Sean Agnew, Storied Philly Concert Promoter, Tells All
He reflects on 30 years in business, playing basketball with Kobe Bryant, and his strange, strange trip to North Korea.
Sean Agnew / Photograph by Shane McCauley
Storied Philly concert promoter and Ardmore native Sean Agnew founded his company R5 Productions 30 year ago, and his venue Union Transfer this year turns 15. Here, he talks about playing basketball with Kobe Bryant, missing out on Michael Jackson, and how the hell he wound up with Dennis Rodman in North Korea.
When people ask me if I’m related to Spiro Agnew, I tell them … no. My last name is actually Agnew. Spiro’s family name before his father changed it was Anagnostopoulos.
I grew up in … the cool part of Ardmore. We had a bunch of Black and Jamaican neighbors, there was a great skateboard shop where all the punks hung out, there was a Zipperhead satellite store out there for a while, and we loved the Roy Rogers.
One of my favorite memories from when I in high school … was playing basketball with Kobe Bryant. He was already such a phenomenon in high school. He would really light it up. We were on the same team in summer leagues. It was the best thing ever to be on his team, and the worst thing ever to play against him.
Sean Agnew with Philly rapper Freeway (photo courtesy Sean Agnew)
When I was a teenager, I got yelled at for … dropping a huge wedding cake when I was a busboy at Merion Cricket Club. It was way too tall, and it just collapsed.
I earn a living by … booking concerts through my company R5. I named it after the SEPTA Regional Rail line I used to take into the city all the time. It’s been a wild ride.
These days, I live in … Los Angeles, but I still run things in Philly. My girlfriend Elise, who is now my wife, lived in L.A., and so I was going back and forth and had apartments in both places. But then with the pandemic, it became mostly Los Angeles.
This summer, I will be … working with Connor Barwin to put on our tenth Make the World Better Concert. It’s at the Dell in July, and we have Pavement and Kurt Vile co-headlining.
I met Elise … many years ago when we were both staying at the same house for Coachella. We were friends for years and got married in Tokyo in 2019. So it’s me, Elise, and our 13-year-old Pomeranian, whose name is Jackson. He came with the marriage.
The last big concert I saw was … Oasis at the Tokyo Dome in October.
Sean Agnew in the Philippines (photo courtesy Sean Agnew)
I have traveled to … more than 60 countries on six continents, and virtually none of them were in Europe. I’ve always been a fan of the more far-flung places, like when I went to see Dennis Rodman play basketball in North Korea and hung out 100 feet from Kim Jong Un during the infamous game. I actually didn’t leave the country until I was almost 30, because I was just so obsessed with work. But in my 30s, I got the travel bug.
The most danger I ever encountered while traveling was … when some druggy glue-sniffing punk kids in a slum in Cebu in the Philippines wanted to rob and kill me. Their cousin wound up saving my life.
I became a vegetarian … in 1996, but in 2004 I said if the Eagles went to the Super Bowl, I would eat a cheeseburger. And they did, so I did. And then they lost.
One of my favorite places in Philadelphia is … Johnny Brenda’s. I always visit there when I’m back.
My biggest phobia is … needles.
People would be surprised to know that I … listen to more sports radio than music.
I like to collect … records. I have at least 6,000.
If Elon Musk offered me a trip to suborbital space … I would say no. Moon or bust. I ain’t doing that Katy Perry shit, floating around for one minute.
If you’re pouring me a drink, make it … something sweet and pink served inside of a pineapple and with an umbrella.
My secret talent is that I can … jump rope better than pretty much anyone.
The most overrated musician in the world is … most definitely Bruce Springsteen. [Interviewer’s note: Hard agree.]
Ten years from now, I hope to be … living in Japan.
One of my biggest regrets in life is … when my parents gave me the choice of seeing Michael Jackson with my dad at JFK Stadium for my birthday in 1984 or going roller skating with my friends at Radnor Rolls (RIP). You can guess which I chose.
Published as “One of Us: Sean Agnew” in the May 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
