The Fillmore Philadelphia

I saw Yellow Claw here in January. It’s a decent venue, drinks are fairly priced, but $ 3 for coat check is a bit much when they charge per item instead of hanger.

Pretty great new venue. I saw a show upstairs at the Foundry, and the aesthetic is rustic and beautiful. All the lights are artistic metal and Edison-​style lightbulbs. They have nice seating around the venue, too! My only complaint is that the Bar was understaffed and it took 30 minutes to put in an order.
Also, the sound was good, but standing under the ventilation ducting on right side of the bar (when facing the stage), the ducts rattled with the music, which was terrible sounding.

Sound: The sound was great.
Seating: Standing room only except for upstairs and near the bar.
Food/​Drink: The beer selection is very good. Never got food here, but the menu items sounded good.
Overall: Very nice looking place (yes it’s new) and I hope it stays that ways. many bars to choose from which made the lines very short. Staff was friendly. Two pat downs seemed a little excessive.

I’m trying to be more discriminating with my star offerings, and The Filmore definitely deserves a solid 5 stars.
We went to see Thievery Corporation last Thursday and had an awesome time!
Staff tell me they sold about 1500 tickets to the show and the capacity is about 2300. The floor area was far from cramped and very spacious and comfortable. The lay out is a square standing area and at the back they some tables that you can sit at. Sometimes the tables are first come first serve, and some shows the area is for VIP ticket holders. The have a Huge bar before you enter the performance room, I’d say it at least 30 ft long, so your not waiting too long to get a drink. There’s also a small bar in the concert are as well.
I should add that there’s a small bar in the foyer are of the venue, and they have sofas well spread throughout the facility so you can relax with friends.
Upstairs is really nice too. Again you have another huge 30 ft bar, and on both sides of the 2^nd floor offer VIP boxes where you can get bar service and a more intimate time with friends at the show. It’s really nice to be up there, but for me, I always feel like I’m not part of the show being so far away from the action.
They also offer a small menu and many craft beer on hand as well.
This neighborhood has plenty of street parking which is a big reason why I enjoy hanging in this area. It also seems that the relationship to the casino contributes to a strong police presence out front for safety. Around back there also seemed to be plenty of hassle free open air weed enjoyment going on Haha. Getting in to the venue they complete 2 levels of metal detection and a thorough body search. They also seem to be only checking for weapons and nothing else; so you can chill. The venue also has many parking areas for 10 $ which isn’t bad,

So I’ve only been to the Foundry, the upstairs smaller venue at the Fillmore, and had a pretty great time.
The venue is very clean and stylish, but that might be because it’s brand new. There is a great big «Live» sign in the main lobby modeled after the Love Park sign. The foundry is up a long flight of stairs. When you get upstairs, it’s kind of got a lounge vibe with a bunch of sofas.
The stage itself is pretty small and the standing area is also pretty small. I’m not sure how many people it holds but it’s bigger than the barbary or the balcony at the troc but smaller than the TLA or the Troc. The also offer free water so don’t be afraid to ask the bartender. I’m not sure if they had food or it was the crowd I was with but it really smelled like pizza when I was there… which could be good or bad.
Overall, it’s a great venue and would come back here again.

Came here to see Kaskade. I wasn’t impressed with the venue. First the security gave me a thorough and invasive pat down. No glow sticks! They made me throw mine out. Somehow, some people still had them on the dance floor. Second, the dance floor is filthy because they allow alcohol on the dance floor. There is so much shoving, you’re bound to get spilled on. My friend got beer spilled down his back three times, and I got sprayed by bottled water a couple of times. I liked the lights, fog machines, and confetti, but that’s about it.
They have A LOT of space outside of the dance floor but just awkward grungy warehouse space where people just stand around. At least put in some lounge chairs or something so people can sit and chill.
My favorite place for EDM is still SoundGarden, much better acoustics and atmosphere there IMO.

Really enjoyed this new venue last night at the Andrew McMahon/​New Politics show! Everything is obviously really nice and clean since it just opened, but the décor is great. Great bar selection and the prices actually aren’t that bad at around $ 5 per beer. I know that doesn’t sound great, but it could be worse. They’ve created an environment that doesn’t make it feel too new and stiff like you might expect. Love the album art, the big «LIVE» sign when you walk in, the chandeliers, and all the décor. It’s a great size, fitting about 2,500 to my understanding. Great view from anywhere, although I’m 6’5″, so that may not be the case for everyone. There area definitely has a lot of great bars to pregame any show as well. I’d definitely come back to the Fillmore. Welcome to the Philly music scene!

We’ve been to the new Fillmore twice now, and both times provided excellent experiences compared to other venues in the city.
PROS
— Huge stage, great lights, excellent sound quality
— Multiple bars and reasonably priced drinks for a venue
— Easy access. Indoor security check, quick lines (not sure why everyone else is having trouble)
— Large space on the floor provides some room to move around and doesn’t get too crowded
— Easy in, easy out. Über, subway, and walking are all a breeze.
CONS
— They’re charging a premium for the tickets
— Clearly need more bartenders at the main entrance bar
— Can’t run out of multiple drafts before shows start. Better inventory management needed
— Bathroom dividers are needed. As mentioned in other reviews, it is beyond awkward

So it’s big, it’s beautiful, the beer is super reasonable. The sound is pretty awesome. The security is out of control. I’m at a metal concert. There’s a pit. People getting grown out for nothing. IF you don’t want a pit don’t have metal bands. The tickets were outrageous. They tack on tons on fees. Sell them from your own box office

This place is horrible. They pat you down worse than at an airport, they lie in their rules and regulations on what to bring in, they judge you before you even get in the place.
I waited in line forever to get into a show, saw my girlfriend lose all of her lip gloss, lip balm, mini perfumes and all that other girly stuff. Tried to talk to a manager, wasn’t happening.
Everything on the other side of the security check seemed to be fun, but a total mood killer before you get in to see the show you happily paid money for. No one has the intention of paying to see a show and then having their personal items get taken away that cost more than the ticket. We looked on the website for what to not bring in and those «girly» type items were not on the list.
STAY AWAY

So i wanted to update this review. I was recently back to the fillmore for the moe. halloween show.
Congrats guys, everything that sucked about my first experience was rectified during my most recent visit. All of the bars were open, ID check was inside, so it didn’t take forever to get in the door, we could take drinks into the stage area. Way to react to the fans concerns!
I’ll be keeping an eye on your calendar and coming back soon!
See y’all soon!

Nice venue, but inappropriate security ruins the fun. The security guards were rude, just as the other comments indicate. They were essentially sexually assaulting several men by frisking their forward and behind in their pants, with skin on skin contact. The bouncers did not wash their hands in between this degrading behavior. They also searched pockets for any items as if they were the LAPD, and complained if you brought anything besides a wallet and keys. They forced men to throw out everything — from mints to necessary medication. Meanwhile, women hardly had their purses checked, and were not even padded down. Certainly profiling and not in the name of true public safety i.e. a real protective pat down.
That said, good music, good sound, good ventilation, but prepare to be violated before you go in!

Cool new venue!
Was here on Friday night to see Kaskade and had a fabulous time. I called ahead for set times and the woman who answered the phone was very sweet and rattled off the lineup. Super helpful! When I first arrived, I had trouble figuring out where to go. I walked up to a couple of staff members in red shirts. One completely ignored me. the other told me to hurry up and show him my ID so he could go do his job. Huh? Rude. Even started counting down from 5 like I was a misbehaving child. And isn’t this your job? (minus one star)
The woman who patted me down and checked my purse was very nice and friendly. I had read reviews on Unilocal before I came, so I knew not to bring chapstick or lipstick. A sign or a notice on their website would help some of the issues people are having with this process though. She pointed me in the right direction and I went in to scope out the venue. It’s sort of industrial looking and very spacious. Cool lights, rad visuals, and amazing sound!
The stairs to the upper level were blocked off (maybe for VIP? A sign would help) I found a bar (there is also one closer to the entrance) and after positioning myself in front of the bartender, got a drink. Prices for top shelf were reasonable. Tip: if you stand on one end or the other, you’ll be waiting for an hour! They have those tablet style checkouts so you can select your tip and sign with your finger — makes things speedier I think! You can’t take drinks onto the dance floor, but there is a little raised area behind the sound booth with a good view so I drank my drink and enjoyed the first song and then found a great spot up front to dance.
Everyone there seemed friendly and happy to be seeing a great DJ. Will definitely be back! Hope they can iron out the kinks!

I have very conflicted feelings about the Fillmore.
Sure it’s new and shiny, but the whole thing just seems extremely overdone. The chandeliers, the huge entrance, the gaudy decorations… it all gives off a slightly tacky air. The place is supposed to look like a hip warehouse, so I imagine the building will grow into itself as it ages. As it stands now, all the «new-​old» interior furnishings definitely feel off. The one good thing that comes of the fancy interior is the bathrooms. I have never seen nicer bathrooms at a concert venue.
In addition to (or perhaps because of) the expensive-​looking try-​hard interior, the drinks are expensive and the tickets are more than I expected.
The whole experience had too many side extra niceties that didn’t really contribute too much to the concert but definitely hiked up the prices.
Just to be fair, here are the pros. Thanks to the (obvious) amount of money that was spent on building up the place, the acoustics and lighting capabilities of the venue are amazing. These two aspects are actually places I appreciate the extra attention that went into the venue. The concert sounded and looked great.
There was a lot of space, making this venue on the bigger side. That’s a pro and a con, depending on how you cut it – more room, but also more people. Depends on the kind of concert you like attending, I guess.
The final line on my part would probably be: don’t come unless someone you really want to see is playing. Otherwise, it doesn’t really seem worth it.

Has such promise as it’s in an awesome neighborhood and has some solid acts scheduled throughout the year but is being run pretty poorly. I attended the venue last night to see Disclosure and was extremely disappointed and aggravated.
All 21 and above (who wanted the option to purchase drinks) had to wait in line outside for 45 minutes plus for a wrist band. After waiting in said line we would all walk forward in spurts. It wasn’t until we neared the front of the line that we realized an employee would randomly tell id checkers to start checking ids wherever he pointed to in line. So I’m standing in line while people behind me in line get their ID checked before me bc the employee working decided so.
Get past their backwards ID check to security who instructs us they will be throwing out anything «liquid based» (re: all chap sticks, lip glosses, lighters) as they fear there could be drugs in them… When asked to speak to a manager as I wasn’t very keen on parting with my favorite lip gloss that night, I was screamed at by another security member. Grumpy pants galore.
After parting with my favorite non-​drug filled lip products, I’m patted down for well over 2 minutes. This pat down was more than anything I’ve experienced at the airport and waiting in this line for everyone else to be patted down took close to 10 minutes.
Once inside, awesome interior but again poorly run. You can only drink alcohol in a small caged off area and my friends waited in line for 30 minutes and were unable to purchase drinks due to the only 3 bartenders working being overwhelmed by the volume of customers.
Get your shit together Fillmore, please.

It’s unfortunate I have to give such a low rating to a new venue especially because this venue absolutely has the potential to be a 5 star. If things improve, I will update my review.
I like to start with the positive. It’s honestly a gorgeous venue. It’s large, spacious, kind of reminds me of Echostage in DC. It’s located about a block from the Piazza, relatively convenient to get to via car or public transit. I love the high ceilings, the chandeliers, the bars and also the bathrooms are large, clean and seriously no complaints with the venue itself. The sound system is not the best I’ve heard, but a solid ⁴⁄₅. The LED screen up where the artists perform is also pretty impressive and adds to the vibe of the show, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Fair prices on beer, $ 6 for a Bells 2 hearted, I’ll take it.
My negative complaint goes towards management, staff, and inconsistency. My first negative experience started before I had ever gone to the venue. A show, Flux Pavillion was rescheduled — but the only way I found out was on Facebook through the event page. My friend lives quite close to the venue and said there were a bunch of people lined up, confused that day. I consider that poor management — the Fillmore facebook page did not even announce it, nor did they send out an email. You guys need a social media team. Really, no one is managing that?
My negative experience started at the venue yesterday starting with the security check. Yes they’re following the rules, doing their job, but doing their job should not include making you feel like a goddamn criminal. I’m nearing my 30s, I came straight from work, don’t you dare give me attitude when I’m paying to be in your facility. Regardless, the rude security lady threw out my lipstick, because yeah I totally look like I would slip some drugs in that when I’m dressed as a working professional. This feels very TLA-​esque (I also dislike that venue very very much). No open chapstick. cigarettes. what is this, EDC? I’m so over the way this scene has transformed.
On top of that, they weren’t letting people in with scarves and bandanas. SCARVES? It’s almost winter, we can’t wear something to keep ourselves warm? That’s cool. Why don’t you just shake it out and make sure there’s no drugs for Christ sake.
One positive — the bartender was very nice. We asked him where we could watch the show while drinking, and he stated that we could go upstairs, but that’s what they were told (aka don’t shoot the messenger). Totally understood, brother I don’t blame you, it’s basic staff training and again, unprofessional inconsistency. So the first bouncer/​staff that we walked by said «you can’t go upstairs, that’s VIP.» Of course we told him that the bartender stated we could not drink on the floor, but we could go upstairs. He said the bartender was wrong.
We go to other side to go upstairs, and they let us up just fine. Jesus Christ people, get on the same page. I don’t pay $ 40 to walk around in circles because you don’t know the rules.
THEN, when we got upstairs, we were hanging out in the middle for a long time, enjoying ourselves. Let’s say 15+ minutes. Then the lady, that has been standing there, the WHOLE time we were there said «you can’t stand in the walkway, go over there». 1) RUDE. 2) Okay, why didn’t you say something when we first went there??? Second, we moved over as we asked. And she kept pestering us «you’re still in the walkway». I finally snapped and pointed at the people right in front of us «Are they in the walkway? They’re literally parallel to us. How the fuck am I in the walkway if they’re not? «She didn’t have anything to say to that.
Summary — great venue, beautiful venue and spacious, clean bathrooms. Bad management, training, inconsistency of rules among all staff. Also another feedback point, set times would be awesome.
They have a solid list of artists coming back, so let’s see if anything changes the next time around.

Foundry Review: I very much liked this venue. It was considerably smaller than I expected, but well designed and with easy access to the bar and bathrooms. Stage size and lighting are appropriate for small scale bands, but not on par with those at the TLA. Downstairs is likely better equiped.
I had hoped that the stage lights would have been used a little more than they had been… a concert with the plain drum of normal florescent lighting doesn’t do it for me…
I also wish that the Foundry would figure out how to manage the space between bands, VIPs and visitors. One of the Have Mercy band’s blonde girlfriends kept pushing in front of me to take pictures and was super dramatic about her personal space… sorry not going to part like the Dead Sea for you Moses.

You only get one first impression! And the Fillmore, in my opinion, nailed it.
This review will be geared more specifically for an EDM event that I just attended * Adventure Club. I do believe the type of event you attend here will most likely dictate how the entire experience will unfold.
I read/​heard about the Filmore months ago I had high expectations as they have the opportunity to corner the market as the premier live music venue in philly.
The area around The Fillmore is under massive construction. It may be confusing for those not familiar with that area… but do know, its basically 1 – 2 blocks from the Piazza and in front of Sugarhouse Casino – park anywhere near there and you aren’t too far from the Fillmore. The venue had a gravel parking area… looked bad for your tires, but felt fairly safe with the BRIGHT LIGHTS! They had 2 – 4 parking attendants which added to the safety of patrons.
The ID checkers were upbeat, happy, and not at all assholes that other places have. I understand you do need to be strict with serving alcohol, but some bouncers take their «authority» way too much and sets a bad tone for the night. The Fillmore staff were ALL super nice, friendly, and enjoyed being there. I hope that level of customer service remains consistent!
The space I felt was pretty huge. The front entrance lobby had the will call tickets i believe, a large LIVE sign to greet patrons, merchandise stand, and coat check. Enter through the doors (scanning your ticket), you enter a quasi bar/​dining area/​merchandise area/​bathrooms. There was also a medic on standby in the corner, which is another aspect that i felt the Fillmore cared about their patrons’ safety. It may detract from the «fun vibe» but being safe is always welcomed.
The décor is industrial minimalism, but high quality. Whoever requested water fountains to be added should get a bonus. Particularly for EDM events, staying hydrated is essential… other clubs/​venues don’t want to serve you water at the bar – instead they want you to buy a water bottle for $ 5 – 10. I can’t tell you how many people, including myself, used the water fountain. They should add 2 more at another location… The lines got long and a bit of traffic since it is right next to the women’s bathroom.
After soaking everything in, we entered the main area which we were first greeted by a HUGE bar!!! There are an additional 2 bars that flank the dance floor. All bartenders I dealt with were friendly and nice with no attitude at all. The bottle service/​vip girls were pretty hot –basically wearing lingerie. I didn’t get bottle service so i don’t know if they were the «bitchy type». They have a second floor, but it was roped off for VIP, which was unfortunate as i would love to dance up there overlooking the floor. VIP was slow bc it wasn’t a DJ that attracted a «bro’s and ho’s» crowd. This crowd was mostly PLUR which is refreshing since the genre is under attack by pop music.
For comparison… not many people used their cellphones to record at the Fillmore. The night before at Festival Pier for AVB, many many people used their cellphones to record. Different DJ, different crowd. But I digress.
The sound system, lights, LED stage!!! space, it all was pretty amazing. The crowd had good vibes and everyone was just there to have a great time.
I ordered their chicken tenders. A little overpriced if you’re ordering at a restaurant, but fair for the venue. I had low expectations, but it turned out amazing! I wasn’t even drunk so i think my taste buds were intact! The thai chilli sauce was pretty authentic and elevated the entire dish. A floor manager (?) was friendly and apologized for the food delay. Awesome customer service.
There were a few misses that should be addressed:
1. the men’s bathroom is kinda small for a venue this size. Also, the urinals didn’t have privacy dividers. Usually that isn’t a huge problem, but the type of urinals they installed basically makes every dudes penis visible! It was hilarious seeing every guy try to hide their junk while not touching the urinal. Awkward.
2. Perhaps for EDM events specifically, there needs to be a big sign at the front entrance that says what IS and ISN“T permitted. glow sticks, strings, hoola hoops, gloves, chapstick, kandi?
3. I“m all for keeping your body temperature cool if you’re on drugs and dancing… but i’m getting tired of these dudes that feel the need to go shirtless around midnight at an indoor event. They need to enforce a policy about this. I hate when they walk by me and wipe their sweaty ass body on my arm. It is disgusting and unsanitary.
4. Fix the table tops in the front bar area. Me and a few patrons were commenting how the hell is a brand new table going to be wobbly? We surmised it was Fillmore’s intention to have wobbly tables so you «accidentally» spill your drinks and must buy another. Yes, it happened (not to me though!)
5. Get some more trash cans!

I attended the special events grand opening and it was so well done! This venue is so unique and cool. It has three really big great spaces that can each have their own vibe with their own music and their own bars. For large events renting the whole place out would be a great experience. The décor and chandeliers and the bars are massive and beautiful. The large hall has great sound and the stage is pretty big. It is a bit hard to find due to all the road closures and construction.

This is an absolutely awesome, solid new Philadelphia music venue. Tonight I was lucky enough to see Hall and Oates play the grand opening concert here.
The moment you walk in all of the employees are helpful and friendly. Getting the 21 up bracelet was quick and simple. Literally no long lines, at most 5 min waiting time. But once you walk past the entrance doors you realize how gigantic this venue really is. 2 bars located on the exterior of the dance floor keeps drink lines very short and orders quick and easy. They had an awesome selection on tap and bottles [I chose the NYF root beer for an easy show drink]. They also had pretzel and bratwurst trucks along the edges of the venue as well. I didn’t grab one because I came from dinner but they did look pretty delicious.
The sound was awesome and the stage was really big and pretty easy to see (although I’m a whopping 5’2″ so it’s always kinda tough for me) but there was GA room in the balcony which completely surrounded the venue with stands to sit in.