soundadvice

ROCK/POP

Loudon Wainwright

Long before he was known as Rufus and Martha's dad, Loudon Wainwright III was charming audiences with his witty wordplay, un derstated pathos and wry observations on the foibles of modern love and modern life. His latest album, Here Come the Choppers (Sovereign Artists), features an all-star cast as Wainwright tackles everything from love gone wrong ("Had to Be Her") to the aftermath of 9/11 ("No Sure Way") to the death of Mister Rogers—all with the acerbic wit that's never better than onstage. Opening the show is his little sis, Sloan.

Sun., Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m., $29.50, with Sloan Wainwright, Sellersville Theater, Main and Temple sts., Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com.

ROCK/FOLK
Rav Shmuel
On paper, it sounds like the ultimate publicity shtick: a beer-drinking ordained rabbi who rocks out on guitar to his own tunes. But the Dead-loving musician—who is also a college professor and father of six—has been building himself a real-deal fan base and earning some respectful buzz ever since the days when he and his band, Gefiltefish, played parking lots before and after Phish stadium shows.

Tue., Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m., $14, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

CLASSICAL
Arnaldo Cohen
Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen came out of nowhere. He was a mature artist with a variety of professional experiences when his first CDs appeared, and he began to play in the U.S., in the late 1990s. As it turns out, he is a colossal talent, in the front rank of the world's great pianists. He has returned for several years as a part of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society series, this year with a program of Haydn, music of Brazil and the glorious Ballades of Chopin.

Fri., Jan. 13, 8 p.m., $26, Perelman Theater, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org.

ROCK/POP
Mark Eitzel

Broody, moody Mark Eitzel has had an on-again, off-again love affair with his band, the San Francisco-based American Music Club, for more than a decade. The band smartly regrouped in '04 after a long hiatus, but Eitzel's going it alone again with the rather chilly-sounding Candy Ass (Cooking Vinyl), which has him messin' with electronica and bemoaning, well, just about everything. Still, nobody makes melancholia sound quite so alluring.

Sun., Jan. 15, 7 p.m., $12, with Julius Curcio, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770, www.tinangel.com.