SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday features dozen of ways for people to enjoy the weekend via theater, music, art, culinary happenings and more.
All events featured were scheduled as of Thursday; however, it’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one. Inclement weather, changes in schedules and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, July 24
Brad Paisley
Live Oak Bank Pavilion, 10 Cowan St. • Tickets: $48 and up
Country artist Brad Paisley is coming to Live Oak Bank Pavilion on July 24 as part of his Truck Still Works World Tour. The show includes special guests Walker Hayes and Alexandra Kay.
Paisley has released 12 studio albums, his most commercially successful being “Mud on the Tires” (2003) and “Time Well Wasted” (2005). Both were certified double-platinum.
The singer has charted more than 50 singles on Billboard country singles, including 19 number-one — “When I Get Where I’m Going,” “She’s Everything,” “Waitin’ on a Woman” and “Then.” Paisley has collaborated with artists such as Alison Krauss, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood and Alabama.
The singer has also been awarded several honors, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards. He was also the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles.
Paisley’s upcoming tour is named after his current radio single “Truck Still Works.” The song was written by Paisley, Chris Dubois, Will Bundy, Hunter Phelps and Rodney Clawson and was produced by Brad and Luke Wooten.
Tickets are $48 and up.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
Wannabe: A Spice Girls Tribute — For ‘90s pop music lovers who wanna sing to the top of their lungs, “So tell me whatcha want, whatcha really, really want!” a tribute act at Bowstring Brewyard (1002 Princess St.) has the show for you. Wannabe is a tribute act to Posh Spice, Scary Spice, Ginger Spice, Baby Spice, and Sporty Spice. The giant personalities, platform shoes and vibrant music helped create the ‘90s British superstars better known as the Spice Girls. They’re celebrated in tribute with Wannabe, who’s been touring with the same energy for more than a decade. The group also sings other popular songs of the era from Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Madonna. In addition to the band’s performance, two local DJs, The Beehive Blondes, are spinning tunes as well throughout much of the ‘90s. Jess James and Lauren Jones will kick off the show at 7 p.m. with a dance party. Tickets are $20 here.
‘Impressions’ by Tom Shaw — A local artist well-known for his poster creations for local concerts and even political events is showing his work at a downtown brewery as part of “Impressions.” It opens at Flytrap Brewing at the corner of Walnut and Fourth streets. The exhibit is a retrospective of Shaw’s decade worth of printmaking, showcasing the spirit of Wilmington’s music scene and coastal vibe — each created by hand, one color at a time. The opening will feature a meet-and-greet with the artist and live music from Shaw and Sean Gregory (of Signal Fire). There will be new print releases, a free posters table and the California Taco food truck parked on site. The event is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wilmington Big Band — The Eagle’s Dare welcomes the town’s 17-piece jazz orchestra, Wilmington Big Band, to the stage from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Onsite also will be the Cape Fear Swing Dance Society, offering free lessons at 6:30 p.m. ahead of social dancing. There is a $10 cover and Eagle’s Dare is located at Third and Red Cross streets.
‘Tangerine‘— Jengo’s Playhouse continues hosting its summer series of movies and on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. it will screen “Tangerine.” The movie by Sean Baker — which is celebrating its 10th year anniversary — explores the subcultures of L.A. through the lens of a working girl and her best friend exploring a rumor on Christmas Eve. It also delves into how American society views transgenderism. Baker will be at Jengo’s (815 Princess St.) for a Q&A after the film; tickets are $13 here.
Friday, July 25
Weird Al Yankovic
Live Oak Bank Pavilion, 10 Cowan St. • Tickets: $40 and up
Leaning into the weird and wild, Live Oak Bank Pavilion is hosting the one and only Weird Al Yankovic, who has toured through Wilmington numerous times before at the Wilson Center.
This is the comedian, actor, musician and producer’s first time at the 7,000-seat outdoor pavilion. He previously toured with more scaled-down shows, but the current Bigger and Weirder Tour includes his long-time band and four additional players to create a super-sized concert experience.
The tour will feature Weird Al’s hits, including Amish Paradise,” “Fat,” “Smells Live Nirvana” and more. Audiences can expect multiple costume changes and a giant video wall.
“We’ll be doing all the big crowd-pleasing parodies as well as some deep cuts for the hardcore fans – but with twice as many players on stage, everything is going to sound twice as good!” Yankovic said in a release about the tour.
Weird Al has released 14 studio albums, from which he’ll play. However, setlists show he also has been peppering in covers, such as Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” and Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman.”
Tickets to the show start at $40 here.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
Jazz Friday — Bottega Art and Wine at the corner of Fourth and Brunswick streets has undergone changes as of late and is offering Friday night jazz events. The wine bar features art from locals and free concerts with jazz artists from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The Aaron Van NyNatten Trio will perform on July 25, performing jazz standards but also the group transforms other genres of music, such as David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”
Tributes to Soundgarden and Audioslave — If ‘90s grunge is more your style, The Eagle’s Dare Free Concert Friday is bringing Soundgarden to the forefront of rock glory. Tribute act Badmotorfinger takes on the famed Seattle group through tracks like “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman.” Also performing will be Exploder, a band playing tribute to Audioslave The early aughts act was another group formed by Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell (who passed away in 2017) and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. The group put out three studio albums, including tracks “Like a Stone” and “Be Yourself.” The show is free with music starting at 6:30 p.m.
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Release Party — At Castle Street’s Good Lie, an indoor golf playhouse, a night of celebration is planned in honor of the release of “Happy Gilmore 2.” The first one, a famed ‘90s movie starring Adam Sandler, will be screened at 6 p.m., followed by a hockey putter putt contest, and a “Happy Gilmore 2” watch party. There also will be a costume contest, so come dressed as the film’s wackiest, wild characters and there will be a “shoot your shot” raffle. Learn more here.
Blakeslee Concert Series — The British Invaders are taking over the stage at Blakeslee Air Force Recreation Area in Kure Beach on Sunday. The free concert begins at 6:30 p.m. and features songs from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and more. There also will be Smash n Dash food truck on site and scenic views of the Cape Fear River. Chairs and blankets are welcome.
Hampstead Alive After 5 — Another free concert series taking place in Pender County will feature Carl Newtons Review — a party band performing disco, funk, Motown, rock and more. Hampstead Alive After 5, hosted by Pender County Parks and Rec, is free and takes place at Kiwanis Park (586 Sloop Point Road). The show takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and chairs and blankets are welcome, with food trucks parked on site.
Saturday, July 26
Primus
Live Oak Bank Pavilion, 10 Cowan St. • Tickets: $42
Known for its funky bass lines and experimental metal riffs, Les Claypool’s California rock outfit Primus brings its Onward and Upward 2025 tour to downtown Wilmington’s Riverfront Park Saturday.
Primus was founded in the mid-’80s but gained popularity during the grunge rock era of the ’90s, after the release of “Sailing the Seas of Cheese,” “Pork Soda” and “Tales from the Punchbowl.” The latter two charted the top 10 on Billboard’s 200, with the track “My Name is Mud” from “Pork Soda” also featured on Billboard’s top 10 hits.
Primus toured the early days of Lollapalooza as well, sharing bills with Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr., Arrested Development, and Rage Against the Machine in 1993. Claypool gained fanfare for his often quirky and off-kilter approach to creating music, with metal blending funk and psychedelia. The band went on to create the theme song for Comedy Central’s hit TV show “South Park.”
The band has had a mashup of members throughout its many decades of being on-again and off-again, with its last stop in Wilmington in 2014 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. Claypool has embarked on other collaborative projects as well, including with Stewart Copeland (Police) and Trey Anastasio (Phish) as Oysterhead and with Sean Lennon as part of The Claypool Lennon Delirium. The latter toured through Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in 2016.
Today, Primus consists of Claypool on vocals and bass, Larry “Ler” LaLonde on guitar, and John “Hoffer” Hoffman on drums. The drummer is the newest face of the band, chosen from 6,200 applicants from across the globe; fans can check it out on Primus’ YouTube series “Interstellar Drum Derby.”
Tickets are $42 and up.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Jessimae Peluso — Having been featured on both MTV and Comedy Central, Jessimae Peluso will be performing four shows at Dead Crow Comedy Room this weekend. The comedian was on MTV’s “Girl Code” but started her comedy career in Massachusetts, often doing standup in Cambridge and Boston before moving to New York City and now residing in L.A. She’s also appeared on “Chelsea Lately,” “The Joe Rogan Experience” and David Spade’s “Lights Out.” Peluso has a podcast centered on mental health, called “Sharp Tongue.” She also has appeared on “Just for Laughs,” saying in 2023: “I came to you from sunny L.A. — everybody’s outside, dudes in their man buns, beards, tans. It’s hard to tell you who has a day off of work and who’s a bum and I can’t tell you if I give a f**k either way. I’m desperate, I’ve walked into a tent too many times, saying, ‘Oh, he has a tent on the beach — he’s adventurous.” Peluso is an advocate for those facing Alzheimer’s and acts as an ambassador for Seth and Laura Rogen’s Alzheimer’s foundation, Hilarity for Charity, as well as the SoCal chapter for the Alzheimer’s Association. Tickets to her show are $25 to $36.
‘Don Giovanni’ — Opera Wilmington is hosting its latest production on UNCW’s campus at 3 p.m. Taking place on the main stage theater at the Cultural Arts Building, “Don Giovanni” is Mozart’s masterpiece, rolling in seduction, danger and justice all in one. The show blends comedy and drama, with gripping arias and fiery ensembles. It stars Thandolwethu Mamba as Don Giovanni, a charismatic if not immoral nobleman who seduces women and defies social and moral codes. John Dooley performs as the servant Leporello, Elizabeth Stovall Gazda as the vengeful Donna Anna, Miles Jenkins as Don Ottavio, Maria Valdes as a woman seduced by Giovanni and more. It runs one more weekend, Friday and Sunday, with tickets available here.
‘9 to 5 the Musical’ — Based on the 1980 film, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, “9 to 5” continues this weekend at Thalian Hall from Opera House Theatre Company. The satire focuses on female empowerment in a male-dominated workforce, following three secretaries who decide to exact revenge on their boss. One is passed over for promotion in favor of a male colleague, another is objectified and blamed for having an affair with her boss, while the other is going through a separation from her cheating husband and must find a job to support herself and her son. Each has a fantasy of killing their tyrannical chauvinist superior and taking over the company — and then one day poison is accidentally put into his morning coffee making their daydreams a reality. The musical, starring Coleman Cox, Kendra Goehring and Heather Setzler, takes place through July 27, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Sunday, July 27
Wilderado
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Drive • Tickets: $32
An indie folk band out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Wilderado will be touring through Wilmington’s Greenfield Lake Amphitheater on Sunday.
The trio, consisting of Max Rainer (lead singer, guitarist), Tyler Wimpee (guitarist, vocals), and Justin Kila (drums), gained success after, with previous band members, they released their sophomore EP, “Latigo,” which garnered 18 million streams on Spotify. This opened the door for the band to begin touring with well-known acts, including Band of Horses, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Lindsey Buckingham. The group also toured with Flipturn in 2022 (Flipturn just passed through town last weekend).
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the group released its self-titled debut album, which propelled it further onto the “Jimmy Kimmel Show,” CBS Saturday Morning and more. In 2024, they followed up with the 12-track “Talker” and the single “Higher Than Most” has been tracking 20 on the Alternative Radio chart.
Tickets are $32 here.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Sal Vulcano — At the Wilson Center, improvisational comedian Sal Vulcano will have a Sunday show at 7:30 p.m. Originally from Staten Island, the standup began his love for comedy in high school as part of the improvisation club and currently remains a member of comedy troupe The Tenderloins, with James Murray, Brian Quinn, and formerly Joe Gatto. They star in TruTV’s “Impractical Jokers” and appear on multiple podcasts. On his standup special “Terrified” he quips: “Imagine explaining thunder to kids in third-world countries. It would be insane: ‘I know you’re scared, honey; this is the likes of a storm we have never seen. And we are low on food and rations and medicines and the village is washing away and we haven’t seen your sister in quite some time. But don’t worry, that’s just God … f***ing bowling.’” Tickets start at $51 here.
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