. In 2013, Welcome America, Inc. is proud to celebrate 20 years as the producer of Philadelphia’s Fourth of July festival. For more information, please visit www.welcomeamerica.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wawawelcomeamerica and follow us on Twitter at @July4thPhilly.

 

Enjoy some of the music from WaWa Welcome America 2012