Stage Buzz: Thundercat, The Darkness, Legends of Hip Hop, Low Cut Connie

Brassneck | October 10, 2023

Juvenile

Thundercat is the coolest and the funkiest bass player on the planet right now. It’s hard to resist his funky groove with its thick bass lines, smooth tone, and powerful sound. Starting his career as a session musician working with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Raphael Saadiq, Thundercat is now a bonafide rockstar. The musician will bring his unique sound and style to the Salt Shed for a sold-out show on Thursday, October 12.

20 years ago, a little UK band dubbed The Darkness landed on our planet to inject rock music with a much-needed dose of fun. The band’s debut album, Permission to Land, quickly caught on with critics and fans on the backs of singles like “Growing OnMe,” “Get Your Hands Off My Woman,” and “I Believe In a Thing Called Love.” The band will celebrate the anniversary of their seminal album with a full album performance at The Vic Theatre this Friday, October 13 (muhaha!). You can still get tickets here.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop and what better way to celebrate than to party with legends of the genre? The Legends of Hip Hop tour rolls into town this weekend with a stacked lineup featuring Juvenile, Goodie Mob, 8ball and MJG, Scarface, Bun B, DJ Quik, and The Dogg Pound. It all goes down this Saturday, October 14. Tickets are available here.

Who’s ready for a night of sleazy speakeasy rock and roll? How about a night with a high-energy Philadelphia piano man who’s equal parts Elton John, Little Richard, Mick Jagger, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tina Turner? Anyone who has borne witness and danced themselves ragged as Adam Weiner delivered a sweat-soaked performance with his band and alter-ego Low Cut Connie will not soon forget it. While delivering great new songs like bluesy stomper “Bad Boy” and the lurid R&B of “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” from the band’s sordid and soulful new album Art Dealers, Weiner is sure to strip down to his skivvies and subject his road-rashed parlor piano Shondra to all manner of rough treatment. Weiner’s performances are all-inclusive, uplifting, and euphoric experiences with hard-bitten songs and rallying cries of community. He’s loud and proud with his identity in “King of the Jews” and takes others as they come in songs like “Sleaze Me On” while longtime guitarist Will Donnelly uncorks Stonesy guitar riffs. The tender-hearted and yearning “Are You Gonna Run?“ draws from the sweet-and-tough image of Ronnie Spector. The blistering garage-rock of “Whips and Chains” is a scorching rebuke of oppression, duplicity, and neo-fascism set to a beat that would send the Ikettes into overdrive. Low Cut Connie plays at Thalia Hall on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Find tickets here. (– Jeff Elbel)