BY NICK GAW

In print | October 11, 2007

It is about this time in the semester when everyone starts to get a bit jumpy. Midterms and papers are piling up, and we all need a break. Fall break may be on its way, but for some, it just can’t come soon enough. What better a break than treating yourself to some well-deserved time in Philadelphia?

While you are enjoying some brotherly love, make a point to check out some of Philadelphia’s concert venues. As the concert-going season winds down over the next couple of months, Philadelphia will be playing host to many great musicians, all just a short train ride away.

Philadelphia’s independent music scene is largely one-stop shopping. R5 productions (http://www.R5productions.com), a locally-owned-and-operated production company, hosts shows at several area venues. Their shows are intimate and mostly for all ages, deliberate choices by Sean Agnew, founder of R5, who has done much to foster a community amongst Philadelphia’s concertgoers.

R5’s largest venue is the Starlight Ballroom, located at 460 N. 9th St. The Starlight Ballroom is a converted roller rink, making for a slightly unusual, though always entertaining concert experience. There is something magical about high school hipsters and disco balls. Speaking of high schoolers, if you see a kid with a bright yellow polo, tell him I said what up " we have beef.

R5 Productions also puts on shows at The First Unitarian Church on Chestnut at 22nd. The church’s basement is host to most of its performances. The basement is a poorly lit space that feels oh so much like a dirty firehall. Lighting concerns aside, the basement is a very intimate place to hold a show, encouraging meaningful audience interaction from any performer.

Upstairs, R5 often holds seated shows in the sanctuary of the church. The space is beautiful and the acoustics are dreamy. But be careful, for if you are interested in seeing a show up here, make sure to get tickets far in advance. The sanctuary is both small and awesome, leading those shows to sell out quickly.

Okay, so what if R5’s concert offerings don’t appeal to you? Well, then you will need to contend with the beast that is Ticketmaster. Upon purchasing tickets online, you may be surprised to find that the advertised ticket price is quite illusory, for many a surcharge will ratchet up your cost. But sometimes it is worth the pain to see a great show.

The Theatre of the Living Arts is located at 334 South Street, conveniently close for those wise concertgoers who plan to get into the city using the Swarthmore Philly Shuttle. The TLA is big, but the sound is always pretty good. The venue has some remnants of its past life as a movie theater, like the sloped floor that allows for a nice view of all that is on stage.

The Electric Factory, located at 7th and Willow, is the TLA’s big brother, and big it is. With a capacity roughly two and a half times that of the TLA, a sold out show is pretty impressive at the Electric Factory. The sound is always good, but at a venue this size, the stage seems intractably far away.

As the name would suggest, the Electric Factory was once, in fact, an Electric Factory. Alas, all that remains are some decorative dials and meters on the walls. Meh.

All told, Philadelphia has some great music venues. If you are thinking about going to a show at the Starlight Ballroom or The First Unitarian, do not hesitate. Take the R3 to Market East for Starlight and to Suburban (or 30th Street) for First Unitarian without delay, for another great concert awaits you today!

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