52 Things to Do This Weekend

Julien Baker plays Union Transfer on Sunday. (Nolan Knight)

Friday, October 27

Michael McDonald @ Merriam Theater
The former Doobie Brother with a voice as smooth and decadent as cool ranch dressing is known for hit songs “Sweet Freedom,” “Takin’ It to the Streets” and, of course, “Eyes of a Child.” He has a new solo record called Wide Open.

Haruki Murakami’s Sleep @ Annenberg Center
Brooklyn-based theatre company Ripe Time presents the world premiere of a play based on Haruki Murakami’s 1994 short story “Sleep.” Devised and directed by Rachel Dickstein. Adapted for the stage by Naomi Iizuka. Friday & Saturday.

Hezekiah Jones/DeadFellow/Ali Wadsworth @ Underground Arts
Just a strong lineup of Philly singer-songwriters.

Sophie B. Hawkins @ Sellersville Theater
The singer-songwriter is best known for her hits “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and “Right Beside You.” She was also on Community that one time.

Superior Donuts Comedy Night @ Punchline
Standup comedy by the stars of the CBS show Superior Donuts: Jermaine Fowler, David Koechner, Maz Jobrani and Rell Battle.

Philadelphia Film Fest @ several locations
The Film Fest continues. I posted a bunch of trailers here. Continues through Sunday, October 29.

Death From Above @ Union Transfer
The Canadian dance-punk duo formerly known as Death From Above 1979 dropped the number they never wanted anyway (it was a legal thing) and dropped a new record in June called Outrage! Is Now.

Dirty Dozen Dance Band @ World Cafe Live
This Philly band delivers passionate, good-time Motown covers with a full horn section.

Michael Ian Black @ Helium
By this point, saying he’s from The State seems pretty limiting. Michael Ian Black was also in Wet Hot American Summer, Stella, Viva Variety, Ed and a million other things. Though Saturday, October 28.

John Hodgman @ Philadelphia Free Library
Though he often goes by his real name author/comedian/actor John Hodgman is rarely just being himself. His new memoir, Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches, is different, collecting tales of getting older, raising kids., etc. Hodgman will discuss Vacationland with his old pal from the 215 Festival days, Mary Richardson Graham. More on this event here.

AfroFuturist Affair Costume Ball @ Philadelphia Museum of Art
Dress in your best sci-fi/AfroFuturist fashion. Includes movies, music (by King Britt, Moor Mother and more), bodypainting, mask making and lots of other good stuff.

Never Seen It: Halloween Edition @ Good Good Theatre Comedy
“Kyle Ayers has comedians rewrite the climactic scene to very famous movies they have never seen before. He then casts them and acts them out live on stage.” This edition: Kyle Ayers does The Exorcist, Doogie Horner does Saw V, Craitlin Freeney does The Blair Witch Project and Matthew Schmid does The Final Destination.

Apiary 9: Sanctuary Launch Party @ The Galleries at Moore
Local literary journal Apiary magazine celebrates the release of its latest issue with a night of readings, dancing and more. Readers include Ahmad Almallah, Husnaa Hashim, Sara Sherr, Melissa Simpson and more. Benefits New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia.

Monsters Ball Masquerade @ Bellevue
Dress in your “finest cocktail attire and masquerade mask” for this upscale fancy party to raise money for the Academy of Music.

Powerhouse 2017 @ Wells Fargo Center
Power 99 offers an all-star hip-hop/R&B show featuring Travis Scott, Migos, Rick Ross, French Montana, Lil Uzi Vert and more.

Dracula: A Gothic Mystery @ Laurel Hill Cemetery
The Mechanical Theater delivers an adaptation of the Bram Stoker classic in a real live cemetery. Written and directed by Loretta Vasile. Dress warm.

A Mud Island Halloween @ Fort Mifflin
A family Halloween event at the old Revolutionary War fort. “Get your fortune told by an experienced occultist, spend some time watching old horror movies in our Casemate Cinema, summon the spirits with the Ouija board, go on a ghost tour or a paranormal investigation with our experienced guides or just explore the Fort by yourself.”

Mischief at the Mütter @ Mütter Museum
Drink and dance among the jars of grossness. Maybe fall in love and it’ll be like “remember when we made out next to the tumor?”

AWFUL Wrestling: Havoc Halloween @ PhilaMOCA
An “all-artist wrestling league” apparently. I don’t know.

The Making Time PURE Halloween Warehouse Project @ Warehouse on Watts
Music by Dave P., Zillas on Acid, Steve Vena and Greg D.

Saturday, October 28

Hurry’s 2nd Annual Halloween Spooktacular @ Everybody Hits
I’m not sure what makes this show “spooktacular” but Hurry is an excellent Philly rock band you really oughtta check out. The lineup also features Cave People, Shannen Moser and Anomie.

Drag Diva Brunch @ Punchline
Starring Mimi Imfurst, Bev, Vinchelle, Sutton Fearce, Cleo Phatra, Anita Manhattan, ZsaZsa St. James, Aurora Whorealis, Ophelia Hotass and more.

Krewella @ Fillmore Philly
Sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf make singing-in-the-mirror EDM/pop. Listen to this song. Yeah, I don’t like it either, but I’m old.

Charles Ellerbee and Matrix 12:38 @ Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Host of WRTI’s “The Bridge” J. Michael Harrison celebrates 20 years on the air.

Mistresses of Mayhem @ Connie’s Ric Rac
An impressive line-up of Philly women who rock, including Stinking Lizaveta, Thorazine, Workhorse III, RunHideFight, The End AD, Thee Minks and Mojo Machine. Hosted by Elizabeth Fiend. Presented by Lisa Christ Superstar and Hope Diamond.

Frightfully Divine Open House @ The Divine Lorraine
I normally don’t put real estate type stuff in here, but I figure it’ll be kinda interesting to tour one of the most photographed buildings in Philly. It’s looking pretty fancy. It used to look like this.

TJ Kong & The Atomic Bomb @ Underground Arts
Halloween means Murdershow time for TJ Kong & The Atomic Bomb. Once again, the bluesy, boozy indie institution has put together a solid night of rock for the occasion, including Tutlie, Levee Drivers, Shy Boyz and Red 40.

Scrapple Breakfast & Book Signing @ Herman’s Coffee
Amy Strauss celebrates her new book, Pennsylvania Scrapple, a Delectable History with a book signing and scrapple sandwiches from Chewys Philly Food Truck.

Jennifer Weiner @ Philadelphia Free Library
The celebrated Philadelphia author of All Fall Down and In Her Shoes reads from the second book in her YA trilogy, Little Bigfoot, Big City.

Leon @ Fillmore Philly
The soulful Swedish pop singer has released two EPs stateside in 2017: For You and the brand new Surround Me.

Minka @ Johnny Brenda’s
This Philly dance band is all about expressing themselves “verbally, artistically, sexually,” and lead singer Dick Rubin has been known to get naked onstage. The point is, these people know what they want out of life: “Hedonism — the pursuit of earthly pleasures — lies at the very core of what Minka is about.”

The Dead Milkmen @ The Trocadero
The Philly punk heroes love Halloween. They just dropped their new EP, Welcome to the End of the World (available on yellow vinyl).

Halloqweens @ Fringe Arts
DJ Dame Luz and Cutn Paste present this party stacked with entertainment including music (rapper UNIIQU3), burlesque (Raspberry Royale Troupe, Lucifer Rising, The Deva Arazel and Lilith Von Terror), drag (Icon Ebony Fierce, Ann Artist, Pretty Girl, Ali Beau) and more. Hosted by Harry Paris, XXXtian Beauty, Adonis BC, Popular Online and LOR BIH.

Monster Mash Ball @ Spirit of Philadelphia
WMMR’s Jacky Bam Bam hosts a floating costume party featuring a buffet, DJ and more.

Shpongle @ Electric Factory
The longtime psychedelic/surf band from Britain released its latest album, Codex VI, last week. This song should’ve been in Avatar.

Parkour Halloween Costume Party @ Pinnacle Parkour Philadelphia
This might be the most Instagrammable Halloween party of the weekend: “Come show off your epic Halloween costume while doing some super epic parkour.”

Attack Of Gogozilla @ The Trestle Inn
Halloween dance party featuring DJs Lil Dave and Billa, drink specials, costume contest and King Kong vs. Godzilla.

Pink Slip Daddy @ Boot & Saddle
This Philly punk/garage band is full of Philly rock veterans (Ben Vaughn, Mick Cancer, Palmyra Delran and Barb Dwyer) who are big-time Fabian fans.

Boris @ Union Transfer
This noisy experimental rock band from Japan has been confusing ears since 1992. This song is lovely, the way near-death experiences about Hell are lovely.

And Still They Rose: A Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet @ Bride Art Center
“In this in-depth panel discussion, dance icons Joan Myers Brown of Philadanco and Delores Browne of The New York Negro Ballet recount the early years as dancers.” Moderated by Theresa Ruth Howard.

PumpkinFest @ South Street
A family-friendly Halloween party featuring “circus performances, horse and wagon hay rides, live music, crafts for kids, seasonal bites, Pumpkin Putt-Putt golf, a straw bale maze, face painting and costume contests.”

Hackoween @ Good Good Comedy Theatre
Thirty (!) Philly comics rip off the acts of the greatest comedians in history. Hosted by Charles Blyzniuk & Alex Grubard.

Sunday, October 29

Bad Luck 13 @ The Barbary
Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza are metal/hardcore anti-heroes from Philly with a reputation for, um, chaos. Don’t worry, they’ve been doing this for a long time. Total professionals. Also on the bill: Yesterday’s Youth, Eaten Alive, Gloves Off, Departed, Supreme Ritual and Edgebreaker.

Dru Hill @ TLA
This Gospel and hip-hop inflected r&b group from Baltimore is best known for ’90s hits like “How Deep Is Your Love” and “In My Bed.” It’s also the group that gave Sisqó his start, so don’t be surprised if you hear the “Thong Song.”

Jawn of the Dead Halloween Vegan Market @ The Rotunda
Honestly, it’s about time the vegans acknowledged how much vegetable blood is on their hands.

Remembering Gwendolyn Brooks @ The African American Museum
Sonia Sanchez, Herman Beavers, Margo Natalie Crawford and Lamont Steptoe take part in an informal discussion of Gwendolyn Brooks, poetry consultant to the Library of Congress and the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. Poetry Foundation calls Brooks “one of the most highly regarded, highly influential, and widely read poets of 20th-century American poetry.”

Fall Out Boy @ Wells Fargo Center
Bassist Pete Wentz has won several awards over his long career including Kerrang! Awards Tweeter of the Year (2014) and Teen Choice Award Choice Hotties (2008). The band’s new album Mania, comes out in January.

Gwar @ Trocadero Theatre
There will be fake blood.

Philly Loves Petty @ Ardmore Music Hall
A tribute to the late southern rocker. Performers include Low Cut Connie, Ross Bellenoit, Travel Lanes and No Good Sister.

Julien Baker @ Union Transfer
The young Memphis singer/songwriter will release her second record, Turn Out The Lights (Matador) two days before this show.

Ha-Ha Halloween @ Helium
Standup and sketch by Philly comics Chip Chantry, John Kensil, Jimmy Viola, Joe Moore, Gregg Gethard, Dave Terruso and more.

And The Kids @ Johnny Brenda’s
This video’s got a They Might Be Giants vibe, but the music’s just classic dreamy, jangly indie rock.