SEVEN IN SEVEN
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where we look at shows coming to the region over the next week. As always, whether your musical tastes are rock ’n’ roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singersongwriter or indie, there will always be something to check out.
Here are seven of the best on the docket for the week of April 19:
1
Good Kid — Saturday at The Theatre of Living Arts
A sort of jack-of-all-trades ensemble made up of musicians, programmers and storytellers, Good Kid has carved a unique path for their audience to follow suit. In essence, the Toronto five piece’s story is not just about music; it’s about building a dynamic and engaging universe. Known for their eclectic blend of J-rock, indie-rock and pop punk, Good Kid’s massive streaming success is not just a result of their propensity to create catchy songs, but innovative fan engagement alongside savvy, fanfavoring business decisions, have helped the band amass an extensive and devoted following, only serving to further the hype for their new EP, “Good Kid 4.”
SOUNDCHECK
• Good Kid: “Summer”
• Metz: “Wet Blanket”
• Bill Toms: “I Fulfilled My Dream”
• Judas Priest: “Panic Attack”
• Erra: “Cure”
• Uli Jon Roth: “The Sails of Charon”
• Ella Rodgers: “Sunny Savannah”
2
Metz — Saturday at Underground Arts
For those who believe in the power of the rock band to exemplify the highest resonance of human connection, there is much on the brand-new Metz album, “Up on Gravity Hill,” to lift the spirit, a puzzle worth repeated listening to unlock or just to get lost in again and again. The Canadian punk rockers have truly outdone themselves this time. A band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage have begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics. The evolution of their sound is not only a reflection of the maturing of the band but also of a changed world that demands compassion to comprehend and to survive. But old-school punks, have no fear, they’re still going to bring the house down at
Underground Arts.
3
Bill Toms and Hard Rain — Saturday at Jamey’s House of Music
While it’s hard to put a finger on any one sound that defines “American music,” the compositions of Bill Toms are as close a template as any out there. Earlier this month, the Pittsburgh songwriter released his latest single, the uplifting “I Fulfilled My Dream,” which comes through with a simple yet impactful arrangement, and Toms’ husky vocal and crunching lead guitar taking center stage along with his long-time band, Hard Rain. Expectedly, he delivers a sound that captures the American consciousness with thoughtfulness, honesty and a groove that keeps the dance floor moving.
4
Judas Priest — Sunday at Santander Arena
It’s one thing for a band to stick around for 50-plus years, but its quite another to still be a viable entity onstage and in the studio. Judas Priest continues to be both, evidenced most recently on their latest LP, “Invincible Shield,” which came out last month. It’s their 19th record and shows the iconic UK hard rockers in fine form, especially frontman and resident “Metal God” Rob Halford, whose voice continues to defy aging. New songs like “Panic Attack” and “Trial by Fire” will fit right in live with classics like “Painkiller” and “Living After Midnight” when they take the arena stage Sunday in Reading.
5
Erra — Tuesday at The Theatre of Living Arts
Prolific metalcore progressives Erra come to town in support of their latest album, “Cure,” which came out earlier this month. The
British heavy metal icons Judas Priest play Santander Arena, Reading, on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. band’s sixth album highlights and expands on the forward-thinking sound and guitar-driven style upon which the Alabama unit has built its reputation. Following 2021’s self-titled release, “Cure” is a stunning execution of both raw talent and surgical technicality, as emotionally powerful as it is musically proficient. Overall, it’s a record full of atmosphere and groove, and one that should translate perfectly into a live setting. Uli Jon Roth —
Wednesday at Sellersville
6
Theater 1894
Legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth brings a truly groundbreaking show to the stage with a 360-degree journey into his unique world of artistic imagination dubbed “Interstellar Sky Guitar.” The three-hour-plus integrated multimedia show will be split into two parts with an intermission. The first half of the concert features a wide gamut of new and old pieces written by Roth, including excerpts from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and his own “Metamorphosis Concerto.” It will also include a brief TED Talk introducing his new book,
“In Search of the Alpha Law.” The second part of the concert will see him celebrate the vinyl release of all three “Electric Sun” albums, alongside selections from the five Roth-era Scorpions albums.
7
Ella Rodgers — next Thursday at Sellersville Theater 1894
Almost everyone has longed to be from another time at some point in their lives, and Ella Rodgers is no different. The musical tastes of the Georgia native harken back more than 80 years to her favorite recording artists of the 1910s to the 1960s. As a vocalist, her style borrows from The Boswell Sisters, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, Judy Garland, Doris Day and others. Her first tutors arrived in the form of old records she found at thrift stores, as well as her dad’s playing. As a pianist, Rodgers’ leanings are equally varied, touching on ragtime, blues, traditional and the best of the American Songbook. Live, it’s like being transported back in time, fitting as her debut LP is titled “Time Machine.”