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The Barbary

3.9 (208 reviews)
InexpensiveBars, Music Venues
Open • Open 24 hours

The Barbary Photos

THE BARBARY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
DJ
Live music
Very loud
Hipster

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Reviews With Photos

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Dave L.

Randomly found ourselves at The Barbary one Thursday. At least I think it was. (Either way, there wasn't cover.) Walking in, we took stock of the situation: Photo booth? Check. Dance floor? Check. Good DJ? Double check. This bar is two floors of awesome. Took advantage of their friendly bartenders, then took advantage of the photo booth. Next time I'll be sure to play some pinball, indulge in falafel, and dance on a table.

Jessica S.

How has nobody added The Barbary to the Yelp mix?! Don't worry folks, I've got you covered. The Barbary has been newly revamped by JHN RDN (seriously - all caps, no vowels) of Hands and Knees and Crescendolls fame (or infamy, depending on your perspective). The Barbary has deep roots and been in existence since the late 60's. From what I've heard, the bar used to be a rock and roll bar that hosted a lot of not-so-well-known bands. The entrance opens up right on the dance floor with the bar lining the right-hand wall. The space is divided by a wall which creates both the dance floor and a sitting area with a few couches for lounging. There's also a photo booth and an ATM, which makes this homegirl's life better since the bar is cash only and my pockets are always empty. Now under Redden's reign it's become more of a dance venue for your local PBR-drinking, leggings-wearing, beard-sporting, tight jean-loving crowd. There's some type of DJ almost every night. Serious. Check the sched, it's pretty much every night (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l313/greggforeman72/barbs_jan2.jpg). I'm not saying they are all fantastic DJs, in fact some are definitely iTunes DJs, but they're the jockeys of the discs/mp3s, so I guess they can get away with using the title. I've been the bar on varying nights during the week and on Fridays, and there's been a decent crowd each time. Even on weeknights it seems like a late crowd with people not wandering in until after 11pm. This past Friday was the most insane I've seen the bar yet. So packed it was difficult to even get in the door. The dance floor was completely insane with everyone rocking their shit to some sweet 60's rock. It was a great time until some jackass decided it would be funny to assault me on the dance floor. Screw you, jackass! You made my foot bleed! The walk is a bit unsavory if you're coming from Northern Liberties, as you have to walk through what I like to call The Abyss of Philadelphia - the intersection of Germantown Ave, Front Street, and Laurel Street underneath I-95. Honestly, just take that walk once. Even in broad daylight it's a little nerve-racking. So many roads converging in one place, yet there is never a single soul under there. The roads look as though they haven't been cleaned up in just about 3 decades. There's always garbage, broken glass, clothing, and weeds growing up out of the sidewalk. You'll want to watch your feet along the way. In fact, John Redden, if you want to start a clean up project around the bar. I'm in. Anything to make me less afraid of contracting Hepatitis along the way to a night out.

Shirley C.

This ended up being a really fun place for a night of dancing (though I can't say I've really scoped out the clubbing scene in Philly)! We came on a Friday night around 1130, $5 cover and a very short line. There was a decent amount of people inside but it got really crowded after midnight. There are two dance floors upstairs and downstairs, definitely more crowded and clubby downstairs. I think it was 90s/2000s theme so a lot of fun throwbacks if you're a millennial. The drinks are reasonably priced and several different bars so you're not waiting to get the bartender's attention. The vibe was a little grungy/divey but surprisingly fun and unpretentious with a diverse crowd though probably mostly people in their twenties. Didn't seem to be any sort of dress code, definitely LGBTQ friendly, and minimal groping. Solid option for a more causal clubbing experience! Cash only.

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10 years ago

Hot dirty cheap fun place to dance your ass off. Don't bother going early but it's the perfect place to end a night of ridiculousness.

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Ask the Community - The Barbary

What is the age limit?

None over 18

What's the price And age limit to get in and what are the hours?

10pm it opens 21 years old to enter $5 to get in

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Review Highlights - The Barbary

“Sorted is a rad party, & The Bounce on 1st fridays is just as good, but the monthly throw-down of Live Forever (last sat.”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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The Fillmore Philadelphia - Upstairs lounge

The Fillmore Philadelphia

3.8(331 reviews)
0.0 mi•Northern Liberties, Fishtown
•$$

I have to give a huge shoutout to Derek, the house manager at The Fillmore Philadelphia. We showed…read moreup at 6 AM to camp out for the concert, fully prepared to spend the next 12+ hours sitting on the ground, and we were definitely a little miserable that early in the morning. Derek completely changed the start of our day. He was such a kind soul, incredibly friendly, brought us chairs, checked on us, and genuinely cared that we were comfortable and were going to have a great experience. That kind of positive attitude at 6 AM says a lot about a person. Derek made us feel taken care of before the concert experience had even really begun. He is exactly the kind of manager you want representing your venue and setting the example for his team. Such a great way to start what ended up being an amazing concert experience.

Grateful doesn't even begin to cover it. I had an amazing…read morefirst time experience at the Filmore. It's been a long time since I've been to a concert, and what I experienced at Tash Sultana's show was unlike anything I've ever witnessed before. Drums. Guitar. Saxophone. Flute. Bells and sooo much more. Vocals that soared from whispers to powerful crescendos. Every instrument seemed like an extension of Tash, and every note felt intentional. People often say music is healing, music is therapy, music is universal. Last night, I felt that. Not just heard it--felt it. The audience wasn't there just to watch a performance. We were there to witness artistry. To share a moment of connection through rhythm, sound, and frequency. For a few hours, strangers were a community united by music/frequency. The team at the Fillmore made the experience even better. From security and "Jay" at coat/merch check, "Meghan" Guest Services, "Bob" food & beverage service (Card Only). I enjoyed my "Vegan" Burger and the refreshing Wildberry beverage in a commemorative Filmore cup. Thank you for the recommendation, Blithe. "Steve" provided kind seating assistance upstairs. Everyone we encountered was welcoming and helpful. Those small acts of kindness matter and should be acknowledged and are very much appreciated. And to Tash--thank you. Thank you for sharing your gifts so generously. Thank you for creating a space where people could simply be present, breathe, feel, and reconnect with themselves. I've traveled through a lot in life, but last night reminded me why "live music matters". Some concerts entertain you. Some concerts remind you who you are. Somewhere along the way, my son and I became known as "the cake people." If you know, you know. If you haven't experienced Tash Sultana yet, do yourself a favor: Tune in. Thank you again Filmore for hosting this memorable experience.

Photos
The Fillmore Philadelphia - 2nd bar area

2nd bar area

The Fillmore Philadelphia - The Fillmore in Fishtown, Philly

The Fillmore in Fishtown, Philly

The Fillmore Philadelphia - Kany García Concert 10-30-24

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Kany García Concert 10-30-24

Sera Phi - Upstairs immersive music hall with vibrating floors.

Sera Phi

4.0(1 review)
0.2 mi•Northern Liberties

Saw my first band here tonight, Shine On, a Floyd tribute band. It's a smaller venue, intimate,…read morewith room for maybe 100 if they packed it in. It wasn't that crowded tonight so there was plenty of space to dance. They have multiple projectors filling the walls with light and video accompanying the music, as well as some floor system that really picks up the bass and vibrates. This is to give you an immersive experience. Ironically, whatever allows the floor to vibrate also allows the floor to bow/buckle when someone walks on it which distracted me a bit until I got used to it. The sound is really amazing, and they pump it out! I'd recommend earplugs if you are sensitive. Downstairs is a very chill black light lounge area with a bar. I assumed they piped the music from the band down here, and I'm sure that is an option, but they had some very chill trance/hypno playing and you could barely hear the band upstairs, which surprised me. Completely different vibe from the upstairs. The food options are limited, and not always available which is a bummer, they advertise a fully equipped superfoods smoothie bar, which intrigued me. They advertise themselves as "the most unique music recording studio, video and event design production house." We got a parking spot by Delilah's, it was a quick walk down Front St. You can find one of you just drive in circles but we were happy parking here. Staff was super friendly, including the bartender downstairs. Bathrooms on both floors. Coat check and merch in the vestibule. Check it out, a unique and cool venue right near the Fillmore and Brooklyn Bowl.

From the owner: Sera Phi is a Philadelphia recording studio that breaks the mold. It provides not only high-quality…read moreaudio recording but also a dedicated movement studio for artistic expression through physicality. This unique combination caters to musicians and artists seeking to capture the synergy between sound and movement

Photos
Sera Phi - Black light Lounge

Black light Lounge

Sera Phi - Bar in the black light lounge

Bar in the black light lounge

Sera Phi - Front door

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Front door

Franklin Music Hall

Franklin Music Hall

2.9(317 reviews)
1.0 mi•Spring Garden
•$$

Something that I wish I had known sooner - they serve alcohol, but don't allow you to have it on…read morethe floor. You can only drink it on the balcony? We showed up early for our show so we could have a great spot, and of course we weren't going to give up our proximity to the stage just to be able to drink alcohol. This was a first for me, I've never heard of this rule at any venue I've ever been to. Obviously not a deal breaker, but we are the kind of people who only drink for a special occasion and we had been looking forward to this show for months, so that was a bummer. It was absolutely FREEZING when we walked inside, so if you're not going to be in the heart of the crowd or jumping around a lot, make sure you're prepared for that! The staff was nice, they have metal detectors upon entry and ticket scanning was quick/efficient.

Concert venue with general admission tickets- no stadium type seating. There is seating you will be…read moreable to grab if you purchase tickets for that area along the railing upstairs in the balcony bar area. This was not a negative. The crowd was great. The bar service was fast even though lines were long. There is a parking lot. ($25 for the night). The lot is not large so I'd recommend going early, park, grab a bite to eat nearby before the show. This type of venue is my preferred type over larger venues. Loved it.

Photos
Franklin Music Hall - Outside Franklin Music Hall

Outside Franklin Music Hall

Franklin Music Hall
Franklin Music Hall - View from the upstairs balcony

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View from the upstairs balcony

The Barbary - bars - Updated October 2026

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