Dell Music Center
A recent much-needed rehab and a new programming push (Erykah Badu, Frankie Beverly’s Maze and the War on Drugs all play this summer) make this once-neglected city-run amphitheater a solid venue contender. 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19132, mydelleast.com.
Mister John’s Music
With serious musical chops and a sassy side that has parents ROFL, John Francisco’s classes – be it toddler music sessions honoring artists like the Killers and Johnny Cash or guitar lessons for older kids – will become the highlight of your week. (Note to Comcast: Give this guy his own show already!) 904 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, misterjohnsmusic.com.
Curtis Institute of Music
Did you know that Curtis Institute of Music offers gratis student recitals every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, October through May? 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, curtis.edu/performances/learn-more/student-recitals.html.
Ardmore Music Hall
The year-old Hall is, simply put, THE spot for any and all cover bands. 23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, ardmoremusic.com.
The Music Box at the Borgata
While most concert venues in Atlantic City are overgrown, impersonal boxes of noise, the Borgata's 1,000-seat concert hall is decidedly more intimate, with lovely acoustics, and the perfect place to see your favorite artists up close and personal. This month: Supertramp's Roger Hodgson (8/18), K.D. Lang (8/24) and Cheap Trick (8/31). Also, look for semi-secret last-minute gigs, like the scintillating performance Fiona Apple gave earlier this year. One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, theborgata.com/entertain/entertainment-venues/the-music-box.
Settlement Music School
Sure, some of the schools grads go on to Juilliard and Curtis, but for instructors like Soviet-born Dolly Krasnopolsky, it doesnt matter if youre better at practicing Chopsticks than Chopin. The 24-year Settlement vet takes (and loves) all kinds. See website for locations, 00000, smsmusic.org.
The People Who Run Businesses
They already put themselves on the line. Then came a catastrophe. Read the full write up here. phillymag.com/news/2020/07/16/philadelphia-business-owners-coronavirus.
The Pennypack Park Music Festival
Where else can you see the Grateful Dead, Heart, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd and the All-Catholic Jazz Band in a Northeast Philly park — for free? Okay, so they're not the actual artists (except for the All-Catholic Jazz Band), but these evening concerts are a ton of fun. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a well-stocked picnic basket. Welsh Rd at Cresco St, Philadelphia, PA 19136, pennypack.org.
Port Richmond Books
There are days when you just feel like getting lost for a couple of hours in the company of more than 300,000 musty, well-loved books -- plus old magazines, fragments of maps, first editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, 1940s sheet music, and other undiscovered gems you'll find in this renovated silent-movie house. Okay, maybe more than a couple of hours. 3037 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, portrichmondbooks.com.
Musical Instrument Collection at the Free Library
Thanks to an innovative new program at the Central branch, you can check out all sorts of musical instruments for three weeks, for free. One of our editors borrowed a ukulele, a bass guitar, and a Fender Stratocaster with a surprisingly loud amp. Our apologies to the neighbors. 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, libfreelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library.
<i>A Philly Special Christmas</i>
A Christmas album by members of the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t need to be anywhere near good to make a splash. But A Philly Special Christmas — the passion project of O-linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, pressed on festive green vinyl and adorned with Peanuts-inspired illos of the lugs — was way better than good; it was transcendent. Guided by vocal coach Eliza Hardy Jones, the center and two tackles sang like angels. Multiple pressings of their burly warblings sold out in minutes, frustrating some Philly audiophiles but raising more than a quarter mil for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. phillyspecialchristmas.com.
Drag Queen Story Time at Mister John’s Music
Miss Maria TopCatt at Mister John’s Music. Photograph by Jared Gruenwald It's a dance party and a story time hosted by a drag queen named Miss Maria TopCatt. If that all sounds like a lot to take in, look at it from a toddler’s perspective: All they see is that it's okay to look different and be different and be friends with people who look different. And actually, that’s pretty awesome. Keep reading here. 904 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, misterjohnsmusic.com.
The Living Room at 35 East
Imagine if a professional sound crew turned your favorite hangout room into a spot where impressive local acts and touring musicians liked to stop by and jam. That’s this place. (And it’s BYO, too!) 35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, thelivingroomat35east.com.
Its 25 Bars
Finally, a music venue figured out how to not have us stand in line for 20 minutes to pay $13 for a domestic beer. The answer was quite simple: Have lots of bars. 858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Themetphilly.com.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The upcoming season is one helluva barn burner, with opera great Placido Domingo kicking things off in September; the new series WomenNOW, featuring female composers, conductors and instrumentalists; and the entirety of Bach’s majestic Mass in B minor. Totally subscription-worthy. philorch.org.