This is consistently the worst venue I visit in the whole city. It doesn't seem to matter if it's bands, movies, other events. They open doors late, start late, overcharge at the bar, overcharge at the door, and treat people rudely. The venue itself couldn't be less physically accommodating. All the charm of a parking garage crossed with someone's after school special idea of what a punk club in LA looked like in 1983. Massive concrete pillars directly in the sightlines. Every time something cool is listed here, I'm torn about whether to suffer through another night of this shitshow, or just skip it altogether. There are great venues all over Philly - this ain't one. read more

I had a blast at this venue! This was a great set up for a medium sized $15-$20 show and was very laid back and relaxed overall. It was very comfortable to grab a beer and head up front for the show at. Beers were a wee overpriced for being little 10-12oz cups for $7 but I guess I can't expect less at a show these days. It just seems a little more rundown and casual where they would charge less or give you a bigger cup. Everyone who worked there was very friendly though and I would love to come to another show here. read more

Underground Arts is a great Philly venue! It is a small and intimate setting, so you will be up close to the bands. The bar prices are reasonable since most venues cost an arm and a leg. I will be returning here more often to catch a show. read more

The name says it all - this is an arts space underground, in a basement, with lots of hipsters. I have been to about 73 of these types of venues already in New York, Baltimore and other cities, but as a frequent live music concertgoer I'm always up for another one. This one has some things going for it: - It's spacious. 2 big rooms, one of which is the comfy lounge with couches, tables and a decorated bar, and the other is the concert room which is just a big basement with a stage at one end, a less fancy bar at the other, and some colored lights. - Location convenient to Center City and the Vine St. Expressway - Parking is not as hard to find as some other places (cough cough Johnny Brenda's). There is a big pay lot right across the street from the club, also street parking in the surrounding blocks. - Shows don't start too early so you can get down there at 10:30 or 11 and still see the headliner - Staff seem to be nice - They have made an effort to decorate the place with kind of a stripped-down Keith Haring meets Day of the Dead meets tiki bar theme, which gives it a nice late 80s/ early 90s vibe. - Ladies room is big, you can move around in it, it has four big sinks and a lot of stalls (maybe 8 or 10) and was reasonably clean And some things not going for it: - The show I saw had no seating in the concert area - no couches, chairs, etc. so you basically had to just stand in a basement for the whole show. If you go to the next room with the comfy seating area, you can't see the band and can only hear the band muffled through the wall. - The concert room also gets progressively less comfortable and more claustrophic as it fills up, and gets hot and stuffy due to lack of air circulation. - Giant fat support columns in the concert room that block the view (which is already not great due to the stage not being very high) and further have large PA's hanging on some of them which block the view even more. - Sound was decent but not great - you are in a basement and it shows. - Fully half of the ladies room stalls were marked "out of order". I could understand one or possibly two, but when it's more like four or five, you need to get the plumber in there. - If you arrive late (like you don't want to be standing in the band room for 3 hours, just see the headliner) then as usual in Philly, the pay lot is likely to be full or closed and the street parking hard to find. The blocks around this club, though well lit, are very dead at night. All in all it was an OK experience, I would go back again, but I must say it was a lot more comfortable in there towards the end of the show when about half the concert attendees had left and there was room to move around and breathe in the band area. This place works well for smaller events, but I would think twice about seeing a big "sold out" show in here. - read more

I've been here several times for live music. I really like this place and wish other artists I follow would play here. Compared to other music venues around town it feels low key, friendly, and comfortable to me - I've never felt too crowded, and the bathrooms are decent. It's basically a dimly lit, cavernous basement space with a small bar/kitchen and really not much else to speak of, yet it has hosted some of the most fun musical evenings in my memory. One of the only downsides is that when you're outside the venue it feels pretty isolated, with not much around at night, except for the Trestle Inn (where I have killed time before a show with a drink). That makes me think twice when planning a night out because I want to feel safe making my way home afterward. It would also be great to have more drinks/dining options for before or after the show. The #23 and #45 buses run past on 12th Street, and you are only 2 blocks from Broad Street (closest subway stop is Race/Vine), so it is pretty easy to get to. read more

very fun venue, envigorating the up n coming callowhill vibe. Saw the A's [Philly's answer to the Cars ca. 1978] and had some gourmet beer.

I've only been here once but I loved every aspect of it. It's very small so it's a very intimate setting and they don't over-fill the capacity like all of the other venues in Philly so it's actually enjoyable. They have a great sound system and great lights. It's not necessarily in a great spot but it's very easy to park here and it's just a really good time. I'll be coming back here for sure. read more

I like everything about this venue EXCEPT the sound which unfortunately is huge for a concert venue. I've been here for a handful of shows (bands and rappers) and every show I find that the vocals get drowned out or become indistinguishable because of the instrumentals which themselves are a little distorted. The instrumentals I could live with although I'd say other Philly venues trump UA in this department but not being able to hear the artists lyrics no matter where you are in the venue is very disappointing. It's a cool basement hipster-y venue with cheap concerts so I hope that these issues are resolvable. I will probably not be returning unless I'm a big fan of the artist performing. Being unable to tell what an artist is singing about makes it very hard to connect with the music. read more

Had a date night with my husband and he introduced me to the broadcast "Risk" that was performing there. What a experience and out of my comfort zone. The place is awesome. read more

Well this place sucks. Tried to go here for an art show. I'm going to repeat, AN ART SHOW. Typical fare. Free, nosh and beer etc available to mooch and mingle. I was honestly excited about the art. I never made it inside because the door guy checked my bag and deemed my unopened guacamole from whole foods a weapon. Other contents included 2 books, a train schedule, glasses case, phone charger, and extra bag. They cited their policy of "no food allowed." And "It's the point." OKAY!! If this was a concert, I could totally get this, but it was an art show, where types of food were already available. What did they think I was going to do? Open it up and flaunt it in the faces of the people unworthy of my guacamole? Smear it on the art? Or maybe do an art piece where I open it up and stuff my junk in it? Like Really. And the offer of "I'll watch it outside" was just stupid. You're a door guy, what's stopping you from going in my bag and stealing? Or just some random person taking my bag? I repeat, it was an ART SHOW!!!! A chill FREE art show which I intended to actually BUY ART. Not just mooch and schmooze. Policies are policies no matter how stupid. I can forgive idiocy, whatever. What irked me and thus made this review needed was how much of a douchebag the door guy was to me about it. An overweight guy with a baseball cap and a Limp Bizkit aura does not a threat make. So what was the point of trying to be a big man and curse at me when I was leaving? Guac. no matter how delicious, is not going to bring me to fisticuffs. I literally said when the guy was like, "leave your bag here" on our dirty homeless piss stained doorstep, no thanks, I'm good and rolled out. That's in essence that. Was it really deserving of a vulgar cheap shot? Did they really think the woman I was with was going to "lose the zero and get with the hero?" Over Guacamole? LIfe lesson to the douchebags of the city. Guacamole, unopened guacamole from Whole Foods, is neither a threat nor a weapon. The objects I and so many others carry in our pockets and our cars, are though. I'm not one to care about what some some bloated bro says enough to "go." HOWEVER, other people are not as carefree as I am. This is the type of moronic dickhead behavior that consistently ruins cool stuff and new things. Uncle Acid played here, and from what I gathered from non die hards NOT drooling over being in the same room, it sounded like shit, the drinks were overpriced, the airflow was hideous, and the security were Electric Factory limp willied. I already disliked this place for not having normal things to offer like a phone number, or even a chance to buy tickets to show with cash from the venue, but after this, yeah, I'm probably never going here. Whoever is going to play here, it's not going to be worth whatever BS I'm going to have to put up with while there I reapeat, an ART SHOW!!! Morons. This place blows. read more

LOGICAL EVENTS in the Black Box at Underground Arts - AMAZING MUSIC! I happen to stumble upon a monthly event called LOGICAL that happens once a month in a very cool space within Underground Arts called the Back Box. (talk about your "underground" scene, it's a black box within Underground Arts!!) Each month a collection of fantastic local (and guest) Dj's play some pretty amazing, emotional, intelligent, progressive house, trance, techno, hypnotic sounds.. There's nothing like this going on in Philly and it's much MUCH needed. The music and DJs are first rate, the sound system is awesome and the space is laid out nicely.. ALSO - it's 21 plus so there's no gangs of 18 year old glow sticks everywhere. If you like to dance to this kind of music or enjoying listening to intelligent and progressive house/trance that gradually takes you to happy fun places then this is for you. When joints like Fluid and Shampoo closed, Philly lost some pretty cool parties and even then there hasn't been a night like this in Philly for a while. Where does one go to dance and lose yourself in lucid beats? There's a bar in the space, lots of side tables and chill out space and a nice dance floor. If you're into this kind of music you'll be glad you checked it out like I did! THANKS for making nights like this happen in Philadelphia!!! read more

Was there last night for Cat Power. First visit. Really nice space with so much potential. It's a shame that it is so bad: 1. the sound was very poor. Could not even hear the vocals of the warm-up act, and Cat Power lacked clarity. Part of it might have been the mix. Toward the end, she coached the sound guy how to adjust her volume and reverb, and it got better, but the system seems poor. 2. The stage is too low. With a near-full, standing capacity, you could not see her over the heads of others. Raising the stage a foot or two would help. 3. I never have been at a show where there was so much talking among the crowd. It was horrendous. Since it was my first time there, not sure what to make of it, but poor sound quality and poor visuals didn't help people get involved in the show. read more

Terrible i bought tickets to see london grammar got there ans said it was 21+. Never mentioned that it was a 21+ venue and i was not allowed inside. Now im out the cost of the ticket and i drove 2 hours to get here. read more

Place is a joke. i first went to Underground Arts a couple years ago for the Billy Martin-Will Blades show and had a great time. I went back a few weeks ago for the Splintered Sunlight show. First my friends and I had to wait outside for 20 minutes in the freezing cold while the security guy gave every person an uber-aggressive pat down -- for a Dead cover band? -- then I go inside and order a beer and ask for a cup of water. The bartender says no, that she can't do it and immediately gets sarcastic saying that she can't create pipes that aren't there. I had heard that the Electric Factory had taken ownership of the place, and they don't do cups of water either, so it didn't surprise me. I didn't appreciate the sarcastic response, so I said to the bartender, "This is bogus, They do the same sh** at Electric Factory." I figured that was the end of it, but when I went back to order another beer about a half hour later, the other bartender fills up my beer, then says something to the first bartender and tells me, "You're done. She said you cussed her out. Told her to go f herself four times. " Mystified, I tell the guy that that's not at all true, but he wasn't having it. My buddy then goes up and orders a beer for me and asks the female bartender for a cup of water to take his medicine -- just to see what they would say -- and what do you know, somehow the pipes that she said she couldn't create magically appear and he gets a beer and a cup of water. I am someone who enjoys live music more than about anything else, but I will not be back to this place and will tell everyone i can about the experience. Underground Farts, I suggest you make some pipes appear and teach your staff how to treat people. read more