It's a dive bar, and yet you still don't get what you pay for. People are highly inclined to play unfair for what they think might earn them tips. Think twice before coming with a significant other, because the bartender will not respect that at all, very rude, attempting to attract my significant other thinking it'll get them tips when I'm the one paying. As I'm a classy person I still left a good tip but that was my final straw there. I had to leave a message. In addition as someone who was a regular and never saw a black bartender, only mixed. They will hire friends, call me there friend, but they'd never hire me as a bartender because they want to make unambiguous black women feel less than. the managers are LGBTQ and they are full in competition with women and especially women of color who have something going for them. Horrible experience. Save your money and hit up wine and spirits. read more

The Fire - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The venue is really nice. I had heard of it for years but hadn't been there until recently. A good friend of mine was having a show there, and I wanted to support him and his crew who were performing. The space is unique, that the actual "space", is through a door at the end of the bar. The bouncer and whomever is taking money for cover or scanning tickets is usually right there as well. The space has a small stage, and there is a bathroom on one side, and the soundboard for anyone performing is at the very back. There's enough room to throw small to medium sized event there. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised as to how smoothly the venue operated, the staff was nice as well. I don't drink, so I don't know if the prices for alcohol are good or bad, or if the drinks are watered down. I would definitely recommend checking it out. read more

A cash only bar Small seating area and A room for music* *Definitely bring your ear plugs- it's loud af read more

To call this place a "music venue" is a legitimate joke. And that is not in any part because of the musicians that bust their butts to put on a show. It is solely because of poor management and rude staff. When a touring band is scheduled to start playing at 7:30, the show should start at 7:30. Again- no fault of the bands. All bands waited over an hour plus just for the matinee show to end which the management let play for 2 hours past their scheduled show time. This prevented the bands who were there and showed up on time to load their gear when they were supposed to and then the bands busted their butts to get things done quick so as not to play any later then they were already pushed back due to the venue's negligence. Beyond the issues regarding the owner/management or whoever was "in charge" and their poor decision making, planning, and general incompetence - the rest of the staff I interacted with was terrible. The staff member who was passing out wrist bands and collecting payment was incredibly rude to the patrons and the bands. She genuinely seemed so beyond disinterested in being there beyond greedily counting money. The sound guy was extremely unprofessional and luckily he didn't entirely blow it for the bands but he did not know how to communicate and lacked efficiency. He continually kept walking in and out of the closed venue space with food and drinks - which again- another poor management decision to allow your staff to drink alcohol while working. Above and beyond that the sound guy also had a fire arm tucked into his jean waist band. Not entirely sure of all the legalities in the city of Philadelphia but I can certainly tell you it did not create a welcoming environment and appeared to be rather threatening. I just pray that the bands saw some of the money that the greed mongers at this venue collected. If you are a band - heed this warning - do not play here ! Do not support this bar ! read more

Chill vibe, good drinks, there is a stage in the back for live performances. I would definitely go back

Great local venue with events almost daily! They also highlight local food vendors and allow them to serve customers! What a great way to involve the community! The owner, Karen was very kind to me during my visit, I'll definitely be back! read more

The Fire - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lowkey dive bar in northern liberties. I always meet fun, genuine, interesting people here. They offer a big variety of shows from punk to hip hop to open mics. Definitely worth checking out read more

Hot environment, no pun. But overall spacious and bar was nice. Didn't talk to much staff but place was tucked into the side of the fire house. read more

Played here and they wouldn't give us water... Owner told me that they have to charge for it and I just don't understand how things work. We brought in over half of the attendees. One of the worst music venues in philly. Go anywhere else. The miller light is also $6 and the bathroom wreaks up the entire live room. read more

Lovely place to come to in Northern liberties great music afford prices good service 3 tvs for sporting events phillies eagles flyers sixers have open mic on mondays spectacular lighting come perform on stage with other musicians have live shows as well drop by check it out read more

I love the fire! In there every Monday for open mic and I look forward to it. Mondays are my new Friday! They're family and everyone is so kind. read more

One of the best small places for Local Philly music. The staff are dedicated to helping out the scene and bringing in many diverse acts. many of the staff members are even in good bands themselves (members of Seizure 17, Hezekiah Jones, and Surgeon). You end up with a great variety of shows as a result, and they even have great monthly residencies and all ages shows. The Fire also offers a reasonable recording deal for any band who is looking to do a live album. The bar part of the venue is also fantastic. Drinks are inexpensive, and the bartenders are good people who also have a great sense of humor. and the food is pretty damn good for a concert venue bar. I reccomend anything on their well stocked vegetarian menu. and of course you can't go wrong with any bar that has a Ms. Pac Man table :) read more

So, obviously every review is a snapshot of one day, one show. And this happened ~ a month ago. I bought tickets via ticket fly for an obscure band here, with a stated date and set time. This show was advertised on the fire's Facebook, ticket fly, etc... Me and a couple buddies show up with our tickets, and the doorman seems stumped. He doesn't seem to have heard about the show we had paid $25 to see, and in fact is he is collecting cash for a completely different show (different genre, bands, etc). He doesn't seem to have any clue why, even two hours before the show was supposed to start, the venue was selling tickets advertising a rock/punk show when the actual show was a singer-songwriter collaboration. To his/the venue's credit, they allowed us to stay for the show, but refused refunds or even an explanation. Entire situation seemed wierd. I've been part of the Philly music scene for years now, and have many friends who operate/own similar venue's. If a show is cancelled or changed, I know the process. This isn't it. The whole thing left a wierd taste in my mouth to be honest, and really makes me unlikely to plan another night out at the fire. read more

The place is not a dive bar did renovation here getting more done too drinks aren't that expensive have good music tvs for sporting events etc live shows as well have vegan food too on Mondays reasonably good prices have open mic on Monday as well its free at the door other places charge for that if ur musician come perform here have a great night read more

To rate a dive bar accordingly, you must consider many things. Obviously, this isn't going to be a classy joint. It's a dive bar, and boy is it a dive bar. But there's nothing wrong with it! It's a cool place to hang out with a friend or two. I came here to see my buddy perform, the crowd seemed to consist almost exclusively of people he knew or people there for the other acts on the bill. Only about 20 or so people? So it was subdued and intimate and no douchebags were present. read more

The first time I ever did an open mic night was at The Fire, so it will always hold a special place in my well-worn heart. In fact, well-worn is a good way to also describe the inside of this place, which, while not exactly scary, isn't ever going to impress you. What will impress you is the local music that plays here on a regular basis. It's a great place to get your start as a musician, and the crowds, while sometimes sparse, are usually supportive. Unless whoever is playing really, really sucks. They've also got a good local beer list, too, so if the music is particularly crappy, just knock back a few, finish with a shot of Jamison's and remind yourself that you could be listening to the next big thing. That's probably what people had to do when I sang there years ago...and now look at me :) read more

I truly and intimately love this place... because it is a true and intimate place. It is just West of Johnny Brendas and fills the niche of the Fishtown dive bar that JB has just gotten too big for. The Fire is just big enough to have a local draw and fit in what results. I have not yet had an instance where the crowd has made me feel claustrophobic but the crowd is always a nice and lively one. Now, you cannot go in and ask for some fancy shmancy drinks but they've got Kenzinger and Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA on tap. Yum. Many wonderful local musicians play here. There is a back room where the stage is that is dark and quaint. There are stools along the side and lots of room for standing in the middle. I really enjoy this neighborhood venue feel. As an example, last night was Philly Singer/Songwriter night of the new Northern Liberties Winter Music Fest (a big grand name for its little existence but wonderful indeed). The line-up included such musicians as Andrew Lipke, Chris Casper, Cowmuddy, Sisters 3 and Sean Hoots (of Hoots & Hellmouth and my fantastically talented boyfriend *cough cough*). The cover was $10. Keep an eye on the schedule http://www.iourecords.com/thefire/shows.html or just drop in. You'll dig this dive. read more

I really hate the lighting in here for taking shots of bands performing, but it's an intimate space that's never lacking for a full night's worth of music. I've seen great bands here, I've seen awful bands here...it's your luck of the draw if you randomly show up. Great beer menu and full bar at very economical prices. The backyard is super tiny, but nice for a few friends to hang out (standing room only), drink a beer, etc. When not performing, local musician Ryan Kattel (Honus Honus of Man Man) has been seen hanging out here, along with Raph of Hezekiah Jones, Josh Park and a whole slew of other local greats. Friendly place full of awesome people. Dead empty some nights, but weekends are often hopping. read more

this place is an absolute shit hole. the staff is garbage. if you're a band do NOT play a gig here.. they won't pay you and they'll treat you like shit. i've had several friends bands not paid and then kicked out of the bar after asking to be paid. read more

I was definitely feeling the vibe at The Fire. We went on a Friday night around 9:30 and there were only a few people at the bar, oh and a few awesome dogs that were just kind of roaming around and being friendly. I was not too impressed by their draught selection, but they had Yuengling and that's all I really cared about. The bartenders were nice enough and definitely attentive. My fiance was impressed by their Ms. Pac-Man cocktail arcade table. As the night (and bands) went on the bar definitely became more crowded, but was not overwhelming. It was totally easy to get a drink and the line for the bathroom was never more than two people long. Everyone there was super friendly and just wanted to have a nice time. The venue area is the perfect size for an intimate show. It kind of reminded me of The M Room, but a little better. You can pretty much see the stage from anywhere in the room. I would definitely come back for more fun times! read more

I think people often forget that...The Fire still has good shows believe it or not! Granted, I don't come here that often, even when I lived in the area, but the Fire has been a good standby when my friends book a pretty good line up here every once in a while. The beer is cheap, they always have some pizza keeping warm under a heat lamp for the munchines, the bathrooms are never disgusting, there's Pac Man and the live music! only complaint, sometimes the bartenders are in lala land. texting or getting everyone else's drinks while you're still standing there waiting to order long after everyone else who hasn't been waiting as long as you has gotten theirs. the stage is in a seperate room from the actual bar (the show is streamed through the TV for those sitting at the bar but it's crappy quality but I guess if you're super broke and still want to hear a band you can get some sort of a guess of their stage presence by watching the live feed via security camera). It's a small room but it's definitely more intimate than cramped. I came to my first show in the city here when I was a teenager, and hopefully I'll be here for many a show to come. read more

I absolutely own this Ms. Pacman machine. The best thing about this place is when they put out sidewalk tables and seating during the summer months. You know, as if everyone loves the picturesque views of East Girard and North Philly. read more

This place is kind of a hole, so if you're looking for glitz and glamour, I would steer. Most shows here are under 10 bucks, so that should give you an idea of what you're getting yourself into. I don't want to trash on the place because I think it serves its purpose. The front is a bar, it's kind of beat up looking, disheveled and busted, but with that divey charm. The beer list is pretty decent meaning that the draft list may change from time to time. At the time of this writing, it was mostly PBC beers so I was happy drinking something local. I didn't catch many pbr pounders. 7 bucks got me into the back room which had a small stage and moderate size floor. The acoustics seemed decent for the space and I saw some good live music here. The bathroom was straight up disgusting. The men's room only had a urinal and it didn't flush (there was a note from the management instructing people not to flush it) There was a straight up puddle on the floor so you'd be wise to bring your galoshes. Anyhoo, it's divey but serves a purpose. I wouldn't go in here expecting martinis. read more

It's a fine venue, as far as bars with venues attached go. I hear it's actually a great place to record your band play live too. But the bar is unusual. Not enough bartenders to serve the masses--just one. And the prices are a bartenders' nightmare. $3.25 for lager and Kenzinger; $4.25 for better PBC and Yards Brawler, and $5.25 for the special (titled Weyerbacher IPA--no such beer exists, but I think they mean Last Chance). Those are reasonable prices as far as cost is concerned, but they are totally unreasonable in a cash-only bar. I suppose it should be cash-and-change only. If I pay for my $4.25 beer with a $5, which I did, I'm left in the awkward situation of asking for my $.75 back and giving the bartender a dollar, or just deciding to stiff him a quarter (one time I tipped $1.75, which is great, but not sustainable). Ultimately it's just a quarter! Not a big deal right? Exactly. So just be remotely considerate of your employees and customers and just make it a straight cash deal. I'd even pay $5 for a Brawler to circumvent the painfully unnecessary situation. read more

If you don't live in Fishtown or Northern Liberties, it seems like you only end up in that area for a capital-d Destination, a very hyped, very hip place that is worthy of the SEPTA ride there and the pricey cab fare home. The Fire is no Johnny Brenda's or 700 Club or Standard Tap, in that I probably wouldn't plan a whole evening around going there--unless there was a specific band I wanted to see. But when I end in those Northern parts, it's good to know that The Fire is there, especially if the hotspots are crowded or I'm just looking for somewhere to have that one last drink. Cheap covers and a fine collection of taps make it an above-average live venue and an above-average bar. There's something distinct about the joint; I don't know if it's the layout or the crowd, but it doesn't feel like any other place in the city. I like that some patrons bring their dogs in and that there's slices of pizza available at the bar to satisfy the beer munchies. Come to think of it, I think I'm starting to contradict the whole beginning of this review. While it's not quite a five star Destination, the Fire's probably worth a trip of its own. read more

I'm one for dives and I'm one for gritty locales, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the Fire. There was nothing really grabbing my attention. Maybe the two-person face-down 80s-video game machine with one chair was a plus. Maybe the DIY TV setup (featuring a feed from the performance room, attached, in the back, where the live music happens) was cool and financially convenient. But the draft was mediocre (don't believe "great beer selection" hype--they've got the local stuff, a couple oddities, and that's it). Granted, I went on a Wednesday night, and the place was dead, but I expected something paw-puync read more

From what I gathered on my first visit, this is a nice little bar complete with Ms. Pac. Cheap bar food, expensive beer, good people. For some reason, it reminded me of Michigan. Maybe it was because I could smoke inside an establishment or maybe just the people around. Take that for what it's worth. read more

Staff is amazingly friendly. I've seen so many great acts here. Very Clean and super chill. Can't wait for it to open back up!

Normally one will find difficulty in locating an establishment where a thug can see a great all ages show AND get his drink on. This is one of those few and far between places. Great place with the perfect atmosphere. This place also holds a special place for me. It's not all that often art imitates life to such a degree, for the FIRE truly embodies it's name...... ...A few years back I was considering moving to Philadelphia. A cousin and I would frequent a local psychic for fun. On my final visit before making my move to the big city she had a special message for me. She said , "Go, my child, for you will touch the fire and shall not be burned, you will breath fire and succumb to no thirst, you will see the fire and be blind no more." It was when I first arrived at the fire that my perception of fortune tellers changed forever. His name was Nicholas. The others called him Nick. I'd say he had me at "hello" but he really had me at "can I see your ID please" His cool detachment and half smirk gave him an aura of irresistible confidence and nonchalant beauty. As he rolled the stamp across my hands every follicle in my body exploded into the largest flock of goosebumps in all of history, migrating south then north then east and west all confused as to the invasive tundra of emotion exploding from his eyes. They tried to escape the cold winter that shook te reality from me for the rest of my days. As I sat at the bar being served wonderfully priced beers of several different varieties by a most jovial and attentive bar staff my eyes drifted to the delicious pizza. I was drawn to the warm glow emulating from the heat lamp and felt as though it were calling out to me, warming the soul that had been boiled not 15 minutes prior at the door. I wonder if he still works there, for he changed my life forever. read more

Two things about The Fire initially struck me as enigmatic during a recent visit: - Although it was a weekend night and bands were playing, I was one of maybe seven patrons. - They don't serve PBR. After settling in with a Brawler and looking around, I had an epiphany of sorts. It's a standard dive bar/music venue. You could drop this place down in the LES of Manhattan or along some boardwalk and it wouldn't be out of place. Grungy and to the point. The television projected on the adjacent building from the upstairs was an odd, yet interesting touch. I'd definitely go see more shows there. It struck me as the kind of place where bands that are just starting out can get a gig and I'm down with that. The immutable truth is that The Fire is not enigmatic at all, a lot of the youth/bar culture of the surrounding area is. read more

Looks like many Yelpers on here have been very, very lenient with their ratings for this place! Most of the reviewers have fairly bad things to say about it, yet they still give it three stars. Well, sorry dear ol' Fire, but I suppose I'm about to be the Debbie Downer here. The space is, frankly, depressing and the sound can be downright awful at times. I've been here probably about five or six times over the years, and I just dread stepping in there more and more each time. To be honest, half the time I don't even know how they stay in business because whenever I go here there's only like 13 paying customers in the 'crowd'. One semi-good thing that I can say is that you can almost always find free street parking behind the place and/or along the side streets. I'd still say avoid it if you can, but that's just me. read more

My brother played an awesome show here, so perhaps that is why I am leaning towards the higher rating. Despite the divey interior, the Fire is actually a good space to see a show. If you don't want to be with the masses in the back room, you could sit at the bar and watch the tv's. The beer list was just fine. They do have a table pac man game and when I was there, an adorable bulldog was getting all of the attention. I know it has nothing to do with the bar, but I do love dogs in bars. The fire provided the scene for a good night with friends. What more could you ask from a dive bar? read more

I love this place. Probably my favorite bar ever. I've lived about a block away for a year and I guess based on it's location it's my go to spot for beer take out, a place to show the local flavor when a friend is visiting town, or to meet up with my neighborhood peeps. It's a chill, comfortable atmosphere and the bartenders take care of you. read more

4 stars to this divey spot. Went here for a ray Chris show (raychrist.com) he was good check him out. It was ten bucks to get into the back for the show. Small venue for the up and coming. Sound was decent given its a small place. The bar was pretty hipster, and you don't have to pay a cover to go into the bar. Christmas lights on the bar and religious candles you get from the Goya section in shop rite (or from your Hispanic mother). Had Walt whit on tap do not a bad deal. read more

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It's a dive bar; it's Fishtown. But it's good. Went here to see a friend's band play and it was your typical urban Philly scene. Friendly crowd. Parking nearby, but they don't have food on site. Your food gets called into a local restaurant and is delivered. read more

The Fire is exactly what people are describing a cool place to have a beer and to check out some local bands. The people are pretty chill there and friendly as well. I'm not really sure about the parking though. I was there setting up for a band(Skank Week) so i needed to park close and it was tight. read more

Horrible experience with the place. Will not recommend for people who just wanted to enjoy live music without being judged.

Okay, so I finally have some down time to put type this up. I've been extremely busy over the past 5 days, so I apologize for not posting this sooner. I was also still dealing with this issue behind the scenes. So, as I stated before; my work speaks for itself...so if I am reporting that someone is doing shady business it's for the betterment of this touring community. A lot won't speak up due to backlash or not wanting to look like a complainer. I am not one of them. I choose to do things differently and share my experiences so it can help you make your decisions moving forward. So let's jump into it... The Fire is a venue in Philly, which is a very dope venue for the small to mid sized touring act. The sound is solid; the sound man is solid and very competent. The issue isn't the venue. The issue is most definitely the new owner and his name is Derek Dorsey. He has a very hard time honoring agreements he makes with artists, agents and labels. He makes them and either disappears before the show ends to fulfill them or sticks around (drinking) then plays your night off as a "failure" and tries to re-structure the deal in his favor. Let me be more specific. I booked a tour stop there for last Friday night that had a guarantee (not a door deal). I asked for a # + a hotel room, he volleyed back with a lower # and no hotel room. Typical back and forth to come to a # that could work for both. Needless to say we agreed on a # plus a back end. He asked me to assist with local support, I did. I provided all of the locals, a DJ and a host for the night...he was simply to setup a ticket link, promote it through all the venue social media accounts and print the normal hand bills to hang at the venue to let folks know there was a tour coming. I had a discounted guest list of $8 provided from each local (minimum of 20 people) so to avoid the whole "pay to play" thing. In regards to payment, he was to pay 1/2 at load in and the final 1/2 at the end of the night...because in his words, "we typically don't do guarantees with deposits...we pay the night of". (Side Note: Never do this, that was a mistake on my behalf and I knew better) Philly was where the group would be to end the tour, so it wasn't an issue to pick up the show...(or so I thought). I was told the load in was 8:30pm from Derek and was also told I would be fwd an advance for the night (which never happened). The group showed up for load in sharply at 8:30pm and there was a live (alternative) show going on. I was told this show would promptly be ending and doors for the tour stop we booked would be at 9pm (as stated previously and as stated on the flyer and ticket link that Derek himself created on ticket fly). As you can imagine...this is a bad start. At 9pm there is a new group tuning guitars on stage and questions begin to fly as to what is going on? The door man tells everyone, the show is running a bit behind because of technical difficulties with the power earlier but should end soon. As you can imagine...people are now outside wondering what's going on and if the show is even happening. Some are coming and going, and some are just flat out leaving because it is now about 9:45pm and begins to rain a bit. The host for the night finds the owner (Derek Dorsey) after the door guy has no answers for him. Derek then says, "this should be the last song let me go see what's up". The last song ends at about 10:30pm/10:40pm and as you can imagine...this has not only affected the line up times, but definitely affected the attendance as people have since left outside. The load in is now being rushed to make up for 2 hours of lost time. In the middle of all of this, I say...let's handle the 1/2 once this show gets up and running we are behind scheduling BAD. The show gets started at about 11:05pm/11:10pm. But before all of that, I had the room cleared of attendees and artists to help the door man account for everyone and charge who needed to be charged. Each artist had a +1 nothing more. Once that was done the show began. Read full review: www.facebook.com/408inc or on the Business FB of the Venue itself. read more

Okay, so I finally have some down time to put type this up. I've been extremely busy over the past 5 days, so I apologize for not posting this sooner. I was also still dealing with this issue behind the scenes. So, as I stated before; my work speaks for itself...so if I am reporting that someone is doing shady business it's for the betterment of this touring community. A lot won't speak up due to backlash or not wanting to look like a complainer. I am not one of them. I choose to do things differently and share my experiences so it can help you make your decisions moving forward. So let's jump into it... The Fire is a venue in Philly, which is a very dope venue for the small to mid sized touring act. The sound is solid; the sound man is solid and very competent. The issue isn't the venue. The issue is most definitely the new owner and his name is Derek Dorsey. He has a very hard time honoring agreements he makes with artists, agents and labels. He makes them and either disappears before the show ends to fulfill them or sticks around (drinking) then plays your night off as a "failure" and tries to re-structure the deal in his favor. Let me be more specific. I booked a tour stop there for last Friday night that had a guarantee (not a door deal). I asked for a # + a hotel room, he volleyed back with a lower # and no hotel room. Typical back and forth to come to a # that could work for both. Needless to say we agreed on a # plus a back end. He asked me to assist with local support, I did. I provided all of the locals, a DJ and a host for the night...he was simply to setup a ticket link, promote it through all the venue social media accounts and print the normal hand bills to hang at the venue to let folks know there was a tour coming. I had a discounted guest list of $8 provided from each local (minimum of 20 people) so to avoid the whole "pay to play" thing. In regards to payment, he was to pay 1/2 at load in and the final 1/2 at the end of the night...because in his words, "we typically don't do guarantees with deposits...we pay the night of". (Side Note: Never do this, that was a mistake on my behalf and I knew better) Philly was where the group would be to end the tour, so it wasn't an issue to pick up the show...(or so I thought). I was told the load in was 8:30pm from Derek and was also told I would be fwd an advance for the night (which never happened). The group showed up for load in sharply at 8:30pm and there was a live (alternative) show going on. I was told this show would promptly be ending and doors for the tour stop we booked would be at 9pm (as stated previously and as stated on the flyer and ticket link that Derek himself created on ticket fly). As you can imagine...this is a bad start. At 9pm there is a new group tuning guitars on stage and questions begin to fly as to what is going on? The door man tells everyone, the show is running a bit behind because of technical difficulties with the power earlier but should end soon. As you can imagine...people are now outside wondering what's going on and if the show is even happening. Some are coming and going, and some are just flat out leaving because it is now about 9:45pm and begins to rain a bit. The host for the night finds the owner (Derek Dorsey) after the door guy has no answers for him. Derek then says, "this should be the last song let me go see what's up". Read full review: www.facebook.com/408inc read more

So the bar itself isn't horrible, but some of the bar staff sucks. The place is kinda dirty and honestly, this place probably never cleans their taps because me and a few other people I know found weird slimy things in our beer. After that I stuck with bottles. read more