Venue Spotlight - UNION TRANSFER (Philadelphia, PA)

Those of us who've been in Philadelphia long enough probably know this venue better as 'The Spaghetti Warehouse', but with all of the musical growth this Philly's been seeing The Union Transfer is a more than welcome addition to the venues of the city. From the days when we had basically just the TLA and Electric Factory, we've grown to have multiple clubs and enough attention-worthy venues to have nights where there are legitimate big name acts conflicting with one another (like 2/18/12 or 2/23/12)! Admittedly, the Union Transfer transfer is hardly "breaking news", but after a great few experiences there its really proven itself to be an exceptionally well run venue, and in addition to being one of the more physically attractive spaces in the city they've been managing to land some very impressive talents from across many different genres. With and interior slightly reminiscent of the nearby Trocadero  (albeit significantly less worn in), the Union Transfer boasts great acoustics, an awesome sound system, super high ceilings, and one of my favorite balcony spaces in Philadelphia!

As with many non-club venues in town, drinks seem to hover around 5-7 dollars and barring the occasional super-wasted couple getting in to a shouting match (which you may have seen this past weekend at Zed's Dead) the service is pretty quick and the drinks are very well made! The security and coat check staff are all great (or at least have been all 3 times I've been there), and the box office line varies in speed depending on the night. When its a smaller show or a slower night like a Tuesday or Wednesday the place can feel a little extra empty due to its impressively large interior, but on Zeds Dead-esque nights it gets as crazy as anywhere else in Philly (if not more so)!

Some notable upcoming acts (as of early March, 2012) include Skream & Benga, as well as Feed Me and M83. Check out The Union Transfer on Facebook & Twitter, as well as the Philadelphia Dance Music Collective's full album and videos from the Zeds Dead performance of March 9, 2012.

Union Transfer Website: http://www.utphilly.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/xAauwC
Twitter: http://bit.ly/xwpJI9