CHRISTOPHER FASTIGGI ’18
An inside look at one of Philly’s coolest concert venues
On a random Tuesday night near Chestnut Street, hundreds of music aficionados tightly pack into a hot basement. They are here to see veteran punk act Jeff Rosenstock take the stage in the basement at the First Unitarian Church.
With supporting acts such as Teenage Bigfoot, Hard Girls, and Katie Ellen, fans sing and slam-dance the night away until the 11 p.m. curfew hits. The sweaty hundreds emerge from the basement as a gust of fresh air whips them in the face. People compete for cabs while others reflect on their time at the Philadelphia underground venue—the end of a typical Tuesday of music in a church basement.
The First Unitarian Church is one of Philadelphia’s most iconic music venues. It has grown into a cult following for the indie and punk rock shows that take place in the basement. The First Unitarian Church has hosted now popular and global rock acts such as Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, and Philadelphia’s own The Wonder Years.
According to the R5 Productions website, the Church was founded in 1996 by R5 Productions Promotion Agency. The venue follows a strict “do-it-yourself ” attitude that allows for cheap shows for all ages. The staff is overly friendly, offering dollar waters in a basement with broken air-conditioning and slow-moving fans.
Brenden Hubbard has been working at the First Unitarian for almost eight years. “Seeing old friends and people I do not get to see all the time is why I stay here. There is a real sense of community,” Hubbard said. “There’s not many rules here, but we stick together. Everyone knows what to do here, compared to other venues, which allows for a chill environment.”
Not only does the staff enjoy the environment at the Church, but the performers look forward to their tour stop in Philadelphia in order to visit the venue. Tiffany Tavella is the lead singer in growing Philadelphia punk band Teenage Bigfoot. She is very excited this specific night, as it is her band’s first time playing at the First Unitarian.
“I was freaking out in the car on the way here. ‘We’re playing [in] the Church!’ I screamed,” Tavella said. After growing up in Philadelphia, Tavella has been to many shows at the Church and believes that the D.I.Y. vibe makes it special.
“The people who keep this place alive are people who still care about our scene. It makes it that much more special playing on the performer side now,” Tavella said.
Not only is The First Unitarian Church the home to many Philadelphia music fans, it is also home to a group of Saint Joseph’s University music fans.
Michael Farrell, ’19, has been attending these shows in Philadelphia for the past three years. He has been to the First Unitarian Church three times in his two years at Saint Joseph’s University.
“In high school, I would look at the shows on Youtube and it looked crazy to me, so I could not wait to get there when I got to St. Joe’s,” Farrell said. Farrell can attest first-hand to the crazy crowd atmosphere at the First Unitarian Church, as he is a regular attendee.
“There is not a lot of adult supervision, so you can kind of do whatever you want. I remember the first show I went to there I saw The Hotelier and I was up in the front,” Farrell said. “I was not expecting the crowd to be so aggressive, so me and my buddies in the front got absolutely crushed, but it was a great time.”
For over 20 years the Church has been putting on memorable indie rock shows in Philadelphia. Whether it is the band you saw play, the cuts you got dancing, or the booze you snuck in, everybody has a memorable story from seeing shows in the legendary First Unitarian Church basement.
