• By Surpriseby Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start, from and nothing is #1Download

Local singer-songwriter John Francis is presenting The City of Love Festival tonight at Underground Arts, benefiting Broad Street Ministry‘s hospitality initiative.  The evening will feature sets by Philly favorites Kuf Knotz, The Districts, The Lawsuits, Sean Hoots and more.  John Francis stopped by The Leicht Lunch recently to talk about the Festival – listen back to his interview with Helen Leicht below and download his on-air recording of “Just a Moment Ago” here.  Tickets and information for the benefit concert can be found here.

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River City Extension head out to Harrisburg for a show at Fed Live tonight.  At eight members deep, the Tom’s River, NJ outfit recalls the communal folk sound of The Head & The Heart or Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.  The band released their second album Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Your Anger last year, a record that represents a not-so shining time in front-man Joe Michelini’s life but that pushed the band’s sound forward in an impressive way.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with Kalob Griffin Band can be found here.  Below, watch River City Extension perform “Everything West of Home/Brooklyn” live.

XPN Welcomes 13-time Grammy nominee Bruce Hornsby to the Scottish Rite Auditorium tonight.  The singer, songwriter and piano player is best known for his debut 1986 hit “The Way It Is” but is also a respected solo musician and was a touring member of The Grateful Dead from 1990 to 1992.  More recently the piano man has reached his keys into such diverse projects as a bluegrass album with Ricky Skaggs, a jazz record with Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette and he wrote music and lyrics for the musical SCKBSTD.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show in Collingswood, NJ can be found here.  Below, watch the video for Bruce Hornsby & The Range performing “The Way It Is.”

XPN Welcomes Morrissey to the House of Blues Atlantic City tonight.  Following the break-up of The Smiths in 1987, Steven Patrick Morrissey embarked on a successful solo career that included an immediate number one album with Viva Hate.  In 2011 EMI released a retrospective of his career and he has slanted this tour in the same angle, stating that it will feature both new / unreleased songs alongside his classics.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with Kristeen Young can be found here.  Below, watch Morrissey perform “Suedehead” on Later… with Jools Holland.

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XPN Welcomes Sharon Van Etten + Shearwater to Johnny Brenda’s at 9:15 p.m. Friday, February 10th; tickets to the 21+ show are SOLD OUT. You can listen to Van Etten’s new album, Tramp, via streaming audio at NPR Music.

Also Playing: XPN Welcomes Bruce Hornsby to the Keswick Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday, February 11th; tickets to the all-ages show are $29.50–$49.50.