First Unitarian Church 2125 Chestnut St., All ages In between songs this summer, a sweaty and shirtless Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) kept asking the crowd if they were okay. He was not being self-conscious about their reaction to his buzz band’s brand of falsetto-folk, but instead was more concerned about the literal pools of sweat his band and the crowd were swimming in. The thing to know about First Unitarian is that it is the sort of place you will get heat stroke — hipsters and music lovers unite in the sweltering basement to share the secret of the latest, biggest band you’ve never heard of. Maybe the sound isn’t that good and maybe you can’t see the stage because you didn’t show up early enough and you’re only five feet tall, but at “the Church” you will feel the collective buzz of live music that sends all of our hearts aflutter. — Andy Hines
Johnny Brenda’s 1201 Frankford Avenue, 21+ Brought to you by the owners of Standard Tap, Johnny Brenda’s is a classic Philadelphia gastropub and music venue located in Fishtown. Consistent with the tradition of supporting the local community, the bar menu boasts fresh, local ingredients in its dishes and high quality beer from around the region on tap. The chalkboard is constantly updated with new dishes and craft brews. Similarly, the calendar of upcoming shows delivers an impressive array of artists from around the country as well as those who call Philly home. The experience is never typical when one stands on the balcony overlooking the completely revamped stage, hearing artists as popular as The Walkmen or locally renowned Dr. Dog or the more obscure Bat for Lashes. Tonight, Johnny Brenda’s will host Beachwood Sparks, The Willowz and Seattle’s Sera Cahoone. For lovers of old Philly tavern aesthetic and outstanding music coupled with great beer and food, Johnny Brenda’s is the place to frequent. Just take the Frankford line to Girard, and it’s right around the corner. — Rachel Shah
Starlight Ballroom 460 N. 9th St., All ages The Starlight Ballroom is a big, all ages venue just a short walk from the Spring Garden stop on the Blue Line that hosts reasonably-priced punk, indie and electronica shows, from the likes of Sonic Youth and Team Robespierre. Usually booked by Philadelphia-based independent production company R5, this venue is one of their largest. With the stage at the front of the venue, people can sit in booths that surround the venue’s walls while downing pricey food and drinks from the bar. The Starlight Ballroom has a full line-up this fall. The most talked about show, taking place on October 15 and 16, is one that could only happen in the Ballroom: Dan Deacon’s Round Robin Tour, featuring ten or more acts a night situated in a circle on the perimeter of the floor. Be prepared: no other venue in Philly has the capacity to hold such a massive dance party. — James La Marre
The Electric Factory 421 N. 7th Street, All ages The Electric Factory, situated between NoLibs and Center City, manages to attract the sort of acts that please the biggest music geek (The Hold Steady is coming in November), but also draw a bevy of teenage girls (please note The Fray’s “Live at the Electric Factory”) out to these warehouse digs. Perhaps what’s so great about the Electric Factory is that it once was an actual electric factory — the large space holds anywhere between 2,500-3,000 people. Of course, if you forget you’re in Philly, you can look to the walls and see a giant neon profile of everybody’s favorite founding father, B. Franklin. In case you need to test Franklin’s hypothesis that “beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” all of you 21 plusers can grab a beer at the bar on the balcony that just about hangs over the stage. — Andy Hines
