Farewell Tour (hint, hint)
Aerosmith
First Union Center
3601 S. Broad Street
November 8
7:30 p.m.; $45-$75
While it's probably true that Steven, Joe and the boys should have called it quits quite a few years ago, you do have to give them credit for bringing us some pretty nice videos starring the likes of Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone. It makes it easier to ignore the fact that they've basically "written" the same song about 20 times since then and changed the lyrics around a bit and assembled a long series of monotonous albums throughout the past decade. But all that aside, their performance at the FU Center should definitely have some great moments, because there's no denying that Aerosmith has conjured up some pretty classic tunes along the way. Luckily, seeing the band in concert means you don't have to waste your time sifting through all the filler on the albums, assuming Aerosmith realizes that everyone's there to hear "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion." If it delivers the goods, a night with Aerosmith could be a stay in pure rock heaven. This could be (read: should be) its chance to (not so) gracefully bow out and you'll be right there to witness it.
PMA Craft Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
12th and Arch streets
Through November 11
$10 one-day pass/$15 two-day pass
(215) 684-7936
Do you ever feel this insane urge to stage a complex art heist, a la Mission Impossible (complete with the flying trapeze act), in order to steal the violets painting from the PMA? So, OK, these artists aren't exactly Van Gogh, but some of the artists are featured in the PMA and are selling their wares for a good ol' down-home country craft show.
Women of Hip-Hop and Soul
Electric Factory
Seventh and Willow streets
8 p.m., $22.50/$25 DOS
(215) 627-1332
This ain't no Lilith Fair. These sisters don't strum gentle chords and serenade you with enchanting melodies. They don't parade around claiming to be divas. And perhaps best of all, most of them probably even shave on a regular basis. In other words, this show might actually be good. With all the awfully packaged rock tours making their ways across the nation, it's about time these sultry ladies, like India Arie and Mystic, got their dues. No lame punk bands, no ear-splitting atonal monotony, just a soundtrack that's oh-so-bootylicious all night long.
Through the Looking Glass
St. Stephen's Theater
10th and Ludlow streets
Call for Times $18-$25
(215) 829-9002
We think its safe to assume that a good proportion of the individuals who create children's stories have a great fondness for getting high. Peter Pan makes use of a little pixie dust to fly, Super Mario eats a mushroom and gets taller and the caterpillar in Alice's wonderland just loves that hookah. But that's only the beginning of the fun in Through the Looking Glass. Myriad wonders await Alice when she enters that hole, where rabbits talk, smiles float and nothing is quite as it seems.
