Philadelphia Inquirer : Slo – Mo

Mike Brenner has been a Philadelphia fixture for more than 15 years, starting with his days in the Low Road and including his role as lap-steel secret weapon with Marah, John Train, and others. As Slo-Mo, he dons a white suit and fronts a funky eight-piece lap-steel/hip-hop hybrid. On Saturday, Brenner and company celebrate the release of the fourth Slo-Mo album, Gimme What You Got. Featuring rapper Mic Wrecka (Doug Jenkins) and sassy, soulful singers Steph Hayes and Susan Rosetti (both of the late Stargazer Lily), it’s a rowdy party-starter that ranges from frat-boy humor (“Skanky”) to Public Enemy-style indignation (“County”) to one deliciously joyful cover (“Groove Is in the Heart,” the Deee-Lite classic). Brenner’s razor-sharp steel guitar threads through it all: He’s the buzzing groove at the heart of this delightful ensemble.
- Steve Klinge

Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka with the Fractals and Adam & Dave’s Bloodline play at 9 p.m. Saturday at Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. Tickets: $10. Phone: 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com. Also, WXPN is offering its Free at Noon Concert today at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. Phone: 215-222-1400. RSVP: http://xpn.org/concerts-events/free-at-noon.