The TLA
Philadelphia’s famous TLA has some great, well known acts for being a small, standing only (for most shows) venue on South Street.
World Cafe Live
World Cafe Live does some of the most interesting things in Philadelphia as a music venue. Their underground venue hosts some of the best shows in town and is a simply great venue to see an intimate show. Upstairs they do Sunday Brunches, kid’s music shows and small local acts. They also host free at noon concerts where acts coming through town and playing a full set in the evening will agree to put on a hour long show where people can come and eat lunch and watch them play. I’ve wondered in and seen Ben Harper playing guitar doing an hour long acoustic set…FOR FREE. There’s few better ways to spend an afternoon getting lunch.
The Electric Factory
The iconic Electric Factory, built inside an old electricity plant, is another fundamentally Philly music venue where you can see some decent sized national acts. Get there early and get a seat up on the balconies if you don’t want to stand in the crowd.
The Filmore
This newcomer onto the Philadelphia music scene has one of the biggest and coolest venues at its disposal with multiple bars to host some truly great acts.
Union Transfer
A cool small venue with wooden balconies where you can catch some great hip, up and coming bands.
The Trocadero
The Troc is a famous Philadelphia institution as far as music venues go. It features standing room in front of the stage much like the TLA with a great balcony area as well.
Johnny Brenda’s
A local dive joint with a pool table, some surprisingly good food and a small stage where all the best local bands play.
The Kimmel Center
The best acoustics in the city. The Kimmel Center supports the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. Here you can see people like YoYo Ma and other classical acts. They even occasionally have seats on the stage.
The Mann Center
One of the coolest venues in the city. The Mann has a covered seated amphitheater, some outdoor seating as well as an open outdoor grass area where you can sit with towels and lawn chairs.