Concert: LCD Soundsystem
As detailed in Lizzy Goodman’s fantastic oral history, “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” James Murphy burst onto the scene as an essential player in New York’s rock ’n’ roll rebirth of the early 2000s, merging Euro-style electronica and Talking Heads art funk with his own signature blasé vocals on songs about the party and the morning after. On Friday, Murphy brings his body-moving disco-rock band — who, by the way, positively smoke live — to History (1663 Queen St. E.) for the first of a three-night stand. —Doug Brod
Art: ‘Canadian Photographs: 1900-1950’
Canadians have sometimes been accused of not knowing their own history. One way to get acquainted with it is through photographs, which is why the Stephen Bulger Gallery (1356 Dundas St. W.) has pulled pictures from its own collection for this show — not just to document history, but to highlight Canadian contributions to the medium. Works from H.G. Cox, Arthur Goss, Minna Keene, Johan Helders, Yousuf Karsh and more are included in this pictorial record of places, people and events that made Canada Canada. The show runs until Aug. 30. —Debra Yeo
Theatre: ‘Kim’s Convenience’
“Kim’s Convenience,” Ins Choi’s hit play that was later turned into a CBC sitcom, concludes its run at Soulpepper this weekend and will soon embark on a North American tour. Whether you’ve seen this play before or only know it from the TV series (the stage version is far more moving), director Weyni Mengesha’s revival is not to be missed. It stars Choi himself as Appa, the proprietor of the eponymous store, and his performance is a humorous and heartfelt portrait of an immigrant father grappling with what it means to leave behind a legacy. —Joshua Chong
Song: Amaarae: ‘Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2’ (ft. PinkPantheress)
On her third album, “Black Star,” Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae continues her streak as one of the most innovative voices in pop, serving up a futuristic and unpredictable blend of Afro-pop, R&B and dance music that sounds like no one else. There’s lots to dig into, but the immediate standout for me is “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2,” a song with a sugary-sweet surface that conceals a darker, more intense energy bubbling beneath, like a bar of chocolate laced with psilocybin. —Richie Assaly
