Ok, so I have just moved here and one of the first things I wanted to do was go to the Chestnut Cabaret. Of course it no longer exists...
SO who wants to fill me in. Details on its demise and what would be the best alternative to the venue that housed acts like the RAMONES, DEVO, PHISH,SONIC YOUTH, etc.
I saw a previous thread mentioning Brownies on 38th???
The web site (Brownies on 38th) doesnt look anything like I imagined the Chestnut Cabaret to be.

I saw the Ramones there, as well as the Screaming Trees at one point. It was a fairly cheesy bar, but it had a nice open floor to watch the show.

Personally, I think the great alternative rock venues in town are the Khyber Pass and the Trocadero. They were the places I found myself going to most often. I only saw 2 shows at the Chestnut Cabaret. But perhaps it had its day before I came to Philly (in 91).

I saw Albert Collins there (Ice Man). Right before he died too. He played right off the stage, and went out the door, and into the street, and played. Best show I have ever been to. R.I.P. poor man.

We used to go see David Bromberg there too, and so many shows I can't even think of them all right now.

It was a cool place. Dark. I thought laid out kind of weird. Good times. Sorry you missed it. Grendel's Lair used to be another cool place, and J.C. Dobb's.

I'd agree Khyber Pass you'd enjoy. Welcome to Philly.

The Khyber is a such a great place with good choice of brews, but check out what groups are going to be playing before you go. I have seen some real good ones and some that were pure garbage. I would say that the places that have most taken over for the Chestnut Cabaret are the Electric Factory or Grape Street.

The Chestunt Cabaret was the flagship of the local live music circuit in it's day. They had the 23 East Cab in Ardmore, the West Chester Cab and, I think, one called the Northeast Cab on Roosevelt Blvd.. There was a lot larger live music scene in the 80's than there is now so the Chestnut got some great acts. I saw the likes of the Ramones, the Replacements, NRBQ, Marshall Creshshaw and the B-52's (among others).

You guys are a little off on your recommendations of the Khyber and Grape St. The Chestnut Cabaret was a mid-sized room probably closer to the Troc and the Electric Factory than anything else.

And right next to Abner's Steaks - not even JC Dobb's had it that good.

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I remember right before the Chestnut Caberat closed my husband and I went to see Mary Black there it was August......and they had no air conditioning and wouldnt give anyone a refund...I thought I was going to die....the owners were going under and couldnt afford to putt he air on or fix it.......I went out of there like a drowned rat as there were no windows in the place either....who wants to drink in that atmosphere.

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Kevosh really there was one up in the Northeast?

Marshall Crenshaw AND the B-52's. Priceless.

Every time I was at the Chestnut Cabaret in the summer it was brutally hot. I think that's just the way the place was run.


And their ceiling fans were either hanging by wires, spinning off kilter, or not working.

What about the TLA (Theatre of the Living Arts) on South Street? You can get the best margarita around in the bar next door (The Copa) and then go see the show. Don't forget to walk across the street and stick your chewing gum on the gum tree first.

http://www.theateroflivingarts.net/

I'm not 100% sure but I think the Empire Rock Club joined with the Cabarets for a while. Someone from up that way would know better than I.

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Hooray for whatever this is ...