The upcoming events in the area for this week are as follows:
• Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester will have the Young Dubliners with the Paul Waltz Band on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., a Tommy Froelich album release party with opener Paul Wilkinson on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Young Dubliners, a Celtic rock band with five members led by Dublin native Keith Roberts, formed in the early ’90s. They have released nine full-length albums, appeared multiple times on the Billboard charts, released a live concert DVD, and gained a passionate legion of fans in North America and beyond. Local singer-songwriter Froelich will be celebrating the release of his new album, “Chester County Bound.” After being on “American Idol,” Maroulis became a Broadway superstar, known for his Tony Award-nominated role in “Rock of Ages,” and has toured with Postmodern Jukebox and Rocktopia, and is now pursuing a solo career. For tickets and more information, visit uptownwestchester.com uptownwestchester.com.
• The Keswick Theatre in Glenside presents the Robert Cray Band on Friday at 8 p.m., KK’s Priest with LA Guns and Burning Witches on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and the Journey tribute band Beyond Frontiers on Wednesday, March 27, at 8 p.m. Guitarist Cray and his band have recorded 20 studio albums, 15 of which have been on the Billboard charts, and have performed at bars, concert halls, festivals, and arenas worldwide. Cray has won five Grammys and many W.C. Handy blues awards, and four years ago was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. KK’s Priest is led by former Judas Priest guitarist and songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer KK Downing. The band is touring in support of its latest album, “The Sinner Rides Again.” Burning Witches is fronted by Joey Belladonna, known as the lead singer of the legendary thrash metal band Anthrax. For tickets and more information, visit keswicktheatre.com keswicktheatre.com.
• The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks will host the Best Bead Show from Friday through Sunday, the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Nationals Car, Truck and Bike Show on Saturday and Sunday, and the East Coast Reptile Super Expo on Saturday. The bead show will feature hand-crafted and silver-plated jewelry, artisan jewelry, and lightweight one-of-a-kind aluminum and waterproof paper wearable art accessories, affordable skin care products, and lots of beads. The event will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Mid-Atlantic Indoor Nationals will offer more than 90 awards in categories ranging from Weekend Drivers to Professional Show Vehicles. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The reptile expo will feature vendors from across the country selling live reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories at discounted prices. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit phillyexpocenter.com.
• Join in the celebration of Pennsylvania German Easter traditions and the lively folk culture of the region at Easter on the Farm, happening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. Easter on the Farm is a free, enjoyable, and educational event for the entire family featuring demonstrations of folk life, live music performances by some of the region’s finest folk musicians, activities for kids, animals, local folk artists, and Easter egg hunts (12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.). The Reading-Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen will have a display, and a children’s craft tent will engage young and old with the region’s holiday traditions. Witness historical and cultural demonstrations such as traditional hearth cooking, traditional blacksmithing on a coal forge, flax spinning, and fiber dyeing over a fire by the summer kitchen. An exhibit called “Der Alt Dengelschtock: Precision, Frugality, & Cooperation in Pennsylvania Dutch Agricultural Tradition” will highlight the traditional haymaking and grain harvesting technology of the Pennsylvania Dutch at the DeLight E. Breidegam Building, the center’s new headquarters. For more information, follow “PGCHC” on Facebook.
• The Kennett Flash in Kennett Square is hosting Lizzie No with special guest Jessye DeSilva on Thursday at 8 p.m., Highway Run, a tribute to Journey and women in rock, on Saturday at 8 p.m., and the Dale Melton Trio on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Lizzie No, an Americana singer-songwriter, is touring in support of her new album, “Halfsies,” which tells the story of Miss Freedomland (a character representing No herself and her audience) from a place of both internal and external exile to liberation. No says the album is meant to be immersive — with songs inhabited not just by the singer but by those who receive them. Highway Run features members of the Fleetwood Mac tribute band Yesterday’s Gone performing a set of Journey music followed by a set of Heart and Pat Benatar. The Dale Melton Trio is a rhythmic blend of New Orleans funk and soulful New York jazz mixed with early rock, blues, and bossa nova, led by Melton on vintage keyboards including Hammond organ, Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer, DX7, and grand piano. For tickets and more information, visit kennettflash.org.
• The Newtown Theatre is hosting a performance of “The Music of the Band,” presented by Professor Louie and The Crowmatix with The Woodstock Horns, on Friday at 8 p.m. The Grammy-nominated Professor Louie and The Crowmatix have been performing together since 2000. Louie worked with The Band for more than 16 years, producing the group’s last three albums and playing on and producing their comeback hit, “Atlantic City.” The concert will include a diverse set list with songs from The Band, as well as some Bob Dylan and original music by Professor Louie and The Crowmatix. On Saturday at 8 p.m., Awaken will pay tribute to Yes. By combining elements from the original studio recordings with the inspirational power of past live Yes performances, Awaken offers a truly authentic musical experience that will impress even the most critical and passionate fans of the band. For tickets and more information, visit thenewtowntheatre.com.
• The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, is hosting Black Voices, Black Verse, a poetry and rap event on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Dervish with the John Byrne Band on Saturday at 8 p.m. Black Voices, Black Verse will include performances by Ephraim Nehemiah, Jayla Powers, Anthony C and Frostbyt3. Dervish, known for creatively interpreting Irish folk music, was recently honored with a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award. They have spent the last thirty years reinventing traditional songs of Ireland and gained recognition in 2019 for their album “The Great Irish Songbook.” The John Byrne Band draws inspiration from artists like Tom Waits and Planxty, with Byrne’s songwriting reflecting the musical and lyrical traditions of Ireland and Philadelphia. For tickets and more details, visit thecolonialtheatre.com.
• Ardmore Music Hall will feature virtuoso guitarist Julian Lage on Thursday at 8 p.m., the jam band Eggy on Friday at 8 p.m., a children’s Rock and Roll Playhouse event with Jon Smith’s Voyages performing David Bowie's music on Saturday at 11 a.m., and the Grateful Dad/Allman Brothers mashup Steal Your Peach on Saturday at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information, see ardmoremusichall.com.
• Rich Vos will headline at SoulJoel’s Comedy Club inside Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, on Friday at 8 p.m. Vos has four specials on Comedy Central and has made over 100 television appearances. He has appeared on HBO, HBO Max, Netflix, Showtime and Starz. He also produced and starred in the documentary “Women Aren’t Funny” and appeared in Judd Apatow’s “King of Staten Island.” Along with his wife Bonnie McFarlane, he hosts the popular podcast “My Wife Hates Me,” which delves into their marriage and daily life as comedians. On Saturday at 7 p.m., Luis J. Gomez returns to SoulJoel’s. Gomez is best known for being one of the hosts of the podcast “Legion of Skanks.” His TV appearances include NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” Comedy Central’s “Roast Battle” and TruTV’s “Comedy Knockout.” For tickets and more information, see souljoels.com.
• Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets are returning to the Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, for a performance on Saturday at 8 p.m. The high-energy five-piece combo delivers an exciting, crowd-pleasing set of songs first recorded at the beginning of rock ’n’ roll in the early and mid-1950s by the legendary Bill Haley and The Comets. This show emphasizes authenticity in sound and presentation and includes a PowerPoint presentation of over 400 rare photos. Bill Haley Jr. shares the stories and historical context behind the songs he sings with his talented Comets. Tickets are available for $15 at souljoels.com or $20 at the door.
• Berks Encore will present a concert by the Van Morrison tribute band Tupelo Honey to support Meals on Wheels in Berks County on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts at the campus of Reading Area Community College. One of the earliest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Morrison is known for writing some of the most iconic songs in popular music, including “Moondance,” ‘‘Into the Mystic,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Someone Like You” and “Crazy Love.” Tickets are available for $50 at millercenter.racc.edu or by dialing 610-607-6270.
• The Yocum Institute for Arts Education, West Lawn, will have an opening celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in its Holleran Gallery for the “Women in the Arts” exhibition. The display is a tribute to the extraordinary women artists who are at the core of the Yocum Institute’s ongoing goal to enhance and change the community through art. Through their commitment and skill, these women have significantly added to the Institute’s impact on the community and its adaptation in response to changing times. The exhibition will showcase works by Amanda Condict, Sara Gibson, Helen Reinhold-Gordon, Barbara Post, Elaine Soltis, Deb Gurman, Phyllis Moser, Lynn Millar, Jill Henry, Lisa Tiger, Nadia Pochan, Linda Flora and Angela Lattemen. It runs until April 27. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For additional information, see yocuminstitute.org.
• The Reading Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Andrew Constantine, will perform Beethoven’s timeless masterpiece, “Pastoral,” during its concert Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading. Recognized globally for its expressive representation of the countryside, “Pastoral” invites audiences to explore the beauty and calm of nature through music. From babbling brooks to impressive landscapes, each movement creates a lively picture of the natural world, transporting listeners to peaceful realms of peace and contemplation. Joining the orchestra as the guest soloist will be Jennifer Koh on violin. The concert will also present Barber — Essay No.1 for Orchestra and Sibelius — Violin Concerto. For more information and ticket reservations, go to readingsymphony.org or call 610-373-7557.
• The borough of Mohnton will host a Dog Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mohnton Playground. Egg hunt registration is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to support PA Pit Stop Rescue. The event will also include sellers, food, raffle baskets, prizes, Easter bunny pictures, a 50/50 and more.
