Concert previews of Mr. Big, Cat Power, Illiterate Light, more [Seven in Seven] – Daily Local

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, singer-songwriter or indie, there will always be something to check out.

Here are seven of the best on the docket for the week of Feb. 9:

Mr. Big — Friday at The Keswick Theatre

With the passing of Mr. Big’s original drummer and co-founder, Pat Torpey, who lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, the band felt it was time to mark the end with one last sojourn that they’re calling “The Big Finish Tour.” Known for hits like “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart,” along with the stone-cold musicianship of bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Paul Gilbert and led by singer Eric Martin, the rockers are out on their “The Big Finish Tour,” performing their breakthrough 1991 LP “Lean into It” in its entirety. Having warmed up last summer in Japan and Southeast Asia, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Mr. Big stops in Glenside on Friday for what figures to be their last area appearance.

Damn Tall Buildings — Friday at The Loft at City Winery

Since way back in their busking days and over the course of their decade of creating music together, bluegrass outfit Damn Tall Buildings have grown to new heights. Based in Brooklyn, the trio have begun to travel the globe playing bigger rooms, making lots of friends wherever they go and captivating audiences with a sound that wades into the deep waters of Americana. Carrying with them a connective and welcoming vibe, the three have developed a knack for making any stage feel a little more like the center piece of a cozy home.

Softcult — Saturday at Kung Fu Necktie

Driven by the civil upheaval that seemed to dominate the bulk of 2020 as well as the social and financial inequality exacerbated by the pandemic, twin siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn found themselves channeling their frustration with the world at large into the music they were creating. Since then, Softcult has released three EPs, the latest coming last spring with “See You in the Dark.” In some respects, the title reflects the grunge angst and shoegaze introspection their music has grown into as the Canadian outfit brazenly rallies behind feminism, social activism, creative freedom, self-empowerment and gender neutrality.

Cat Power — Tuesday at the Keswick Theatre

Renowned singer-songwriter Cat Power — aka Chan Marshall — comes to town as part of a headline tour that sees her celebrating her acclaimed new live album, “Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert.” During the show, she recreates Dylan’s 1966 concert, a 15-song set featuring classics like “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Like a Rolling Stone,” as well as several cuts from “Blonde on Blonde,” including “Just Like a Woman.” Like the original concert — and all of Dylan’s 1966 world tour — Marshall keeps the first half of her set entirely acoustic, then goes electric for the second half with the help of a full band.

John 5 and The Creatures — Tuesday at Mickey’s Black Box

It’s been some 30 years since John 5 burst onto the scene, and he’s remained one of the most in demand guitarists ever since. Having played with everyone from David Lee Roth to White Zombie to Marilyn Manson to Ricky Martin to Rod Stewart, he’s most recently been tapped to take Mick Mars’ spot in legendary sleaze rockers Motley Crue. And while controversy and lawsuits surround the decision by the Crue to replace Mars, there really isn’t a reason to complain about John 5, who can pretty much do anything on the six-string and instantly takes any artist he plays with to another level. Tuesday’s show in Lititz will include the backing band The Creatures and see John put on a sonic and visual clinic.

Sammy Rae & The Friends — Wednesday, Feb. 14, at The Fillmore

Brooklyn ensemble Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, but as a collective of dreamers and artists, they consider themselves a family first. Fronted by singer and songwriter Sammy Rae, the group flourishes in any spotlight with a combination of all-for-one and one-for-all camaraderie, clear chemistry, deft musicianship and vocal fireworks. Their sound is a mixture of Rae’s influences, rooted in classic rock, folk and funk and sprinkled with soul and jazz. Complete with a rhythm section and two saxophones, The Friends had a stellar year of high-energy performances throughout 2023 playing their biggest shows and festivals to date, and are looking to keep the party going with this Fillmore gig early in the second leg of the tour.

Illiterate Light — Thursday, Feb. 15, at Johnny Brenda’s

Jeff Gorman and drummer Jake Cochran — better known as the indie rock duo Illiterate Light — are on the road ahead of the late-March release of the EP “Slow Down Time.” The five-song effort was recorded at Gorman’s studio in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and will be the pair’s first release from the location. Expect the new music to be intentionally rough around the edges and, most exciting, for future music to come even more frequently now that the group has a studio at their disposal. Live is still the best place to catch Illiterate Light when they’re not shut off from the rest of the world, though, so make sure to put this one at the top of the list of shows.

Soundcheck

• Mr. Big: “Just Take My Heart”

• Damn Tall Buildings: “Words to the Song”

• Softcult: “Drain”

• Cat Power: “She Belongs to Me”

• John 5: “Season of the Witch”

• Sammy Rae & The Friends: “Coming Home Song”

• Illiterate Light: “Sunburned”