First Unitarian Church

A unique and great place to go to a show. In the basement of the church. Stage and space are large but still intimate. For that reason seeing bigger bands here is pretty special. Everyone running the place was super cool and chill. I had zero problems with anyone running it, which is a first for a place for shows is not run by slum lords or jerks.
This place was hotter than sin, though. I felt disgusting and smelled bad. Which tends to happen with hundred something people are squished into a basement together with little ventilation. It was alright though for the fact that they let you leave and come back in and our of the venue.
If I ever go back to Philly it would be cool to go to another show here.

I went here for a concert in the basement. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it was beyond hot and everyone was dripping with sweat. They have a BYOB policy which is awesome for people looking to save money. The sound was pretty good for a basement. I’m not sure I would come here again because the heat was almost unbearable.

I had my wedding ceremony here. After the checks were cashed, the employees literally could not have cared less about us. An hour before the ceremony, my fiancé was taking out the trash and moving giant posters left in the back (we were assured this would be done), his father was setting up the microphone), they were trying to open windows and turn fans on (it was hot!) … meanwhile the sextant on duty said he was just part time and none of this was his problem… he forgot to open the windows, didn’t see the trash, never was trained on the mic or how to operate it… not to mention he was dressed like a roadie from a bad 80s band… did I mention he is just ‘part time’ apparently he KEPT mentioning it. And then after 20 awkward minutes of doing nothing. he was gone. And never came back.
They planned a country auction in the basement for the same day and even though I spoke with 4 people at the church about my concerns weeks ahead of time (and they all said it would have ZERO impact on our wedding and they would have someone there to direct foot traffic) I was outside in my wedding dress waiting to walk down the aisle and oh wait. let me stop and tell this 70 year old nana with 10 bags of hangers how to get around to the side door for the country auction. ok ready to go walk down the aisle… walking to the front door… oh excuse me family of 4 … no this isn’t where the auction is. I’m kinda trying to get married. is that OK?
I emailed the coordinator Norman and the Minister to let them know how rude/​MIA their staff was… no reply from Norman and the Minister just said sorry… well sorry to anyone else who thinks about having their wedding here. Unless you really love the «do it yourself» wedding — because here you are literally doing it yourself!
Hey at least we have a fun story about taking the trash out in a custom suit and telling a 70 year old lady to take a hike whilst in a wedding gown… and some awesome pictures of the roadie from AC/​DC standing around watching my father in law do the Mic check. I guess there is a silver lining to every tale.

Even I, as an out-​of-​stater, have heard of The Church. The high head count, the affordable shows, the rad dudes that work there, the BYOB policy… this place is rad!
My first encounter with the church was for a chiptune festival and there was even some amazing bathroom «Pizza Masons» graffiti.
I’ve been here for a couple shows/​events. I’m heartbroken to hear that they are limiting or shutting down their show services.
If you have the opportunity to go to a show here, do it. Super affordable with awesome folks working and attending. I’ll miss it.

I have seen both yeah yeah yeahs and more recently Amanda Palmer here this spot is very spacious and big and not exactly a bad place to see a show.
really love this place for a live show! :)

I made it to a show here before it closes as a venue! I am grateful for this as this place was definitely an experience in itself. As everyone else has mentioned the church is hot as b***s, its all high schoolers, and its smelly, but its definitely one of a kind.
My boyfriend and I got here pretty early for Com Truise last week, stupidly thought we could buy beers at the venue and realized we went to a show in literally a church basement. We then walked around the corner grabbed a six pack and walked back into the church. I did not know you aren’t supposed to bring beer in? Oh well.
Once the show started, we were right in the front, the crowd was mostly 15 year olds, but everyone was really polite and not pushy. We gradually got sweatier and sweatier and then luckily the show was over, I thought the sound was decent no complaints and the bathrooms were definitely better than some other Philly venues (Kung Fu Necktie I’m looking @ you).
All in all the opportunity to see a show here reminded me of the time I was 13 and went into CBGB to get a t-​shirt before it closed. This place is a Philly legend and its amazing to think that Arcade Fire played in this very church basement many years before they closed out Coachella.

I recently saw one of my all time favorite bands here, The Districts, and of course they played an incredible show. I love that the venue allows you to discreetly bring in canned beverages of your choice (please clean up after yourselves!!) and the one downside was the extreme heat in the basement where the show was. It was so hot and steamy the walls were collecting condensation and the mirrors in the restroom were completely steamed up. Knowing how the heat collects I will simply wear less clothing and chalk it up to rocking and rolling. I think this is such a special venue!!!

Saw one of the most amazing Black Lips shows here, people were hurling themselves off the stage… pretty sure I got kicked in the eye. It adds a level of badassness since you feel like you shouldn’t be in there, drinking and sweating, since it’s a church. But the church gets money from it and the venue is pretty rad.

This probably my favorite venue in the city, if not ever. Shows are always cheap and well maintained, sound is very decent and the location and parking are great. Tons of street parking on Chestnut (start on 25^th and go down).
I also think the stage is perfect. Even from the back of the room, I can see perfectly. I’m usually the asshole tall guy who stands at the front, but I like to hang out near the speaker stands.
R5 Productions does a great job with the FU.

For live music, this is a decent space, but the sound guy wasn’t doing the best job when I saw David Bazan play there live.

Great affordable venue!
Not very good acoustics but whatever, I’ve seen plenty of good bands in the basement while growing up and they still offer some of the best shows compared to many the other venues in Center City.
Bathrooms are clean and the space upstairs is nice for local meetings and demonstrations.

I’ve been here twice… on the top floor, for the
lecture (environmentalism YEAH!) and then the basement for a Toro y moi concert two years ago. I really like the layout of the top floor, definitely a great setting for any type of lecture or large group meeting (I’d give this 5 stars).
On the other hand, the basement is what you’d expect– a basement. The bathrooms are clean but it’s a little too teeny and I always feel like I’m going to die if there’s a fire or emergency of any sort. But other than that, acoustics are good and the staff has always been friendly, no complaints.

Do you like wine?
Do you like guitars, harmonicas and affordable live music?
Do you appreciate a good venue? High cielings? Strong acoustics?
Do you always say you’ll go to church but rarely do but think you should and feel like a band of live music in one might be a good excuse?
Do you want to combine all of it? Come to FUC (that’s really what I have learned regulars call it).
Recently saw Rachael Yamagata and Adrien Reju perform here and I found it to be a very beautiful experience. The enormous Christmas wreath hanging at the apse of the church added a nice holiday touch. Good music with good people and a glass of wine on a Friday night? Done.

This is a very cool venue. The tickets are cheap, and the space is large and low key. The sound quality really sucks, but the Tilly and the Wall show was still awesome and the opener by Nicky Da B was completely unreal.
Other reviewers mentioned that you can sneak in alcohol, but since I’m cautious and bad at being sneaky I decided not to. Wrong. Almost everyone else took the risk, and cans of beer in paper bags and right out in the open were so prevalent that I don’t think any kind of rule against alcohol was enforced at all. Flash photography is also a go. So don’t be cautious, bring a drink and enjoy the show.

The acoustics are rough. They are especially rough on the ears if a band is heavy. A great place to see a low key band with acoustic sets.
I liked that for a split second I felt like I was at some hole in the wall that know one else in 215 knew about. Then I opened my eyes. This place is really interesting, and gets some great indie bands. Intimate setting, small stage.

Definitely not trying to hate on this place. R5 Productions books some really great bands here (for cheap), and I won’t ever skip out on a band I love, but I do have some reservations about shows here.
First of all, these are all ages shows. Which is great because I’m all for young people being able to get in to see their favorite bands. Unfortunately, it can be a bit of a free for all: they don’t check bags, and the people who run the place really don’t care about folks drinking, So you have responsible young adults in the back with their pounders and wasted 17 year olds up front with very little regard for other concertgoers. Being a petite person, I don’t want to stand in the back where I can’t see anything. But I’ve had a show or two made miserable by drunk teenagers.
Second (and I promise I don’t mean to be a killjoy), kids crowd surfing in a basement with low ceilings and ceiling fans really freaks me out. It’s not worth it to the kids on the ground who wear glasses or have long hair (sneakers get caught, and it sucks, and it’s painful). But like I said, the people who run the place don’t stop it, and it can be a bit of a bummer.
It also gets oppressively hot down there. And they have some sound issues.
Reservations aside, they get a lot of great bands for really cheap, so I will be back. But I’m always a little wary.

Now this is a unique place.
Gorgeous old church with a basement that looks like your typical wedding reception hall. I’m not sure if this is still where the shows are or not because the booking seems to be spotty at best these days.
But, when there are good acts playing, it’s a pretty surreal environment that I’d highly recommend to anyone interested in seeing a band that is scheduled here.
It was either BYOB or the kids snuck beers in when I saw the Wrens here a few years ago. It was a fantastic show. Sound was good, and the energy & vibe was great.

While most folks write Unilocal reviews about the Church’s ability to be used as a venue for community and cultural activities and concerts, I’m writing about the raison d’etre of this magnificent Furness building itself, the First Unitarian Universalist faith, which is also my chosen faith.
The wonderful building is indeed a national treasure. Within its walls and the walls of its predecessor edifice, some of the most ardent abolitionists sat in its pews or addressed the congregation. Some of the country’s Founding Fathers also sat in its pews and shared their notion of liberal Christianity. Joseph Priestly, spiritual mentor and religious coach to Thomas Jefferson, preached here in the early 1800s. Virtually the entire Adams dynasty sat here. The sense of history and the weight of tradition is quite noticeable in this church. Some of the earliest same sex unions in the nation happened here. Some of the first calls for women’s suffrage happened here. And definitely, the entire slavery abolitionist movement before the Civil War found its strongest adherent here too.
And as well, the church today continues on its wonderful tradition of liberal Christianity and full acceptance of every person’s spiritual voyage. Reverend Nate Walker is a wonderful orator and his sermons are both light-​hearted and heavy with meaning. The full pews every weekend are a collection of every facet and face of America. A wonderful experience.

This is the best place in Philly for music. If you keep up with R5 productions you’ll more than likely end up seeing a show here. It’s amazing and pure to the mission of providing great new music at prices that real people can actually afford. The sound in the sanctuary is much better than downstairs, but neither will let you down.
If your reading this you should sign up for R5productions email updates, they bring most (is not all) of the music here…

Best venue in the city. I’ve seen Raekwon, RJD2, and Eyedea & Abilities here.
For Hip-​hop, the crowds tend to be the most electric in the city. The sound is usually pretty good and the ticket prices are always $ 20 or under. Can’t beat that.
R5 is known mainly for its presence in bringing rock acts, but they have done a lot to bring more than indie and punk acts over the last four-​five years.
I would pick this place over TLA, Troc, Electric Factory any day just because of the laid-​back security (one bodyguard), alcohol is allowed at all times, and re-​entry.
Get your butt to 22^nd & Chestnut, and I guarantee you will have some great memories.
Heads up: When it’s packed and hot, prepare to sweat! Like seriously, you’ll be soaked.

I saw Tobacco here last week. First time seeing a show at the church and it was certainly an experience.
Apparently showing up on time is a mistake here. Ticket said show was at 8, so we naively arrived around 8:20 figuring if we missed some of an opening band, no big deal. Well after standing outside waiting with a bunch of college kids, we ran over to Starbucks to take a break. Came back at 9:20 and were finally able to file in.
I felt like I was at youth group party or some other Friday night church function. I didn’t feel like TOO much of a geezer, but was definitely over the median age. The basement was stuffy and small, but it’s definitely a neat venue… where else can you hang out in a church basement and see a great show? It was hot but not overly crowded, and the acoustics were surprisingly good. I also liked the video projections on a sheet against the back, especially when Tobacco projected pteryodactyl porn and a Magic Eye of the male anatomy… hmm…
Apparently we missed the BYOB memo as well. I knew they didn’t serve alcohol, but I was surprised at how many people brought their own beer. Why didn’t somebody tell me?!
I’m especially excited that I’ll be seeing Titus Andronicus here next week… and this time I’ll be more in the know!

HOT– DAMN! Is this place ever hot!
This venue is a sauna and I have no idea how the many bands that have performed in this space have survived unscathed. The temperature probably attributes to the fact that most of them don’t often do an encore, and rightly so — the pulpit from which they play is a veritable pizza oven. A few small upright fans does not a breeze make.
Okay, so the sweat may be part of the experience — but I doubt the performers enjoy it. Especially when they’re under the lights and already sweating as it is? Just sayin’.
R5 productions run the show here and they usually bring in a slew of interesting acts. Their ticket fees are über reasonable which leads me to think they’ve cut costs elsewhere, most likely with their staff — some of which are clearly unorganized. They manage to keep the operation mildly civil, but when you have an all-​ages show, general admission, and a willy-​nilly will call ticket list at the door — it can make for a lot of trouble. Once the crowd fills in, (all the shows I’ve gone to here have been sold out), it is at maximum capacity and seating can become chaotic. Though there are benches for seating the crowd stands for most of the show.
The pulpit/​stage area is barely elevated so unless you are up front, you will not be able to see the performers very well at all — usually just the top of their heads — so needless to say the venue is not friendly to those in wheelchairs or those that are short in stature. Also, the acoustics aren’t the best (lots of feedback) — and um… well not to be a granny and all, but sometimes the rowdy under-​ager-​s (while drinking their sneaked-in-40’s) can get a little annoying.
I’m not crazy about this venue, but often R5 snags acts that don’t play anywhere else in the city, so I am left without a choice. Place rocks more at a 2.5 star’er– for cheap tickets and unique setting — that is all. So a word to the wise: beware of the crowds, come early to get a decent seat (or you can sneak your way up to the pit during the show if you’re so inclined) dress in very light, breathable clothing, and have a couple adult beverages (or more) prior to — as no alcohol is served on the premises!