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  • A DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, Meek Mill down the Shore, and an all-Philly Kinks tribute headline Philly music this week

    A DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, Meek Mill down the Shore, and an all-Philly Kinks tribute headline Philly music this week

    This week in Philly music features a DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, country star Charley Crockett at the Met, Meek Mill’s Lit in AC show down the Shore, rock and roll legend Dion in Glenside, a classic reggae band on the Main Line, and a terrific Spoon and the Beths double bill in Fishtown.

    Wednesday, June 17

    Black Uhuru

    The band was founded in Kingston, Jamaica by Derrick “Duckie” Simpson and built a global audience with albums like Sinsemilla in 1980 and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in 1983. Its body of work from that decade places the band in the pantheon of the great reggae groups of all time. With Ear Me Now. 8 p.m., 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com

    Brother Wallace plays a free show in Malvern on Wednesday. Hana Snow

    Brother Wallace

    West Point, Ga., native Brother Wallace’s music exudes a joyous, Southern soul energy. He impressed this spring at a WXPN-FM (88.5) Free at Noon and the Non-Commvention and now he is playing the free Chill on the Hill concert series in Malvern. Philly-based Mexican Japanese art rockers Kikashima open. 6:30 p.m., Valley Creek Park, 361 N. Morehall Road, Malvern, EastWhiteland.org

    Basic

    Basic is the self-titled sophomore release on No Quarter records from the experimental rock trio featuring Philly guitarist Chris Forsyth, who also fronts the Solar Motel Band, and the Neil Young jam band Coca Leaves & Pearls. The group, named in honor of a 1984 project by Robert Quine and Fred Maher, rides a mighty groove of improvised music and includes drummer and percussionist Mikel Patrick Avery and bassist Douglas McCombs. Victor Viera Branco’s Bark Culture and Emily Robb’s the ER Band also play. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 10201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    From left: Chris Forsyth, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Doug McCombs of Basic. The band plays Johnny Brenda’s on Wednesday.Linette Messina

    Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18

    Paul Thorn

    Like Elvis Presley and Diplo, Paul Thorn hails form Tupelo, Miss. The Southern rock, country, and blues songwriter — and former middleweight boxer, who once fought Roberto Duran in Atlantic City — is out with his latest album. Life Is a Vapor is partly inspired by eating ice cream with John Prine. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sellersville Theater, 18 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, st94.com and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Levoy Theatre, 126 N. High St., Millville, N.J., levoy.net.

    Algernon Cadwallader

    Philly emo band Algernon Cadwallader released Trying Not to Have a Thought, its first album in 14 years, last September. Now the band is playing two hometown shows before touring England later this month. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, Ruba Club, 415 Green St., algernoncadwallader.com

    Thursday, June 18

    Dion

    At Bruce Springsteen’s “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us concerts” this month in New Jersey, Dion DiMucci displayed both his 1950s rock and roll beginnings and his 1960s folk rock transformation with “The Wanderer” and “Abraham, Martin and John.” For this show, he’s billed as “The Rock N’ Roll Philosopher.” 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, keswicktheatre.com.

    Philly emo band Algernon Cadwallader plays two shows at the Ruba Club this week. Scott Toyan

    Inara George

    One half of the Bird & the Bee, Los Angeles songwriter and song interpreter Inara George is always up to something intriguing. Her new album, Songs of Douglas and Littell, is a gorgeously executed collection spotlighting Los Angeles theater veterans Eliot Douglass and Philip Littell. 7:30 p.m., The Loft at City Winery, 990 Filbert St., CityWinery.com/philadelphia

    Fiery Furnaces

    Last year, experimental art-rock sibling band the Fiery Furnaces reissued its 2004 breakthrough Blueberry Boat. Now, singer Eleanor and keyboard player Matthew Friedberger are on a limited tour, with Philly being the last of only six headlining dates. 8 p.m., Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, r5productions.com

    DJ Jazzy Jeff performing at the Plateau Stage at The Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, on Saturday, May 30, 2026. He spins at the African American Museum’s Juneteenth block party on Friday.Tyger Williams

    Friday, June 19

    Hurray for the Riff Raff

    Alynda Lee Segarra, the Puerto Rican songwriter and activist who leads Hurray for the Riff Raff, was born in the Bronx and spent 20 years in New Orleans before recently relocating to Chicago. The band’s 2024 studio album, The Past Is Still Alive, nods to Bob Dylan and William Faulkner, and the new Live Forever was recorded at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 p.m., Concerts Under the Stars, 175 W. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com

    Sound of History

    Philly musicians Zeek Burse and Laurin Talese’s Sound of History project grew out of residencies at the Museum of the American Revolution. Their Juneteenth performance piece is in partnership with ArtPhilly and Black Music City. Free at Noon, World Stage, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 6 p.m., Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. Third St., artphilly.com/projects/sound-of-history

    Juneteenth Block Party with DJ Jazzy Jeff

    DJ Jazzy Jeff — who will be reuniting with Will Smith on the Ben Franklin Parkway in July — headlines this free outdoor event. Also on the daytime show: rappers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh and singer Leah Jenea. Patty Jackson is the emcee. Noon, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St., July4Philly.com

    Los Lobos & Los Lonely Boys

    “Let’s get Los. The Brotherhood Tour” pairs Los Lobos, the great Chicano band from East L.A. (that also features Steve Berlin, a Jewish guy from Philly, on saxophone) with Los Lonely Boys, the “Texican” rock and roll, brown-eyed soul band from San Angelo, Texas. 8 p.m., Tropicana Showroom, 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, caesars.com/tropicana-ac

    Saturday, June 20

    Meek Mill’s Lit in AC

    Father’s Day weekend down the Shore with Meek Mill: The Philly “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper is the headliner on a multi-act bill that includes T.I. Eve, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Shyne, and Ms. Jade. 7 p.m., Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, boardwalkhall.com.

    Kinkstravaganza

    Celebrating 60 years of British Invasion greats the Kinks, this benefit includes the 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies played in its entirety. Wesley Stace, Adam Weiner, John Faye, Roberta Faceplant, the No Good Crowd, and Citizen Riot are among the performers. Proceeds go to Juntos, the South Philly Latino immigrant organization. 8 p.m., The Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org.

    Charley Crockett plays the Met Philly on Monday.Courtesy of the Artist

    Monday, June 22

    Del Amitri

    Scottish rock band Del Amitri, which scored 1990s hits like “Roll to Me” and “Nothing Ever Happens,” is touring the U.S., timed to the Scottish soccer team’s East Coast World Cup dates. The Tisburys open. 7:30 p.m., Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org.

    Charley Crockett

    Super-prolific country singer Charley Crockett is a busy guy. He’s released 17 albums since 2015, including Age of the Ram and Clovis this year. Last summer, his tour with fellow Texan Leon Bridges was one of most rewarding of the season. 8 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com

    Spoon plays the Fillmore on Tuesday, with The Beths.Olivia Wolf

    Tuesday, June 23

    The Animeros

    Austin, Texas instrumental band the Animeros were standouts at the NonCommvention this year. Their self-described sound moves “between the lush jungles of Colombia, the palm-lined streets of 1960s coastal Mexico, and the dusty cantinas of West Texas.” They’re signed to Black Keys leader Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label. 8 p.m., Ortlieb’s, 847 N. Third St., ortiebsphilly.com

    Spoon & The Beths

    A top-notch double bill. Spoon, the remarkably consistent indie band from Austin, Texas, is led by Britt Daniel and Jim Eno. They are playing with New Zealand indie power pop outfit The Beths, led by Elizabeth Stokes, whose 2025 album Straight Line Was a Lie was one of the year’s best. 8 p.m., Fillmore Philadelphia, 29 E. Allen St., thefilllmorephilly.com

  • Judge denies challenges to a 1.5 million-square-foot East Whiteland data center project

    Judge denies challenges to a 1.5 million-square-foot East Whiteland data center project

    Calling it “frivolous,” a Chester County judge on Thursday quashed a land use appeal seeking to halt the construction of a 1.5 million-square-foot data center proposed for East Whiteland Township.

    It’s the second time this week Court of Common Pleas Judge Anthony Verwey has denied appeals challenging approvals of the controversial data center project, proposed for a Superfund site near a residential development and the popular Chester Valley Trail.

    “None of the four ‘errors’ complained of by the Appellants constitutes a decision subject to review by this Court,” Verwey wrote in his order denying the challenge to East Whiteland elected officials’ approval of the development plans. “… Appellants are attempting to collaterally attack an approval, that had ‘no deficiencies.’ The appeal, filed well out of time, is frivolous.”

    The appeals challenged the zoning hearing board’s 2018 decision to permit for a data center at 13 S. Bacton Hill Rd., and the board of supervisors’ 2024 approval of the development plans.

    Lou Colagreco, an attorney representing the developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers, said they “are pleased that the court acted quickly and decisively in dismissing” both appeals. Colagreco said work is underway for the project’s stormwater management facilities in adjacent West Whiteland, and that the developers are securing the perimeter of the East Whiteland site in advance of construction.

    The location of the two-building data center project in East Whiteland, Chester County.John Duchneskie

    The judge’s denial is a hit for residents who have for months shown up adamantly against the data center.

    Attorney Andrew Schneider, a resident of the nearby development Malvern Hunt who argued on behalf of other neighbors, said he “respectfully disagree[d] with the Court’s decisions.” Schneider has another case filed in opposition to the data center project.

    The data center project has been through a winding saga, after it secured initial approvals years ago with little community fanfare. But when it approached the township to amend its original plans — at first requesting to scale up the project by 600,000 square feet — it kicked off a slew of contentious public meetings. When too many people showed up to one planning commission meeting in February, officials had to postpone it.

    Developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers abandoned attempts to amend the plans when “it became apparent to us … that it was simply data center vs. no data center,” Colagreco said previously.

    During a hearing last week challenging the board’s approval of the project, Schneider argued that the township had erred in its decision to approve the plans, saying that the final plan was deficient and didn’t meet conditions the municipality initially laid out. Allowing the construction would cause irreparable damage to the health of the community, he said.

    Colagreco dismissed those arguments, saying the residents hadn’t produced enough evidence to support their allegations. But delaying the project was a threat to the developers being able to complete the data center on time and risked them losing approvals, he said.

    Colagreco and an attorney representing the township argued that the appeal came too late, and the township’s decision shouldn’t come before the court.

    Verwey ultimately agreed.

    “Appellants cite not a single case to support the proposition that any of the four ‘errors’ are appealable,” he wrote in Thursday’s order. “This is likely because no such citations exist.”

    Verwey wrote in his order regarding the 2018 zoning decision that the appeal, “filed 8 years after issuance, is out of time and must be quashed.”

    As data centers are beginning to populate Pennsylvania and surrounding states, residents have become stauncher opponents. In nearby East Vincent, the community saw an early victory when supervisors denied a proposed data center at the historic Pennhurst State Hospital and School site last month. It will also likely end up before a judge, as the developer there plans to appeal the decision.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.