Folk

Joan Armatrading is one of those musicians whose records don't quite capture the potency and warmth of her live performances. Whether crooning a smoky, sexy ballad, like the almost 30-year-old "Love and Affection," or showing off her impressive electric guitar chops, the London-based singer-songwriter is always at her best onstage — both as a singer and in terms of her knack for immediately getting the crowd on her wavelength. No surprise then that last year Armatrading released a concert recording, Live: All The Way From America (Savoy), which showcased not only her rich, nuanced voice, but her expansive musical repertoire, ranging from folk to quasi-reggae to outright rock. Onstage, Armatrading moves seamlessly between devastatingly potent heartache ballads and tongue-in-cheek pop numbers (anyone remember her less-than-PC "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names")? Opener Raul Midõn — a blind-since-birth, New York-based R&B/Latin jazz artist-guitarist — is a mightily talented musician worth getting to this show early for.

Tue., Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m., $39.50, with Raul Midõn, Keswick Theatre, 291 Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com.