Top Live Music Venues In Philadelphia
Philadelphia has been at the forefront of much that has created American popular music culture. This includes the trend-setting American Bandstand. It got its start as Bandstand on local television in 1952 and continued to be produced in Philadelphia until 1964. They produced a number of musical icons – mainly in the teen idol category. These include such heartthrobs as Frankie Avalon, James Darren, Eddie Fisher, Fabian Forte, and Bobby Rydell as well as the early rockers, Bill Haley and His Comets. All were born in this city. Chubby Checkers, while not a native, was raised here.
During the 1960s, Philadelphia continued to produce its own music for national consumption. It has also provided the world with a number of talented musicians. Among them were Todd Rundgren and Nazz and Hall & Oates. In 1985, it hosted the Live Aid Concert in John F. Kennedy Stadium.
Music Venues
Today, Philadelphia boasts a thriving, eclectic music scene. It offers visitors and residents alike the chance to catch live music of all persuasions. Below are just a few of the city’s music venues.
Boot & Saddle: Located on South Broad Street, this cozy club focuses on offering its patrons local and touring indie acts.
Chris’s Jazz Club: This Center City jazz club has been operating in Philadelphia longer than any other of its kind. It offers local and touring jazz acts combining them with an intimate setting and good food.
Dell Music Center: Recently refurbished, the legendary Dell is a friendly, completely open-air amphitheater in Fairmount Park specializing in current and throwback favorites in the pop, hip-hop, R&B and soul genres.
District N9NE: If electronic dance music or Latin is your thing, the place to go is this club, the former Starlight Ballroom.
Every Body Hits: For a quirky experience, head to this casual setting only at night. It actually is a batting cage operation during the day, but at night punk and indie acts.
Festival Pier: For outdoor music, consider attending any of the musical events hosted at this riverside stage home to summer events such as The Roots Picnic and the HoagieNation fest.
Fillmore Philly: Once a factory provides music, goers with the chance to catch new and established acts in rock, rap, or pop either in the spacious downstairs hall or upstairs in smaller space.
The Fire: This music club is the city’s oldest. During its glorious past, it has provided playing opportunities to John Legend, Maroon 5, and My Chemical Romance The club regularly showcases a variety of local, national, and international musicians performing glam pop, heavy metal and/or indie rock.
First Unitarian Church: An unusual but popular venue – a church built in 1886, this venue offers all ages the chance to catch punk, indie, rock, pop, and rap.
Franklin Music Hall: Once called the Electric Factory; this hall has been presenting a variety of music for decades.
Johnny Brenda’s: For solid rock performances, people head here to this Fishtown rock club
Keswick Theater: This large and very impressive theater first opened its doors in 1928. They usually offer established and well-known acts for a somewhat older crowd.
Kimmel Center: For classical music, it is hard to beat what this venue offers since it is home to the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra. However, it also offers its patrons greater variety, including opera, ballet, pop, jazz, and a little rock. ,
Kung Fu Necktie: This is one of Philly’s more obscure clubs. It is an intimate destination for local and touring indie, hardcore, punk, hip-hop, metal acts, and, on weekends, DJ parties.
The Mann Center: This indoor/outdoor amphitheater on the lush lawns of Fairmount Park is home to family-oriented musical events, including those supplied by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Met: Built in 1908 by Oscar Hammerstein, this 110-year-old opera house on North Broad has also served as a vaudeville theater and movie house. Recently refurbished, it continues to impress all with its luxurious interior and musical presentations.
TLA: Neither a club or a concert hall in size, this South Street popular music venue offers a chance to listen to both novices and established musicians in hip-hop, pop, and rock.
Underground Arts: As the name clearly indicates, this club operates underground in more ways than one. Able to hold 600, it celebrates the weird, the wonderful, and the punk.
Union Transfer: The former train depot Once the Spaghetti Warehouse, this former train depot, is very important in the Philadelphia music scene. It features ideal sound, several bars, and even balconies. What is more attractive is its ability to produce a size suitable for any crowd with its sliding stage.
Wells Fargo Center: For large well-known acts expected to really draw in the crowds, the natural choice is this arena.
World Café Live: The choice between two stages – the upper small space and the lower wider and larger downstairs one, makes any type of music possible. What is also a draw is the free noon-hour concerts.
Catching Live Music in Philadelphia
Philadelphia PA offers visitors and residents alike the chance to hear a variety of music genres. The venues also vary in size and location. From large concert halls to small quirky and intimate clubs, this city has them all, making it very easy to find exactly what you are looking for on any given night.