5 Staff Picks this March

Here are the music, events and exhibits you won’t want to miss.

Out Now

More than 20 years after his brief tussle with major-label success, Haverford’s Jeffrey Gaines continues to turn out compelling singer/songwriter fare with soulful underpinnings. His latest release, Alright, was recorded in Los Angeles with well-heeled producer Chris Price and help from Elvis Costello regulars Davey Faragher (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums). The sound is organic and immediate, and melodies are some of Gaines’ tightest in years.

Visit www.jeffreygaines.com.

March 2-3

Boasting epic footage of some of the planet’s most stunning—and dangerous—locales, the mobile version of Banff Centre’s Banff Mountain Film Festival makes its annual stop at Immaculata University’s Alumnae Hall this month. Now in its 42nd year, the two-day event inspires equal parts exhilaration, awe and wanderlust.

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1145 King Road, Malvern, banffcentre.ca.

March 8

Perhaps because it was released so late in 2017, Jessica Lea Mayfield’s Sorry Is Gone was unjustly overlooked on most critics’ “Album of the Year” lists. An unflinching document of the Ohio-bred singer/songwriter’s struggles in an abusive relationship, it’s an almost flawless, emotionally resonant piece of work that demands your attention—and so does she. Mayfield performs at the Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia on March 8.

Visit www.bootandsaddlephilly.com. 

Thru. March 10

For the Community Arts Center’s Creature Feature, artists from around the region offer their take on nature’s wildness, weirdness and wonder. Ocean City, N.J.-bred artist Brad Hagmayer’s multi-piece ceramic installation is a highlight.

414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, communityartscenter.org.

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Thru. May 13

Art aficionados and pet lovers alike will find plenty to ponder in the irreverent installations that make up Nick Cave: Rescue. Running now at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the exhibition celebrates the curious bond between canines and humans—one that’s perhaps best reflected in the three fanciful found-object sculptures that command the most attention. Woof.

118-128 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, (215) 972-7600 or www.pafa.org.

Our Best of the Main Line Elimination Ballot is open through February 22!