The Owl and the Nightingale

MARCH

6 THE POGUES While the Pogues’ original singer, punk, poet, and all-around troublemaker Shane MacGowan remains wheelchairbound, from a 2015 accident, others lead the march in his name. Johnny Depp and director Julian Temple are preparing a documentary film on his life and that of his merry Irish band. Better still, original Pogues Spider Stacy and Cait O’Riordan, when not busy writing a Broadway-bound musical based on MacGowan’s life and music, lead an allIrish ensemble playing the Pogues greatest hits just before St. Patrick’s Day. This should be a drunken mess and all the better for it. City Winery Phila., citywinery.com/Philadelphia

6 LOUIS CK Here’s a production that could go either way: two shows with Louis CK, a comedian brought down by the weight of his own stupidity and privilege, to say nothing of women rightfully empowered by all things #MeToo. CK took a break

from performing to listen to what women were saying without having apologized too much for his wrongs. Some would say he didn’t truly express sorrow, or that he wasn’t away from the stage long enough. Then again, the first show sold out so fast that a second performance was added, a late show, for that same March 6 night. So who is right and who is wrong? Perhaps letting an audience decide how long a season in hell should be is best. We’ll see how this night turns out. The Met Philadelphia, themetphilly.com

8 SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS 25TH ANNIVERSARY One of the snazziest and most inventive ensembles responsible for the 90s era new swinging revival return. Not as good as watching “Swingers,” but way better than having to listen to fellow jazzbo revivalists Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. World Café Live, worldcafelive.com

10 JEFF PARKER’S THE NEW BREED One of the driving forces of Tortoise and the whole of the new Chicago avantgarde, this guitarist brings a supposedly autobiographical vision to his eclectic original music. Johnny Brenda’s, johnnybrendas.com

10 WIRE With the Gang of 4’s Andy Gill recently deceased, the originators of the London underground is getting smaller. God bless Colin Ewman and the rest of Wire for continuing and advancing that level of madness and noise, with yet another new bold and noisy album, Mind Hive. Underground Arts,undergroundarts.com

12 SUN OF GOLDFINGER An avant-garde all-star unholy allegiance of Fripp-like guitarist David Torn (Carter Burwell, David Bowie), squirrelly saxophonist Tim Berne (Julius Hemphill, Joey Baron, Nels Cline), and clunky percussionist Ches Smith (Xiu Xiu, Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog) hit the boards of Fishtown’s finest live hall. Johnny Brenda’s, johnnybrendas.com

13 THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 30TH FLOOD ANNIVERSARY The Johns, Linell, and Flansburgh, proves that thirty years later, its best work, Flood, is still as ghoulish and goofy as it is gloriously inventive and melodically flush. Union Transfer, utphilly.com

13 BILLIE EILISH Eilish and her brother, Finneas, won a bushel full of Grammys, got to perform the memorial segment for the Academy’s dead at the Oscars, and got the nod to write and record a new James Bond theme, the quietly creepy “No Time to Die.” Great. The pair deserves as much after having won the hearts and wallets of young and old alike with

the ethereal electro-pop of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? What she’ll do for an encore is anybody’s guess beyond more of the same. For now, let these kids enjoy their extended victory lap. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

14 JIM MESSINA Long before Kenny Loggins went “Footloose,” he was part of an LA soft rock ensemble, Loggins & Messina, who made their bones with a single entitled “Your Mama Don’t Dance (and Your Daddy Don’t Rock n’ Roll”). A true precursor to Loggins’ paean dedicated to low levels of fun, their duo’s hit was the beginning of the end, as Kenny became a pop star, and Messina stayed in the folk-rock vein. But, while Loggins became a punchline (albeit a rich one),

Messina continued, respectfully, making deeply felt, American roots music. Good for him. Steelstacks Bethlehem, steelstacks.org

15 EVERLAST The Caucasian rapper behind House of Pain’s “Jump Around” wound up with a handsome acoustic rock troubadour’s career, to go with his husky voice, after the age of hip hop consent had waned. He’s made a decent go of it, and still manages to include his rap hits into the new frank folk mix. Steelstacks Bethlehem, steelstacks.org

20 “THE BACHELOR” LIVE It’s a live show based on the television exploits of one sad man in a tux and 20 women desperate for his attention. This will sell out in a minute. The Met Philadelphia, themetphilly.com

20 THE AMISH OUTLAWS Either this is a Lancaster-based take on the attitude-laden country stars of the same name, or it’s those badass, methdealing Amish cats forming a band. Either way, yikes. Steelstacks Bethlehem, steelstacks.org

22 MAYA BAISER’S BLACKSTAR SYMPHONY Still fresh in people’s minds as David Bowie’s last album, the elegiac, angular Blackstar gets a new breathy interpretation courtesy cellist/composer Maya Beiser. Annenberg Center/Travel Guide to Nicaragua Premiere, annenbergcenter.org

25 MEAT LOAF PRESENTS: BAT Here’s an interesting concept: Meat Loaf, the singer and muse behind composer Jim Steinman’s vision of love, lust, and Phil Spector-like metal courtesy 'Bat Out of Hell’ can’t hit the hard high notes like he once did. American Idol winner Caleb Johnson can, though, and with Meat’s blessing, the new singer will take ‘Bat Out of Hell’ for a spin with Loaf's original band, the Neverland Express. Considering that Steinman is staging the Bat as a touring, OffBroadway musical with WPVI-TV’s Don Polec’s kid in the lead, all bets are off. World Café Live, worldcafelive.com

31 LESLIE ODOM, JR. The Tony winner for playing Aaron Burr in the original Broadway version of Hamilton is a beloved Philadelphia actor and vocalist who not only has a new album in “Mr.,” but a film career filled with big movies such as “Harriet” (still running in theaters), the currently lensing “One Night in Miami” from first-time director Regina King and the sequel to “The Sopranos” series, “The Many Saints of Newark.” His family still lives in the area, so here’s betting that World Café Live will be filled with Odoms. World Café Live, worldcafelive.com n