Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce may or may not be getting married this weekend. But the pop singer and Kansas City Chiefs tight end are celebrating their impending nuptials with some philanthropy.
The couple donated $26 million to 20 charities across the United States on Thursday — including one in Swift’s hometown of Reading. Helping Harvest, a food bank that serves “seniors and adults experiencing food insecurity” in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, received $1 million from the couple.
The donation was unexpected, Helping Harvest said in a statement on Thursday, but greatly appreciated.
“The $1 million that Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce donated to us today will be used and the impact will be exponential in allowing us to rescue more food from waste and provide more food to people in need,” Helping Harvest president Jay Worrall said to The Inquirer. “[Swift] has done the people in her home community a great service, and we thank her for it.”
Taylor Swift performs during the first of three Eras Tour performances at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Friday, May 12, 2023. .
Swift has a history of donating to food banks, particularly when on tour. During the “Eras Tour” in 2023, Swift donated to Three Square Food Bank in southern Nevada, Food Lifeline in Seattle, and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in San Jose, Calif., among others.
One of Helping Harvest’s largest expenses is its infrastructure, such as cold storage and refrigerated trucks for food distribution. The donation, Worrall said, would likely be invested in additional trucking or warehouse space that would allow them to store more food.
“There have been substantial reductions in federal resources for food banks over the past few years, compounded by the reductions to the SNAP programs that are being enacted right now,” he said. “The state has tried to step up in some ways, but the increase in state funding has been modest compared to the reductions in federal funding.”
Last year, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration invested $459,000 in Helping Harvest’s new community kitchen, which provides culinary training and is where meals are prepared for people in need.
In the last two years, Helping Harvest’s federal funding has decreased by a little over a third. The organization received $2,687,166 in grants awarded under federal programs, compared to $4,240,293 in 2024, according to a recent audit for the 2025 fiscal year. The organization anticipates distributing over 14 million pounds of food this year, up 3 million pounds from 2024.
A spokesperson for Swift did not immediately respond to The Inquirer’s request for comment about the donation to Helping Harvest.
While there has been no confirmation from the couple, Swift and Kelce are reportedly tying the knot on Friday at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where Swift was most recently seen cheering on New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Celebrity news publication Page Six released a video of large Sysco-branded boxes of food being brought into the venue, including lobster meat, french fries, andchicken. The Associated Press has reportedly obtained a copy of a city permit for a “special event” taking place at the venue on Friday night.
The article has been updated to include details about Swift and Kelce’s reported wedding. Staff writer Beatrice Forman contributed to this article.
As details continue to emerge and preparations appear to be underway for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s upcoming multiple-day event at Madison Square Garden, there are still plenty of questions unanswered about what the secretive festivities might look like.
The flowers. The food. The décor. The guest list. What those guests will wear.
The answer to that last one is that Swift and Kelce’s celebratory event, widely expected to be their wedding, appears to be shaping up to be a formal affair. The dress code is black tie, according to two people familiar with the event who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Many of the women attending will be wearing gowns, one of the people also said.
For men, that means a tuxedo, with a jacket, black bow tie and matching satin-striped trousers. Women have a little more flexibility, with floor-length gowns, elevated cocktail dresses or dressy separates all fitting the bill. (Black tie is a step down in formality from white tie, which requires tailcoats for men and, as the name implies, white bow ties.)
Peters Clothiers, a menswear store in Kansas City, Missouri, posted a photo on Instagram last month of Andy Reid, coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, getting fitted for a tuxedo jacket. “Getting ready for the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Wedding!” the caption read, naming Reid, as well as the team’s general manager, Brett Veach, and the team’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, who were also pictured. When reached by a reporter Tuesday, an employee of the store referred questions to a different employee who did not immediately respond. In May, Reid told the radio show “The Drive” that he “probably had” been invited to the wedding.
Swift and Kelce will hold two different events at Madison Square Garden this week. There will be an intimate gathering of about 100 people Thursday evening, which is a rehearsal dinner in the Infosys Theater, not the main arena, according to a person familiar with the plans. On Friday, a larger, splashier event (with black-tie dress code) with about 1,000 guests will begin with a cocktail hour at 4 p.m. Both events will have no-phone policies for all guests, vendors and security, the same person said.
The couple has said little publicly about the event, but there were some possible clues outside the Garden on Tuesday afternoon. Semitrucks and forklifts unloaded heavy cargo, some of it the size of a small car, wrapped in dark plastic, including objects that appear to be trees (wooden boxes labeled “trees” were also visible). One of the forklift drivers wore a T-shirt that said: “Taylor Swift CARPENTERS.” When asked if his shirt was related to his job, the man said, “I plead the Fifth.”
Mindy Weiss, the Los Angeles-based event planner behind Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s wedding in 2025, said this week that checking guests’ phones at the door had become de rigueur at high-profile events, noting that the guests occasionally brought multiple phones in an attempt to circumvent tech rules and that she and her team were often on the lookout at events for rogue banned devices.
While the guests will be arriving in tuxedos and floor-skimming dresses, the most important look of the night has not been confirmed: what designer might dress the “Love Story” singer?
Swift and Kelce both donned ensembles by Ralph Lauren in their engagement announcement photos, raising speculation that the iconic American designer might again dress the couple. Swift’s longtime friend Gomez wore a halter-neck gown by Ralph Lauren for her 2025 wedding to Blanco.
The Hollywood Reporter reported this week that Swift would wear a Christian Dior look designed by Jonathan Anderson. Swift wore a punk-inspired yellow, plaid high-low overskirt and corset top by the brand to the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
There are also several other possible designers among those Swift has worked with before. On her latest tour, Swift wore some costumes by Vivienne Westwood, who designed the minidress Charli XCX wore to her courthouse wedding in 2025. At the 2024 Grammy Awards, Swift wore a draped, strapless white gown by Schiaparelli, which has drawn wedding gown comparisons. Or perhaps it will be Oscar de la Renta; Swift wore a blue, floral gown by the designer to a premiere of her Eras Tour documentary.
When New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill walked into Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford, she couldn’t help but noticephotos of the Kelce brothers taped inside the bakery glass.
Below the sign were gigantic mounds of Reese’s Puffs dipped in chocolate and drizzled with peanut butter — coined the Kelce Kluster and named after retired Eagles legendJason Kelce and his brother, Travis Kelce, who plays tight end for Kansas City Chiefs and is engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said the Democratic governor, who took office last month. “It looks fantastic.”
She directed her staffer to add one of the domes to her bakery haul. She said the sweet treat will go to her two hungry teenagers at home.
New Jersey football fandom is often divided by New York Giants fans in the North and Eagles fans in the South, but Sherrill, who grew up in Virginia before settling in North Jersey, roots for the New York Jets.
But her purchase during the South Jersey stop may appeal to Eagles fans, who watched Jason Kelce play center for 13 seasons and emerge as a fan favorite after his boisterous victory speech following the team’sfirstSuper Bowl win in 2018.
Rocco Centrone, who owns the Deptford business with his wife and daughter, said the idea of the Kelce Kluster struck him when he was listening to the brothers’ podcast and they agreed on Reese’s Puffs as their favorite cereal.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill speaks to reporters in front of the Kelce Klusters at Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford.
The Centrones and their supporters took to social media and successfully got the football stars’ attention. The Kelce brothers have chatted about the treat on their podcast New Heights, drawing customers nationwide to the small Gloucester County business.
“They look delicious, I can’t believe this isn’t a thing,” Jason Kelce said on a 2023 episode. “These are outstanding. Well, I guess this is a thing now.”
Dressed in Mummers attire, Eagles center Jason Kelce pauses during his colorful speech on the Art Museum steps in 2018 at the Super Bowl victory parade.
The label on the treat during the governor’s visit spelled the treat name as “Kelse Clusters,” but an employee assured The Inquirer that the misspelling was just an error and not the official title.
Sherrill visited the South Jersey bakery on Friday to discuss her “Save You Time and Money Agenda,” though the conversation largely focused on learning about the business and its sweet treats.
Sherrill said she visited the bakery because “small businesses really are the heart of our communities.”
“I find that everywhere I go with small businesses, they truly are the lifeblood,” she said. “So I want to make sure, as governor, I’m making it easier for people who are running these businesses, saving them time and money, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, and that is a cornerstone to me.”
The summer concert calendar is already filling up.
In the middle of what Inquirer weather maven Tony Wood says is Philadelphia’s most snow-covered winter in 16 years, it may seem like it will never be warm enough to go to a concert that’s outside.
Nevertheless, the summer music season is starting to take shape, with a flurry of big show announcements this week.
Don Toliver performs on the Rocky Stage during the Made in America 2022 festival on the Ben Franklin Parkway on Sept. 4, 2022. The Houston rapper plays Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 24.
Here’s a chronological list:
Don Toliver, May 24, Xfinity Mobile Arena
This one is actually indoors, so if there’s still snow on the ground in May, fans of the Houston rapper born Caleb Zackery Toliver can warm up inside on this stop on his “Octane” tour.
The concert trek is named after Toliver’s new album, which was released last week and features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown and Travis Scott, who is also a featured producer.
The rally-racing car-culture-themed tour will also include Sahbabii, Sofaygo, and Chase B.
The Vermont singer-songwriter who vaulted into the pop stratosphere with 2022’s Stick Season is headlining stadiums on his ”Great Divide” tour. The tour takes its name from his new single that’s the title track from his forthcoming album produced by Gabe Simon and Taylor Swift associate Aaron Dessner. New Jersey-born singer Gigi Perez opens.
Last year, Paul Simon was scheduled to play three shows at the Academy of Music on his “A Quiet Celebration” tour, his first set of Philadelphia shows since a 2018 “Farewell Tour” that was hyped as his last and played the Mann Center.
The first of those 2025 shows, I wrote in The Inquirer, impressively demonstrated “how a devotion to restless forward momentum has resulted in an epic and ongoing pop music career.”
The next two shows, however, never happened, after Simon’s “severe back pain” required (successful) surgery. An announced plan to play makeup dates never materialized, but now Simon is coming back to Philly with his stellar band for a return visit to the Mann.
The show entails an opening set performance of his 2024 EP, Seven Psalms, followed by an expansive career-spanning second set of hits and deep cuts.
Tim McGraw is playing the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden and Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey in July.
Tim McGraw, July 23, Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
The longtime country star who is the son of Phillies great Tug McGraw and whose name is also the title of Taylor Swift’s first single, is playing Camden on July 23. 49 Winchester is opening on a tour that takes its name from McGraw’s new single, “Pawn Shop Guitar.”
Take note: In addition to playing amphitheaters, McGraw is doing three stadium shows with a loaded lineup featuring openers the Chicks and Lady A. One of those dates is at Hersheypark Stadium on July 11.
The Grammys are here, with lots of familiar faces.
Kendrick Lamar, who won five awards at last year’s show, leads with nine nominations and Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and Billie Eilish are up for major awards.
As is Sabrina Carpenter, the Bucks County native who is the Philly region’s great hope. She won twice last year and is nominated six times for her album Man’s Best Friend.
Neither Taylor Swift nor Beyoncé released music in the eligibility period, which runs from Aug. 31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025, so that’s why they’re missing from this year’s list.
I’m picking winners in the four major categories, which will be among the dozen or so given away on the awards show hosted by Trevor Noah and broadcast on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. Sunday, and streaming on Paramount+.
A total of 95 Grammys will be given out, however, with most presented in a pre-telecast ceremony streamed on grammy.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube page, starting 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
That’s where you’ll find the Philadelphians.
Jazz bassist Christian McBride is up for three awards, with his Big Band’s Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 vying with Sun Ra Arkestra’s Lights on a Satellite for best jazz large ensemble.
Philadelphia Orchestra and music and artistic director Yannick Nézet-Séguin are up for two, and Nézet-Séguin is also nominated for one with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra.
Jazz saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and University of Pennsylvania graduate John Legend have two noms each. The Crossing Choir, Camden gospel bandleader Tye Tribbett, songwriter Andre Harris, and producer Will Yip each have one.
Bassist Christian McBride (right) performs during the Newport Jazz Festival, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Newport, R.I. The Philadelphia musician is up for three Grammys on Sunday.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
As the first major live TV awards show since the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend, the Grammys are likely a platform for anti-ICE protests. We’ll see which, if any, performers or presenters — who include Charli XCX, Teyana Taylor, Queen Latifah, Lainey Wilson, Nikki Glaser, and Chappell Roan — speak out.
Here’s who I think should — and will — win.
Album of the Year
Nominees: Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Más Fotos; Justin Bieber, Swag; Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend; Clipse, Let God Sort ‘Em Out; Lady Gaga, Mayhem; Kendrick Lamar, GNX; Leon Thomas, Mutt;Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
My prediction: The most prominent of these in my rotation these days is LetGod Sort ‘Em Out, the topflight reunion of hip-hop brothers Gene “Malice” and Terence “Pusha T” Thornton. But it has little chance among these heavy hitters.
Carpenter will have to be satisfied with a performance slot in the prime-time show, a prize showcase on “Music’s Biggest Night.” But Man’s Best Friend isn’t quite up to the level of her tart 2024 Short n’ Sweet.
The consensus says this is a race between Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and Kendrick Lamar. All have an excellent chance, with Gaga being a veteran Grammy favorite back on form. Lamar’s album released way back in November 2024, but he continued to impact culture through his “Grand National” tour with SZA and “Luther,” their collab that topped the pop charts for 13 straight weeks.
But this feels like Bad Bunny’s year. Debí Tirar Más Fotos — which translates as “I should have taken more photos” — is the Puerto Rican singer, rapper, and producer’s most confident, varied, and politically potent work.
It’s poised to become the first Spanish language album of the year, and thus a Grammy statement of multicultural solidarity when immigrant populations in the U.S. are under threat. And it would make for a pretty good start to February for the Super Bowl halftime headliner.
Should win: Bad Bunny
Will win: Bad Bunny
Chappell Roan performs “Pink Pony Club” during the 67th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 2, 2025. The singer is nominated for two Grammy awards on Sunday and will also be a presenter at the ceremony, which airs on CBS at 8 p.m. and streams on Paramount+. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Record of the Year
Nominees: Bad Bunny, “DTMF”; Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”; Doechii, “Anxiety”; Billie Eilish, “Wildflower”; Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther”; Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”; Chappell Roan, “The Subway”; Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT”
My prediction: This is a strong group, including Carpenter’s cheeky “Manchild” and Doechii’s “Anxiety,” which samples Gotye and Kimbra’s 2011 “Somebody I Used to Know.”
Roan’s “The Subway” hearkens back to classic pop and Eilish’s “Wildflower” is lovely, though it’s a little ridiculous that it’s nominated. It’s from Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, which came out in May 2024 but qualifies because it became a single last February. When the Grammys want you to be part of the show, they’ll find a way to sneak you in.
My pick to win is “APT.” The duet between Bruno Mars and K-pop star Rosé is a super-catchy global hit that borrows from Toni Basil’s 1982 hit “Mickey,” which older Grammy voters will surely remember. It’s the second-fastest song to reach a billion streams after Mars and Gaga’s 2024 “Die With a Smile.”
Will win: “APT.”
Should win: “Luther”
SZA and Kendrick Lamar perform during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Song of the Year
Nominees: Bad Bunny, “DTMF”; Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”; Doechii, “Anxiety”; Billie Eilish, “Wildflower”; Huntr/x — “Golden”; Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther”; Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”; Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT”
My prediction: The Grammys are silly. Why are there separate record and song of the year categories? In theory because the latter is a songwriter’s award. But these categories are virtually identical, the only difference being dropping Roan for “Golden” from the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters.
Let’s give this one to last year’s Super Bowl halftime headliners to reward their overall excellence and songwriting skills.
Should win: “Luther”
Will win: “Luther”
Olivia Dean performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Oct. 11, 2025, in Texas. The British singer-songwriter is nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.(Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)
Best New Artist
Nominees: Olivia Dean, Katseye, The Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, Lola Young
A little rant detour: Another failing: The Recording Academy has completely ignored country music in the major categories. The Grammys are, in many ways, a popularity contest. Unlike the Oscars, which sometimes reward niche and art house fare and look askance at commercial success, the Grammys are intent on showing they’re in step with the zeitgeist by recognizing big sellers.
Except they don’t bother when it comes to country, thus reinforcing America’s cultural divide. The Recording Academy isn’t too blame when it comes to Morgan Wallen, whose I’m the Problem was the most streamed album in the U.S. in 2025 — because he chose to not submit his music.
But completely credible and widely popular country artists like Ella Langley and especially Megan Moroney are obvious candidates for best new artist. They have been shown no love, either due to cluelessness or a conscious decision to shut out mainstream country. End of rant!
My prediction: In this last of the major categories, Addison Rae is to be commended for making a smart, catchy transition from TikTok to pop star. Leon Thomas emerged as a serious R&B artist with staying power, and Lola Young is a major talent whose “Messy” is a terrific universalist earworm.
But my most confident prediction in these four categories is Olivia Dean. The British songwriter is marked for stardom, simultaneously coming off as a youthful ingenue and an old soul. Her vocals have a slight Amy Winehouse tinge without being imitative. Her breezy, immediately likable The Art of Loving mixes neo-soul 1970s Los Angeles soft-rock is right up the Grammy alley.
This week’s Philly music options include 1990s R&B hitmakers 112, newsman-turned-singer Ari Shapiro, pop-punks Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack, K-pop girl group Unis, and Philly hip-hop blues band G. Love & Special Sauce. Plus, some terrific folk tandem with Loudon Wainwright III and Chris Smither. And the kick off for Black History Month programming at the Fallser Club.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Tashi Dorji
Bhutan-born, Asheville, N.C., guitarist Tashi Dorji makes alternately tuned instrumental music that never settles for being merely pretty. Sometimes it reads as politically defiant, as on songs like “And the State Sank into the Abyss” and “Meet Me Under the Ruins” on his most recent album on the Drag City label, We Will Be Wherever the Fires Are Lit. 8 p.m., Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine St., r5productions.com
Thursday, Jan. 29
Sunny Day Real Estate
1990s Seattle emo band Sunny Day Real Estate re-formed in 2022 and has stayed busy since with a lineup that included original members Jeremy Enigk, Dan Horne, and William Goldsmith. 8 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, 1009 Canal St., brooklynbowl.com/philadelphia
Atlanta R&B vocal group 112 play the Met Philly on Friday.
Friday, Jan. 30
Dave P.’s Juntos benefit
Making Time impresario David Pianka is DJing an all-night “All I Want for 2026 is PLURT” party for Juntos, the South Philadelphia organization “fighting for the human rights of the Latine community as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants.” PLURT takes “Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect” and adds a Dave P. favorite word: “Transcendence.” 8 p.m., The Dolphin, 1539 S. Broad St, ra.co/events/2351165
Ari Shapiro
Former NPR host Ari Shapiro’s “Thank You for Listening” is a cabaret show adapted from his memoir, The Best Strangers in the World. He’ll flex the musical muscles previously put to use in collaborations with Alan Cumming and Pink Martini. 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert St., citywinery.com/philadelphia
112
R&B’s 112 — pronounced “one twelve” — is the Atlanta group that signed to now-disgraced music executive Sean Combs’ Bad Boy label in the 1990s. In addition to hits like “Cupid” and “It’s Over Now,” the band joined Combs on vocals on “I’ll Be Missing You,” the 1997 megahit that eulogized the Notorious B.I.G. 8 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com
Unis
K-pop girl group octet Unis comes to South Street, supporting 2025’s album Swicy. The band fronted by lead singer Hyeonju triumphed on the Seoul Broadcasting System reality show Universe Ticket in 2024. 8 p.m., Theatre of Living Arts, 332 South St, tlaphilly.com
Jobi Riccio plays Free at Noon at the World Cafe Live on Friday.
Jobi Riccio
Colorado songwriter Jobi Riccio won praise for her 2023 debut album, Whiplash. That same year, she was awarded the John Prine Fellowship at the Newport Folk Festival. She has a new single, “Buzzkill,”which along with the previously released protest song “Wildfire Season” will be on a forthcoming album. Noon, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org
The Naked Sun
Philly rock quintet the Naked Sun will celebrate a new album, Mirror in the Hallway. It was produced by Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey at Miner Street Recordings. McTear’s Bitter, Bitter Weeks plays a rare full band set as openers. 8 p.m., Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org
Saturday, Jan. 31
Wild Pink
Brooklyn indie outfit Wild Pink comes through for an early show, still touring behind the excellent 2024 album Dulling the Horns. The band then needs to make way for a Taylor Swift DJ night that follows. 6 p.m., MilkBoy Philly, 110 Chestnut St., milkboyphilly.com
G. Love plays the Sellersville Theater on Saturday with his band, Special Sauce.
G. Love & Special Sauce
G. Love’s 2006 album Lemonade was a solo affair, but he’s celebrating its 20th anniversary with Special Sauce, the band with whom he recorded 215-proud staples such as “Philadelphonic” and “I-76.” Hawaiian surfer Makua opens. 8 p.m. Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, st94.com
Pine Barons
KC Abrams’ Philly experimental rock trio Pine Barons released its fourth album TV Movie in September. This week, the band headlines a show in Fishtown, with Special World and Rentboy. 9 p.m. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. johnnybrendas.com
Dave P. will DJ all night long in a benefit for Juntos on Friday at the Dolphin in South Philly.
Say Anything / Motion City Soundtrack
Two emo-adjacent bands that emerged in the early 00s are touring together. Los Angeles’ Say Anything’s latest is The Noise of Say Anything’s Room Without …, while Minneapolis’ Motion City Soundtrack recently returned after a decade with The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World. 7:30 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com
Riverside / My Favorite / Polaroid Fade
A top-notch trio of indie bands, headlined by 1990s Philly veterans Riverside. Also on the bill are Brooklyn’s My Favorite and Ocean City, N.J.’s, Polaroid Fade, fronted by 20-year-old singer Nicoletta Giuliani, whose sounds draw from shimmery ‘90s bands like the Sundays and the Ocean Blue. 8:30 p.m., PhilaMoca, 531 N. 12th St., PhilaMoca.org
Loudon Wainwright III plays the Zellerbach Theatre at the Annenberg Center with Chris Smither on Sunday.
Sunday, Feb. 1
Loudon Wainwright / Chris Smither
From his 1970 self-titled debut to Lifetime Achievement in 2022, Loudon Wainwright III has always been an unflinching and unfailingly funny songwriter whose acute observations never spare himself or his family members. Pairing him with ever-soulful folk blues guitarist and songwriter Chris Smither, who has had a fruitful career of equal length, is a masterstroke. Hopefully, they’ll play together. 8 p.m., Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St., pennlivearts.org
Reef the Lost Cauze
West Philly rapper Reef the Lost Cauze is first up at “A Month of Black Excellence at the Fallser Club,” with an afternoon event featuring “vendors, food, art, community actions.” The series includes African Friends: Bakithi Kumalo, Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa, and Youba Cissokho on Feb. 6 and V. Shane Frederick and Rev. Chris on Feb 17. 4 p.m., Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org
Jon Spencer
Jon Spencer has been playing high-volume blues with exaggerated gusto for three decades. Along with a recent show by Richard Lloyd and Lenny Kaye, this booking is another sign that Nikki Lopez, the South Street venue on the site of the former JC Dobbs, is becoming a welcome home for veteran acts who can still kick out the jams as well as young punk and metal bands. 8 p.m., Nikki Lopez, 304 South St., instagram.com/nikkilopez/philly
Monday, Feb. 2
Ye Vagabonds
Full-on Irish music season doesn’t arrive until March, when Emerald Isle musicians will blanket the Philly region. Get a head start with this stellar band, led by brothers Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn who make haunting music that sounds ancient and brand new at the same time. Philly bluegrass songwriter Daphne Ellen opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com
Concert Announcements
Shows that announced in the past week include a number of enticing double bills.
At the beginning of “Eras Tour” rehearsals, in a Before-Travis Kelce (BTK) timeline, the Berks County native is shown wearing a gray oversized Eagles sweatshirt as she walks into a practice space.
Paparazzi have spotted Swift repping the crew neck before, which is fitting since she’s discussed at length over the years her memories of her dad watching Eagles games and her love for the team.
This is a very important reminder to everyone that Taylor Swift is an Eagles fan. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/Sw4viIt8MV
In fact, on her first Philadelphia night of the “Eras Tour,” Swift sang “gold rush” as a surprise song and confirmed the lyric “my Eagles T-shirt hanging from the door,” was in fact about the team and not the band.
“I love the band the Eagles, but guys, like, come on, I’m from Philly,” Swift said that night in 2023 (and yes, a celebratory Birds chant did break out from the crowd).
It’s also worth noting that Swift’s Eagles sweatshirt appears to be unofficial — the team’s house style dictates that the eagle profile should always face left, with the plumage forming a subtle letter ‘E.’
Of course as the docuseries progresses, we see an After-Travis Kelce (ATK) style evolution, and a lot more red and gold — gross.
2. The audiobook
At a point in the series where Swift is trying to calm her nerves, she lies on a couch and starts listening to an audiobook.
It turns out, that book excerpt was from none other than South Philly author Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods.
Moore and her book, which is a multigenerational mystery drama set in the Adirondacks, are having a good year. The God of the Woods was on multiple book club shortlists, including Barack Obama’s, and was just announced for a Netflix adaptation last week. Moore will serve as a co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
Swift wasn’t alone in her book selection. The God of the Woods was the most checked-out print book of the year across all of Philadelphia’s library branches. (We don’t know about audiobook stats because those are managed by a third party.)
3. Scenes from Philly shows at the Linc
In the portion of the series that discusses the sheer pandemonium that the “Eras Tour” caused, with epic tailgates (known as Taylorgates), economic boosts, and overall good vibes, it seems only right that footage from outside the Philly shows were used as the ultimate visual aid.
The docuseries even relies on a Philly voice to summarize things best:
“I’ve never seen this before in my life,” Jon McCann, a local content creator who goes by The Philly Captain, says in a perfectly thick regional accent. “It’s like Woodstock but without the drugs.”
4. The directors and post-production
The End of an Era was directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, the local duo behind films including Rock School, Batman & Bill, and notably, Kelce — the documentary about Swift’s soon-to-be brother-in-law and former Eagle, Jason Kelce. The directors are both based in Philadelphia.
All six episode credits also list Philadelphia as a post-production location.
Taylor Swift is someone who can chill but will never be a chill person. Also, “All to Well,” the 10-minute version, tops the list of her favorite songs from her catalog.
These were among the many other revelations that Swift dropped during her first interview on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, Wednesday night.
Philadelphia fans will most appreciate the 2001 flashback photograph of a tween Taylor singing the national anthem at a Sixers game in her very patriotic outfit: a red duster, an American flag top, and white pants.
On “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Taylor Swift talks about her national anthem outfit: a red duster, white pants, and sparkly shirt for a performance of the national anthem at a Sixers game in 2001.
“You know when you are like 11 and you have that one outfit that you just know … goes so hard … when you just put this on and it’s like I’m sorry. I’m unstoppable today,” the Berks County native said on the talk show. She was dressed in a precariously fitting burgundy velvet mini with an off-the-shoulder Bardot neckline with winged sleeves giving early-Christmas-present energy to her fans.
Today, that unstoppable outfit for her is a sparkling Versace bodysuit, one of her many outfit changes on “The Eras Tour.”
“Anytime I put it on … I could be like coughing from a horrible virus. I could be aching,” Swift said. “When I put that on, I’m like, ‘This is popping.’ I’m doing it.”
The interview was light-hearted, fun, and thorough. Swift talked about her friendship with Stevie Nicks — we are jealous! — the excitement of her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, and the thrill of getting the master recordings of her first six albums back in May.
She had no idea of the impact of her tour on her fans until she learned they were passing out from joy.
Literally, passing out from joy.
“When I read articles that medical professionals are diagnosing fans who came to the Eras tour with post concert amnesia and joy blackouts, I was like, ‘Oh man, this is different,’” Swift said “The fans … People connecting to what we created made the Eras Tour what it was.”
This week in Philly music features hometown shows by two reunited Philadelphia pop-punk bands in the Starting Line and Algernon Cadwallader, plus South Philly arena dates with the artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly and the all-star Jingle Ball tour. Also on tap: Club shows with the Dream Syndicate, Rhett Miller, and Greg Mendez.
Pittstown, N.J.-born and Philly-based pop-rock quartet the Happy Fits headline the Fillmore on Thursday. The band, fronted by singer and electric cellist Calvin Longman, is on tour for Lovesick, their snappy fourth album, and first since founding member Ross Monteith left the band and new members Nico Rose and Raina Mullen (who sings lead on the title track) joined up.
The ‘60s and early ‘70s live in the music of the Heavy Heavy, the Brighton, England, duo of Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, whose songs stand on their own while being unashamed for their affections for counterculture-era rock sounds.
Will Turner and Georgie Fuller of England’s the Heavy Heavy play Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday.
JD McPherson’s most recent album of rockabilly and old school R&B-influenced originals was last year’s Nite Owls. Hopefully, the Oklahoma singer-guitarist will dip into his entire discography, but his show Thursday night at Arden Gild Hall in Wilmington is a “A Rock ’N’ Roll Christmas Tour” stop centered on the songs on his 2017 album Socks.
Algernon Cadwallader play Union Transfer on Dec. 13.
King Mala is Los Angeles alt-pop artist Areli Lopez, the El Paso native who’s touring behind her Billie Eiish-ish moody full-length debut And You Who Drowned in the Grief of a Golden Thing. She’s at Nikki Lopez on South Street with Dezi opening.
If Steve Wynn isn’t touring doing solo shows, or playing with indie supergroups Gutterball and the Baseball Project (the latter with whom he was in Philly in September), he’s on the road with the Dream Syndicate, the band that emerged from the 1980s Los Angeles psychedelic rock scene known as the Paisley Underground.
The band’s 1984 album Medicine Show mixed neo-noir mystery and Southern literary flair on epic guitar tracks like “John Coltrane Stereo Blues.” They’ll open with a set that surveys their career before playing Medicine Show in its entirety at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday.
Rhett Miller divides his time between the Old ‘97s and his solo career. His ninth Rhett Miller album is the new A lifetime of riding by night, which is a stripped-down affair that was recorded before (successful) vocal surgery and captures him in a reflective, philosophical mood. He plays Free at Noon at Ardmore Music Hall on Friday, then heads down the road to play 118 North in Wayne that night.
Rhett Miller plays Free at Noon at Ardmore Music Hall on Friday and 118 North in Wayne later that night. The Old ’97s singer’s new solo album is “A lifetime of riding by night.”
Philly “apocolectric” folk-rock quartet Bums in the Attic celebrate the release of their The Denouement EP at Dawson Street Pub on Friday, with Ms. J & the Cresson Street Band and Anthony Baldini.
Philly pop-punkers the Starting Line — originally from Churchville in Bucks County — have released only three albums in an initial burst of activity that began with 2002’s release, Say It Like You Mean It.
Philly pop-punk band the Starting Line’s new album “Eternal Youth” is their first in 18 years. They play two nights at the Fillmore Philly on Friday and Saturday.
The band went on hiatus in 2008, but has regrouped for several tours throughout the years and got a boost in the pop cultural consciousness in 2024 when Taylor Swift name-checked them in “The Black Dog” fromThe Tortured Poets Department. Now they’re back in earnest with Eternal Youth, their first album in 18 years, and shows at the Fillmore on Friday and Saturday.
Jon Langford & Sally Timms of the Mekons return to the charming confines of Harmonie Hall in Manayunk on Saturday. Expect a survey from the 40-plus year career of the Leeds, England-born country-punk pioneers featuring the divine-voiced Timms and offhand brilliance of the prolific Langford, who will be coming back to Philly together with the full-sized Mekons at the Latvian Society in June.
Detroit rapper Danny Brown plays the Theatre of Living Arts on Saturday. His new album is “Starburst.”
Inspired and eccentric Detroit rapper Danny Brown plays the Theatre of Living Arts on South Street on Saturday. He’s touring behind his new album Stardust, which vividly chronicles his journey to sobriety.
Algernon Cadwallader hail from Yardley in Bucks County. But in a world of inscrutable micro-genres, they’re often labeled a “Midwest emo” band. After going their separate ways after their 2011 album Parrot Flies, the band that includes singer Peter Helmis and guitarist and Headroom Studio owner Joe Reinhart (also a member of Hop Along) got back together in 2022. Trying Not to Have a Thought, their first album in 14 years, came out in September, and they’re playing a hometown show at Union Transfer on Saturday, with Gladie and Snoozer opening.
Machine Gun Kelly gets slimed after performing “Cliche” during the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. The artist, now known as mgk, plays Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mgk isn’t just shorthand for Philly classic rock radio station WMGK-FM (102.9). It’s now the stage name of the artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly, who ditched his previous moniker in 2024 to disassociate himself from gun violence.
The rapper and singer is touring behind his new album, Lost Americana, which was released in June accompanied by a trailer narrated by none other than Bob Dylan, who is apparently his biggest fan. “From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles,” Dylan said. “This is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces. Where the past is reimagined, and the future is forged on your own terms.” The “Lost Americana” tour comes to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Philly indie songwriter Greg Mendez is playing one more show in the super-intimate side chapel of the First Unitarian Church on Monday. This Mendez and Friends show features guest Amelia Cry Till I Die, Mary St. Mary and Shannen Moser singing traditional folk ballads. Most likely they will be making beautiful music together.
BigXthaPlug performs during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., on June 13, 2024. The Texas country rapper plays the Jingle Ball at Xfinity Mobil;e Arenea on Monday. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
On Monday, it’s the Jingle Ball. This year’s iHeart Radio package tour of hitmakers at Xfinity Mobile Arena runs alphabetically from AJR to Zara Larsson. The show presented by Q102 — Philly station WIOQ-FM (102.1) — serves up a crash course in contemporary pop with Alex Warren, BigXthaPlug, Laufey, Monsta X, Miles Smith and Raven Lenae, plus a KPop Demon Hunters sing-along.
Sabrina Carpenter’s not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration using one of her songs in a video promoting ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
On Tuesday, the pop princess condemned the White House for posting a video featuring ICE arresting protesters and undocumented immigrants to one of her songs. The video, which was published on the White House’s X account one day earlier, was captioned “Have you ever tried this one?“ alongside the hearteye emoji and was paired with Carpenter’s track ”Juno.”
It’s a nod to a scene in Carpenter’s just-wrapped “Short n’ Sweet” tour, where she would playfully “arrest” someone in the crowd “for being so hot,” giving them a souvenir pair of fuzzy pink cuffs before performing “Juno.”
Carpenter, a Bucks County native, replied to the post, “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” Her response has been viewed more than 2 million times.
this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.
It’s the latest in a series of similar incidents, where artists ranging from Beyoncé to the Rolling Stones have objected to the White House using their music in videos promoting the Trump administration’s agenda without their consent.
Last month, Olivia Rodrigo had a similar exchange in the comments of a White House Instagram video demanding that undocumented immigrants self-deport over the singer’s track “All-American Bitch.” Rodrigo, who is Filipino American, commented at the time, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
The White House also used a song by Carpenter’s friend and musical collaborator, Berks County’s Taylor Swift, last month. Fans of Swift’s called out the use of “The Fate of Ophelia” in a video celebrating President Donald Trump, despite the president’s repeated slights toward the pop star. Swift herself did not comment on the video, but she has previously criticized Trump for posting AI photos of her on his social platforms.
Carpenter, 26, worked with HeadCount on her “Short n’ Sweet” tour, registering 35,814 voters — more than any other artist the nonpartisan voter registration group worked with in 2024. She’s been vocal about her support for LGBTQ+ rights and has publicly donated to the National Immigration Law Center.
When Trump won last year, she took a moment during her concert to say “I’m sorry about our country and to the women here, I love you so, so, so much.”
“Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists and pedophiles from our country,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the New York Times. “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
