Philadelphia Rock City

The TLA is a great place to see a mid-size show if you don’t mind standing on a slant on concrete. Oh, and if you don’t mind if the sound is kind of tinny. The bouncers are generally nice, the neighborhood is manageable, and parking? Well. South Street parking is actually pretty easy if you know where to look.
We’ve seen dozens of shows here, and can’t say we have any feelings on them at all. Hmph. Worth checking out, not a favorite. Now that we think about it, we probably went to most of the shows there because it was a block from our apartment. Still, they get a lot of good shows there.

The Electric Factory (located at 7th and Callowhill) is probably one of the smallest large venues there are. All sorts of bands come through this place, and the tickets are generally pretty inexpensive. But, just like with tires or gin, you get what you pay for. The sound is pretty bad, and there are more crap views than good views. If you’re over 21, you can escape to the bar and get a decent view – but if you’re a girl, be prepared for a lot of asinine comments from brahs in white hats. Parking is fairly easy, mostly in lots. We haven’t been there in ages, and we generally won’t go to a show there unless it’s something we’ll never get to see again. If you have free tickets, and don’t mind shenanigans, go for it. if not, wait til they come around next time.

The Troc is one of our favorite places to see shows in the city. It’s close to our hearts, seeing as how we worked there for several years. They get good shows, the tickets are generally cheap (and yes, that $1 restoration fee really does go to restoring this historic Vaudeville theater), and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. On the main floor, you can see the stage from about 98% of the floor; upstairs in the balcony (generally 21+), you can chill on the red banquettes with a drink and watch the mayhem below you. The bouncers are generally pretty calm, and the crowd is always pretty good. The only downside is the parking issue – there is a pay lot just about next door, but we’ve seen a fair number of cars get broken into there. We’d recommend parking between 8th and 10th on Arch, or leaving early to find street parking. Or, better yet, just take mass transit (but with SEPTA these days, better wear a helmet). We love the Troc, and we’ll go there until the roof finally falls in.

The North Star is more of a bar than a venue, but they still get a good amount of worthwhile bands to roll through. We like that the bar is separate from the, well, long room where the bands are. The bouncers are nice, and there is usually street parking to be found. The sound is kinda beat, but really – it’s a bar that has shows in the next room. The crowds are generally a bunch of old punk rockers grown up, and indie rock kids – so it’s usually fairly chill. They’ve got good food, good beer, cheap shows – it’s a great place to see the band you were thinking about checking out. Afterall, here the ticket for the show will cost you less than the record on iTunes.