Hot off her spectacular performance in Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Madonna announced she’s hitting the road this summer on a North American tour. Her first stop? The Wells Fargo Center in South Philly on August 28. Tickets go on sale Monday, February 13, making a perfect last minute Valentine’s Day gift for the Material Girl/Boy in your life. Madonna’s highly-anticipated new album, MDNA, will be released on March 26. [Madonna at the Wells Fargo Center]

The music of the silver screen hits Verizon Hall as the POPS play 'A Night at The Oscars.' (Photo courtesy Philly Pops)

Take a trip to Hollywood with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops’ “A Night At The Oscars,” on stage February 8-12 in Verizon Hill at the Kimmel Center.

Jodi Benson, the famous voice of Ariel in the Oscar-winning Disney movie The Little Mermaid, will join the POPS along with Philly-based Broadway and film star Sal Viviano for a passionate evening featuring the magnificent music of the cinema.

With two time Grammy Award-winning pianist Peter Nero at the helm, the Philly Pops always deliver a rousing performance.

Tickets are available online.

Peter Nero And The Philly Pops Present “A Night At The Oscars”
When: February 8-12
Where: Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Streets
Cost: Tickets start at $28
More info: www.phillypops.com

After taking over the radio waves with the sticks-in-your-head 2007 hit “1234,” Feist is returning to Philadelphia this spring.

Exuberant lead singer Leslie Feist and company are scheduled to perform their unforgettable pop gems at the Academy of Music on Tuesday, May 8.

The concert will be Feist’s first appearance in Philly since a sold-out show back in April 2008.

Feist’s latest studio album Metals (see image above) was released last fall to critical acclaim.

Tickets will most likely sell out before you can count to four, so act fast when they go on sale online this Friday, February 3.

Feist at the Academy of Music
When: May 8
Where: 240 S. Broad Street
Cost: Tickets on sale Friday, February 3
More Info: www.kimmelcenter.org

This adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends.
(Photo by Joan Marcus courtesy Kimmel Center)

Direct from their phenomenally successful Broadway engagement, the internationally acclaimed Beatles concert, RAIN! A Tribute To The Beatles, returns to Philadelphia at the Academy of Music for eight shows only from January 31 to February 5 as part of the Kimmel Center’s Broadway Season.

As “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!”, according to the Associated Press, RAIN! performs the full range of The Beatles’ discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed live for an audience.

Together longer than The Beatles, RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally note-for-note, infectious performance.

Rock out to everything from the early hits to later classics (I Want To Hold Your Hand, Hard Day’s Night, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Let It Be, Come Together, Hey Jude and more).

Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 731-3333, online or at the Kimmel Center box office.

“Rain! A Tribute To The Beatles”
Where: Academy Of Music, 1420 Locust Street
When: January 31-February 5
Cost: Tickets range from $20-$100
More info: www.kimmelcenter.org

Bruuuuuccee!!

Just in time for the blockbuster exhibition debuting at the National Constitution Center next month, Bruce Springsteen has just announced two concert dates at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia on March 28 and 29.

The world tour is in honor of Bruce Springsteen’s 17th studio album “Wrecking Ball,” which will be released on Columbia Records on March 6.

For more details on the awesome Bruce exhibition coming to the Constitution Center, which will feature more than 150 artifacts from Bruce’s career, many of which have never been seen before by the public, check out our initial post.

Meanwhile, tickets for the concert go on sale this Saturday, January 28. To get tickets to the concert, click here, and then be sure you go ahead and book advance tickets to the exhibition.

And stay tuned for a lot more about the exhibition, which opens on February 15, in the weeks to come.

P.S. Don’t look now, but we’re hearing rumors that The Boss might make an appearance at the National Constitution Center when he’s town for the concerts. Fingers crossed and eyes peeled.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Philly
When: March 28-29
Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Cost: Tickets
More info: www.brucespringsteen.net

Rock out to 50s, 60s and 70s hits with the Geater with the Heater at the Kimmel Center this weekend. (Photo courtesy Kimmel Center)

The Geator with the Heater, the Boss with the Hot Sauce, the Jerry Blavat will be at the Kimmel Center on January 28 presenting rock and roll hits from the late 50s through the 70s with a star-studded line-up featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alumni new and old.

The man that former Governor Ed Rendell described to be “as Philadelphia as the cheesesteak” will emcee a night of feel good hits such as “Stand by Me,” “Let’s Dance,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

Performers include Ben E. King (former member of the Drifters and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alumnus), Shirley Alston Reeves of the Shirelles, and Philadelphia natives Darlene Love (a 2011 Hall of Fame inductee) and The Trampps and more.

If you can’t make it to the star-studded evening at the Kimmel Center, or even if you can but can’t get enough of the Geator with the Heater, check out his weekly show at Sugarhouse Casino, every Wednesday from 5-7 p.m.

Tickets are available online.

Bonus: prior to and immediately following the show in Verizon Hall, DJ Mark the Spark returns will host a free dance party in Commonwealth Plaza!

Jerry Blavat at the Kimmel Center
Where: 260 S. Broad Street
When: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 8 p.m.
Cost: $41 to $81
More info: www.kimmelcenter.org

The Academy of Music turns 155 this year, and the Philadelphia musical community is celebrating with a star-studded gala featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin for the first time in this hallowed space, plus Grammy winners Diana Krall and Yo-Yo Ma. (Photo by B. Krist for GPTMC)

Grammy Award winners singer/pianist Diana Krall and cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be special guests of the Philadelphia Orchestra when they celebrate the 155th Anniversary of the Academy of Music on Saturday, January 28.

Taking its cues from the very first Academy Anniversary Concert, the program will be a mix of orchestral repertoire and popular music.

The concert will also be the Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s debut conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music.

Opened in 1857, the Academy of Music is the oldest grand opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose. Over the years, it has hosted many firsts for the country and city, including the American premiere of Verdi’s operal Il trovatore, the American premiere of Gounod’s Faust, and the city’s first indoor football game between the University of Pennsylvania and the Riverton Club of Princeton in 1889.

Get tickets to the very special musical event online.

155th Anniversary Concert of the Academy of Music
Where: Broad and Locust Streets
When: Saturday, January 28, 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $200
More info: www.kimmelcenter.org

The Philadelphia Orchestra is giving Philadelphia a different way to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. This Monday, January 16, the orchestra is holding its 22nd annual FREE Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert. The concert will be held, appropriately, at Martin Luther King High School, hosting the concert for the seventh consecutive year. Tthe orchestra will play alongside the School District of Philadelphia’s All City Choir. Additionally, Charlotte Blake Alston will narrate readings from Dr. King. Reserve your spot online. [Philadelphia Orchestra MLK Concert]

Philly icons Boyz II Men have added yet another accolade to their lineup of accomplishments. (Photo courtesy Philly 360)

With 60 million records sold and four Grammy wins, Boyz II Men are one of the most legendary musical acts to come out of Philadelphia.

And now they have the star to prove it.

The star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, that is.

The Philly icons — Shawn Stockman, Wayna Morris, Nathan Morris and Michael McCary — came together last week to receive a star on the hallowed Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On hand at the ceremony as well were music powerhouses Babyface, Michael Bivins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The star’s location along the walk is in good company; it sits near Motown legends like the Temptations, Stevie Wonder and the Supremes.

Let’s hear it for the Boyz!

Boyz II Men Honored With Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame [Philly 360]

An extremely talented cast plus delicious Italian food make for an exciting addition to the burgeoning Midtown Village neighborhood. (Photo courtesy Walnut Street Supper Club)

The Walnut Street Supper Club, an exciting new venture by Midtown Village Association Founder James McManaman and iconic Philadelphia restaurateur Ralph Berarducci — owner of Portofino for 38 years — will open its doors next Wednesday, December 28 in the former Portofino space on Walnut Street.

Walnut Street Supper Club will honor Portofino’s classic Italian cuisine in addition to serving American classics, including baby back ribs, delicious New York Strip steaks and succulent seafood favorites.

But food aside, two of the Walnut Street Supper Club’s most noteworthy features are its retro ambiance and its magnetic live entertainment.

The dining room is expansive (it seats 175) and glamorous, with both floor and mezzanine seating. Bonus: there are no minimums or cover charges, unlike most venues in the city that host live music.

Patrons will be treated to nightly live entertainment a la 1940s supper club. A baby grand piano takes center stage while musical director Jeremiah Downes and his team of talented waitresses/bartenders-turned-singers perform American Songbook standards (think Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darrin and Judy Garland).

The restaurant will provide discounted parking at 1201 Walnut Street, the lot around the corner.

Homegrown talent, 1940s nostalgia plus delicious food right in the heart of one of the city’s most happening neighborhoods is a recipe for nothing other than success.

Reservations are being taken now for New Year’s Eve! Call (215) 923-8208 to secure your spot.

Walnut Street Supper Club
1227 Walnut Street
www.walnutstreetsupperclub.com

Live music, a glass of wine and great art make for a fantastic kick-off to the weekend. (Photo courtesy Woodmere)

Every Friday night, Woodmere Art Museum hosts an evening of live jazz music, light fare and wine amidst some of the best fine art in the region.

This Friday, December 23, the museum is hosting a special holiday edition of Friday Night Jazz with Holiday Classics: Arpeggio Jazz Trio.

Holiday classics performed will include “Let It Snow,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells,” “We Three Kings,” and others.

All of these tunes will be infused with a jazzy flavor.

Enjoy great music, a glass of hard cider and do your last minute shopping at the museum shop. Light fare and wine served.

Get a video preview of the Arpeggio Jazz Trio right here.

Woodmere Art Museum Friday Night Jazz: Holiday Edition
When: Friday, December 23, 6-8 p.m.
Where: 9201 Germantown Avenue
Cost: $20
More info: www.woodmereartmuseum.org

The Mann Center has just announced the first show for their upcoming 2012 summer concert season and it’s a good one. Foster The People will be playing The Mann on June 14, 2012, with special guests Tokyo Police Club. Foster The People shot to fame this year, largely on the back of their triple-platinum single “Pumped Up Kicks” (video below). This coming summer, the band will wrap up 18 months of touring by playing iconic amphitheaters around the country including Philly’s own Mann Center. Tickets for the show go on sale January 20. [Mann Center]