The upcoming events in the area for the next week are as follows:
• Lil Wayne will be performing in concert at Santander Arena in Reading on Saturday at 8 p.m. The concert is almost sold out, with limited single tickets and verified resale tickets available at ticketmaster.com. Lil Wayne's career began when he was very young, delivering hardcore Southern hip-hop. Over the years, his humorous and wordplay-heavy rhymes evolved, and he became a million-selling artist with a huge body of work. His claim of being the “best rapper alive” is worth considering due to his inventiveness and cleverness. Wayne debuted at the age of 12 and received his first platinum certification five years later as part of the Hot Boys. He then became a successful solo artist with “Tha Block Is Hot” (1999), the first of his 12 Top Ten albums on the Billboard 200. He achieved mainstream superstar status with “Tha Carter III” (2008), a triple-platinum hit that produced the No. 1 pop hit “Lollipop” and the No. 6 follow-up “A Milli,” earning three Grammy awards, including Best Rap Album.
• The Keswick Theatre in Glenside will feature an evening of Celtic music with Gaelic Storm and the High Kings on Friday at 8 p.m. Gaelic Storm has been touring for over 20 years, while The High Kings are an Irish folk group from Dublin that formed in 2007. They play 13 instruments between them, creating a unique sound and atmosphere. On Saturday at 8 p.m., southern rockers Blackberry Smoke will take the Keswick stage. For tickets and more information, visit keswicktheatre.com.
• Comedian Karen Morgan will perform at the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Morgan, a former trial attorney, started her comedy career as a finalist on Nickelodeon’s “Search for the Funniest Mom in America.” She has comedy specials on Dry Bar Comedy: “Rub Some Dirt On It” (2023) and “Go Dawgs!” (2020). Her TV appearances include comedy shows like “Gotham Comedy Live.” Morgan’s clean shows have made her popular among theater audiences. Tickets are priced at $20 and can be purchased at millercenter.racc.edu.
• Comedian Earl David Reed will perform at Reading Civic Theatre on Saturday at 8 p.m. at its theater at 4350 Perkiomen Ave., Exeter Township. Reed has been performing for 25 years, appearing on “The Tonight Show” and many other TV shows, as well as in over 100 comedy clubs and college theaters, as well as in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at readingcivic.org or at the door on the evening of the show.
• The Newtown Theatre is happy to have Green River perform their Creedence Clearwater Revival/John Fogerty tribute show on Saturday at 8 p.m. The performance closely resembles a live CCR show. Concert attendees will enjoy CCR classics like “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary,” and “Up Around the Bend,” as well as songs that the band would turn into live jams such as “Born on the Bayou” and “Susie Q.” The band also includes John Fogerty classics like “The Old Man Down the Road” and “Centerfield.” Green River was created by native New Yorker Rick Horvath. “Noodles,” as he is affectionately known, began singing CCR songs in his first band when he was only 13 years old. Tickets are priced at $37 at thenewtowntheatre.com.
• The Jazz on the Avenue series at Yocum Institute for Arts Education, West Lawn, will feature Mike Eben & Friends celebrating the music of Doc Mulligan on Saturday at 3 p.m. Mulligan, a radiologist and highly regarded trombonist, passed away in 2021 at age 94, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a performer, arranger, and mentor to up-and-coming musicians. Saxophonist Eben will lead a band that also includes Greg Wilson, Rob Diener, John Loos, Carl Zeplin, Lars Potteiger, Steve Meashey, Dave Lazorcik, plus special guest the So What! Trio: Noah Gibney, Esteban Ruiz, and Dexter Sales. Tickets are priced at $25 in advance at yocuminstitute.org or $30 at the door.
• The Berks County-based Uptown Band will celebrate its 18th anniversary with its annual Bandapalooza event on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown. Joining Erich Cawalla & The Uptown Band will be Pottstown’s own Bennie Sims and The Groovemasters, plus Bunchafunk featuring Reggie Brown. With two female vocalists and a horn section backing saxophonist and vocalist Cawalla, the Uptown Band performs a mix of funky party music. Reserved seats cost $30 and general admission is $20. A full bar will be available inside the ballroom. Food can be ordered from the bar from Gatsby’s Pub. To reserve, visit souljoels.com.
• International Museum of Dance, under the direction of Clyde Evans, presents “A Danceology of Hip Hop” on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester. Evans blends performance and education to provide a firsthand account of the cultural significance of this iconic art form. Experience renowned Philadelphia dancers, at the pinnacle of their craft, electrifying the stage with their world-class hip hop moves. And on Saturday at 8 p.m., Uptown! presents the Ozzy Osbourne tribute act Crazy Train. Vinny Cormier will channel Ozzy, supported by a band full of Berklee College of Music drop-outs including his son Dylan. Cormier has been a touring musician since 1977, working with acts such as Molly Hatchet, Eddie Money, Blue Oyster Cult, Quiet Riot, Steve Perry of Journey, and Kansas. For tickets and more information, see uptownwestchester.org.
• The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, presents “Old Friends,” an original production by Phoenixville native Luke O’Brien that will serve as a chronological look back at his musical journey. The show will utilize the movie screen as well as live performances in order to create a unique entertainment experience. After a series of songs performed with backing tracks, O’Brien will take the stage with his band to present some new songs he has been crafting. Opening will be fellow Phoenixville native Carrie Hytha. Tickets cost $30 at thecolonialtheatre.com.
• SoulJoel’s Comedy Club at Sunnybrook, Pottstown, is featuring Sean Donnelly & Friends on Friday at 7 p.m. and Joe Bartnick on Saturday at 7 p.m. Donnelly headlines clubs and festivals across the country and has appeared on shows like “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Conan,” and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” He also co-hosts the podcast “My Dumb Friends” with fellow comedian Dan St. Germain on the All Things Comedy network. Bartnick, a comic who has transitioned from performing in coffeeshops and bars to Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks, is known for his standup on AXS-TVs “Gotham Live,” roasting Tommy Lee on A&E, and acting on Playboy TV’s “King of Clubs.” For tickets and more information, visit souljoels.com. souljoels.com.
