Top weekend shows: Raphael Saadiq, Joe Ely
Raphael Saadiq: The former singer in Tony! Toni! Toné! is a successful producer (D’Angelo, Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige), while his solo recordings attack old-school soul with the verve of a true believer, 8 p.m. Friday at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, $30; etix.com.
Joe Ely: The Texas songwriter is one of the original Flatlanders, the Zen cowboys who laid the groundwork for alternative country, and his career ever since has been defined by searcher’s eclecticism, embracing everything from Mariachi music to punk, 9 p.m. Saturday at FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn, Ill., $20, ticketweb.com.
greg@gregkot.com