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World Cafe Live
Rating Details »
Category: Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: University City3025 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-1400
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
67 reviews for World Cafe Live
Visited here for the first time in years a couple weeks ago when my friend offered me a ticket to Califone. Decent beer choices and the menu looks promising; I had the eggplant fries and they're a bar snack I would definitely get again.
Decent venue but probably not my preferred place to see a show. (Whoever books for WCL seems to agree with me on that, since they mostly have performers that seem interesting but that I generally wouldn't seek out.)
This review is for the Victory Beer Dinner on 11/17/09.
I purchased tickets to this event on the recommendation of a friend who attended one of Victory's prior beer dinners. My friend and I arrived slightly before the start time and we were instructed to sit anywhere. The two tops were all taken so we nabbed a four top and prayed for no whammies. Luckily, the musician of the evening and his buddy asked to join us, so we were in good company.
The first course was crab and arugula, and I expected a salad with some crab meat on top. What we got was a bowl full of crab in a delicious lemon wine sauce, and a smattering of arugula in the center. It was a very promising start to the meal. The Helios Ale, which was introduced that night, was the perfect pairing. Actually, all of the beers were perfectly paired with their courses, to be honest.
Next up was prosciutto wrapped shrimp over jicama slaw. Total letdown. I was expecting the shrimp to be warm and the slaw to be room temp to cool, but everything was chilled and it made for a slimy texture. The sauces on top of the dish looked like tubes of ketchup and mustard (they were actually barbecue sauce and gouda aioli), and the overall effect was not appetizing. I focused on the beer during this round, Moonglow Weizenbock.
The third course was a very generous filet mignon with lobster mash and grilled asparagus. This hunk of meat was no joke, and I ate less than half to conserve some room for the final two courses. No complaints with this dish, which was served with Victory's Festbier.
There was a very timely break at this point, which gave our new musician friend some time to catch up on the courses that he missed while entertaining the crowd. The conversation was flowing in all directions; most likely do to the happy buzz from beers that ranged from 5.6% to 8.7% ABV.
For the fourth course: carmelized scallops and roasted sweet potatoes. This was easily my favorite of the night. I'm very choosy about scallops and tend to either love them or leave them, but these were right on the money. They were perfectly prepared and the yammies were surprisingly complimentary. Who knew?! Baltic Thunder was the pairing.
At this point, I was ready to haul ass straight to bed but there was still another round left. We were introduced to the brand new Yakima Twilight beer, which went along with a molten chocolate cake that was okay but dismissible.
Throughout the evening, service was fantastic and the event flowed seamlessly. The chef made appearances to talk about the menu and a very gracious Victory rep thanked the crowd for attending. I'd require little to no convincing to attend another event like this... although I will need some major cardio sessions to counteract the damage.
I went here a few weeks ago to see Son Volt. I entered from the street side/basement area so I saw the panoply of records that was put together as a display on the wall of the entranceway. Since I purchased my tickets last minute I had to go upstairs and pick them up. Once I managed that I had a chance to look around. The space is well decorated with radio and music paraphernalia. The upstairs lounge looked like it would be cool to hang out and catch a show.
I made my way downstairs to the main venue. The downstairs area was well decorated and tastefully lighted. After being in some real music dives(cough cough, Starlight, cough cough) it was nice to be somewhere that was clean. The bar was also very nice and had a nice wood top. I ended up just getting some water, since I was feeling a tad verklempt. The waitress didn't bat an eye and promptly served me water. I left a nice tip for her, which also helped me get water promptly the rest of the night. That's a good lesson to learn for the younger Yelpers. If you tip well initially, you'll get good service later on.
The sound was pretty good, though they did have some problems early on in the show balancing the instruments with the vocalist. Later on things improved and the rest of the show sounded good. The crowd was a good mix of ages, but everyone seemed to be there for the music, ie. No chatty posers. However that seemed to be confined to the back area where I was standing. I heard from some guys that were up closer to the stage that there were some "Gee I've heard of these guys, I'll go so I can say I went and saw Son Volt" type of people yakking away during the show.
The bathrooms were immaculate. That doesn't seem like a big deal until you've been to the the Starlight or other venues where they have Trainspotting type bathrooms.
The people running the show were very nice and helpful as to getting tickets, taking your tickets and directing you to where you need to go. No sulking, no sullen faces, no ignoring you, no combativeness or frisking.
In summary: Good music, good sound, good bar service, reasonably priced tickets. I'll be back.
I watched a live performance of Sondre Lerche in the standing room. If you ever try this venue, then you should plan to get a table for dinner. Standing for 3-4 hours is very tiring on your feet. Also, people squeezed on the stage is a bit annoying at times. Here is the typical pricing.
$25 for standing room
higher pricing for table + minimum $10 food/drink order
For this reason, I would have to discourage people from standing room. You have to get a larger group of people to make it worthwhile for a table. That's the downside of this venue since it really tries to sell the nightlife with the dining aspect. This is a music venue and should be such.
What a great venue! I went there last night for the first time to see Manic Street Preachers and aside from the band being amazing, I have to give a lot of credit to the venue itself for my overall great experience.
First of all, parking was free. How cool is that? There's a lot of construction going on in the area, so I was very thankful for the free lot because I think parking would have been hard to come by otherwise. I believe there are a few lots that are free for WCL guests, but we parked in Lot 1 -- at 3201 Walnut -- which is free after 5:30.
We had dinner before the show in the cafe upstairs. It was very cool. There was an interesting band playing, the food was good, the staff was polite, and they had some decent happy hour specials. Pretty awesome.
When we got downstairs for the show, we were seated at our own private table (we had bought tickets for a table, which were the same price as GA). You're supposed to spend $20 on drinks/food when you have a table seat, but they weren't pushy about it. We actually did spend that amount since we ate upstairs beforehand (which counts), but our waitress didn't know that because we didn't even bother showing her the receipt since she wasn't trying to push food or drinks on us. Some of us stayed at the table during the show and some of us went into the General Admission area...it's cool that they let you do that. The way the venue is set up, you can really see from wherever you are, which was a major plus for me since I'm short and normally have a hard time seeing.
It was definitely a venue unlike any other I've ever been to and I will definitely be keeping an eye on their concert calendar from now on.
Overall I'm going to have to drop World Cafe down a few notches. While I still get an uncanny amount of enjoyment out of it, and look forward to seeing Chairlift play Free At Noon on Friday, overall I just find the flow between upstairs and down to be a little too inconsistent.
It definitely brings in a good share of touring bands, and it has a good amount of love for the locals. But I just feel that there are times where it doesn't bring in enough diversity with what it brings in, touring or otherwise. And when you think about it for a place called "World Cafe", there isn't a whole lot of world music going on inside it on a monthly basis.
When a touring band plays downstairs ticket prices can border on the astronomical sometimes. Seeing a band like Devotchka there ran $35-40, and that's without the $4-9 processing fee (only $1 if you pay in cash at the box office), or the $10 minimum for food that you have to purchase for reserved seats. And when you look at it sitting at a dinner table towards the front of the stage can kind of suck when your trying to get into the vibe of a show! and the fact that they don't run World Cafe's awesome happy hour deal downstairs more than blows!
Monica summed up upstairs perfectly. The shows would be tolerable to get into if it wasn't talk city when the majority of the bands played. And the fact that the sound just isn't as good as it is downstairs doesn't help.
But as said above, many flaws up and down all around aside, World Cafe Live can still be a great and unique spot to go for music in Philadelphia. Or for just eggplant fries and a beer during happy hour. And maybe I'll see you at the free show on Friday (if you can manage to swing it at noon)!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/15/2007
World Cafe Live is a fun place to go to hands down. It always has a diverse line up of shows, and it… Read more »
My experience with WCL was amazing....but let me clarify....this was WCL downstairs. I saw one of my favorite bands in the downstairs venue and it was perfect. Since I'm a little older now....I was able to stand in the back & observe from afar...preserving my ear drums and my desire to not bang into other people.
They have an extensive selection of beers & pretty fast bartenders. It was the perfect setting for someone who's too old for the mosh pit...but still likes a live show.
Went with mi amigos, Chap and Toot, to see The Bodeans on 9/13. Didn't eat or anything we went to The New Deck Tavern prior to the show for chow and to tune up to see the band. As always, the staff at WCL were super friendly and really know how to put on a rock show! Our barkeep was real cute and made a mean Tequila Sunrise. The band? They merely burned the place down with a blistering set of what I guess you'd call "roots rock", but they are as tight as any band you'll ever see (the two leads have been together since high school) and trust me, if you go see them next time there in Philly, they will rock your world! you will definitely become a fan and never miss them when they hit town. A great show in a great venue!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/23/2009
Toot, Chap and I went here last night to see Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. We didn't eat or… Read more »
I went here for a concert, the downstairs. The place is cool. Very clean place but just okay beer selection (I don't remember seeing any PBRs). Not a big place so no matter where you were, you had a good view of the band. I also thought the ambiance was great.
I be willing to go back. I heard Monday nights for open mic nights are fun.
I went on a Wed. to the World Cafe for lunch and both my lunch partner and I ordered the Kung Pao chicken over rice, which was the daily $8 special.
The chicken is in bite-sized pieces and is blended with various vegetables. The rice is kept on the other half of the plate and there is a light topping of crunchy noodles. It was nicely put together. My only complaint is that the sauce used with the chicken and vegetables was a bit overwhelming (a little too much sweet and sour). But, it didn't stop me from nearly finishing everything.
One caveat: This is a reasonably/sensibly sized portion. They don't bring you out a huge plate of food, so if you're looking to get very full, don't order this item. If, however, you want a nice lunch that will do the trick, the portion size is perfect.
Anyone who has ever gone to World Cafe Live knows it has a rock 'n roll vibe. But, at lunch, it is much more calm and "normal" for meetings or casual lunches.
This review is specifically for the upstairs area, NOT WCL (downstairs).
I just can't get into it. Every time I've seen someone perform in the upstairs performance space, I'm disrupted by the chatty tables around me and I swear there's something amiss with the acoustics. I feel like the artists booked for the upstairs space lend themselves to intimate settings and I hate to say WCU(pstairs) doesn't make me feel like it's just me and the musician. That's the point of intimacy, right?
Don't be mistaken, all the World Café Live (downstairs) shows are terrific. In fact, I don't think there's a better venue out there to play. But alas, there's a lot left to be desired in the upstairs area. It won't keep me from seeing artists I like though; just wish there was a way to make them sound better. Also, the table that's off to the right of the stage is awful. Every group that sits there always feels entitled to personal banter with the musician. Good beer and food though.
I've seen shows both upstairs and downstairs. I'd give the downstairs a solid four stars and the upstairs about three stars. I don't know if it's the sound upstairs or maybe it's just that it can get noisy, but sometimes you have a hard time hearing the band. Overall, I'd give them three and a half. They always have good music and the servers are nice enough. Only downside is the food. I'm not a big fan of their food plus it's way overpriced. They have a parking lot on the lower level of Walnut and you should be able to find a spot easily on a weeknight, but it can be tough on a weekend. I usually end up circling around trying to get a meter spot on Walnut. But hey, it's better than most parking situations in the city.
Do not go here at 5pm. Here's what will happen (as it happened to me twice). You will be seated. Then you will sit and wait for 10, maybe 15 minutes before somebody stops and says, are you being helped? And you will recognize that they are the hostess that sat you and they have no desire to serve you. You will say that you haven't been served. Then they will say something about a change in shifts and that somebody will be here soon. Then, if you're stupid like me, you will sit for another 5-10 mins before you get up and leave.
Then you will go some night when a band you like is playing upstairs and you will sit there wishing that more than you and the other table of folks who must be having their "night on the town" and were too afraid to stray far from 30th St. Station were in the place because the band is losing energy playing to an empty room. And now you're so embarrassed for the band that you think that drinking more or ordering some mediocre food will compensate, even though you don't feel spirited enough to drink and you aren't even hungry because you had a pastrami sandwich before you left so you wouldn't have to pay for such a less-than-appealing meal.
nice venue for live music, drinks and food. i dont know how their food tastes because i didnt eat but there are two levels, plenty of space and very artistic atmosphere. i enjoyed my night there.
UNFORTUNATELY my night was made worse by the parking situation. wow. philly is really trying to nickel and dime it's way out of a budget crisis!? 12am meters?! that within itself will keep me from frequenting this spot.
Do better PPA!!!
I frequent World Cafe Live, both upstairs and downstairs, often. They usually have great music. The sound is better downstairs, but that's to be expected, since that's where the bigger acts play. The ambience is nice. The servers are pretty attentive for a music venue; I have yet to have a truly bad experience with the waitstaff.
Their beer selection is all right. They have a rotating Victory tap and usually a Dogfish Head tap, so I'm pretty happy. They even had Hop Wallop on tap, which is a fine, fine beer. The beer prices are pretty standard for Philly. However, the fancy drinks are pretty ridiculously priced. I once got a Strawberry Shortcake drink, and although it was delicious, it wasn't quite worth $10. Also, the well drinks are $7 or thereabouts, which is pretty outlandish. I think they use middle-shelf liquor, at least, and not Vladimir or Banker's Club. The food is okay, but a little expensive for what they offer. The veggie chili was okay, if maybe a little thick. But $8 for a grilled cheese seems like highway robbery to me. I know I'll be back here, but probably just for beer and music.
Half-decent food, but a fantastic music venue. We went to see Jann Klose and Elliott Smith upstairs on 12/17/08 -- ordered the Rainbow Trout and Grilled Sesame Tofu. We liked the Grilled Tofu [tasted like BBQ teriyaki] which came with soba noodles. The fish, however, was forgettable; unsavory breading masked the dry fish within. Both entrees were not a price/quality bargain.
WCL's blend of tasteful decor and lucid acoustics commands 5 stars. All the seats upstairs allow for an intimate connection with the artist's music. Alas, the food [price and taste] is the star-stealing culprit.
Good venue for a night out, listening to whatever artist WCL brings in - one of the best things is just showing up and being 'surprised'...just check out a new band. One of the best 'surprises' was a few years ago when a then unknown, Jamie Cullum, was performing - knocked our socks off! Couple months later Twenty-something is in heavy rotation in the U.S. Pretty good accoustics in the downstairs venue, but I find the upstairs venue too noisy at times, as not everyone is sitting there listening to the artists, but chatting away...nothing wrong w/it but still distracting if you are enjoying the music. Food good, nothing that 'wows' you, but good. Only downside is the parking - walking blocks and blocks to find a spot in the middle of a cold, winter night isn't pleasant, but hey, it's a night out!
This place is beautiful. It's a little more pretentious than my much-missed Grape Street, but I'm glad to have been able to see so many great acts here. The entire layout is pretty much perfect.
The upstairs area is great to catch your more folksy or acoustic favorites and grab a bite to eat. I've never had anything bad off of their menu, except the coffee. skip it. trust me. no really. the drinks tend to be a little pricey, but i guess you're paying for the atmosphere.
downstairs is one of the best places i've ever been to see live music. the ambience is perfect and the sound has always been pristine. i was really looking forward to catching dallas green there most recently, but his show got moved to the troc. bummer! i absolutely love the community tables and the option to sit in the mezz. it's even better because it's an all-ages venue. i know plenty of local acts that really get to enjoy this aspect of WCL. The stage itself is monstrous, but somehow a solo act, like Matt Duke, manages to keep from getting lost on it. It's a sizeable venue that manages to retain an intimate setting.
caveat: (because i'm a perfectionist and feel like it has to be said) the world cafe MAY be a little too pretentious for you. if you're looking for a place to catch a good band in a "chill" atmosphere, you may not dig the downstairs. in my opinion the crowd tends to run in the "trying a little too hard" vein. but i'm sure they're all good people underneath their *trendy trendy, check out my fendi* exteriors. :D
I really enjoy this venue... almost everything.
do the owners realize they are alienating a lot of music lovers by placing a mandatory food purchase on top of the already high ticket prices?
i have skipped a few shows for this reason.
time to abort this idea!
how wants to watch and listen to a band and hear noisy eaters?
and why would a band give their all, knowing they are being upstaged by mediocre food?
blows my mind!
I've only been here for Jazz and a few company-related events.
There's some food, but I've never arrived early enough to want to eat here, and haven't ever had to order food, only drinks. Mostly here due to the music, Jazz bands to indie rock and local artists, and it was quite interesting to check out the decor (modern renovation from a really old set of offices back in 2003 or thereabouts).
Ok. So, I went to Open Mic Night last night. I accept the fact that I can't accurately rate the entertainment, as it's open mic and the acts change from week to week. So I won't let that effect the star-age too much. The featured group was awesome. Fantastic even. The other acts were entertaining to say the least and you get a good mix of styles which is pretty awesome.
Here's the deal with this place as it relates more to the number of stars given... the atmosphere was a nice change of pace. It's pretty cozy but very dark, so if you're like me and like to kind of "inspect" your food before you eat it: good luck. It's also, of course, one of those places where you have to be very careful about talking. You may end up being that person where you're yelling so your friends can hear you and then suddenly, the music stops and you're still yelling.... not that I was that person or anything.... haha
All of that is good and fine. What is not fine and is the reason for the deduction of stars is the food. I ordered the cheese tortellini and it was delicious, don't get me wrong. But after having my fill, I thought I was going to explode. And I don't mean that "I'm so full I think I might explode." I'm talking just plain "I think I might explode" (my apologies for being gross, but you should know, vomit was quickly becoming a threat). Afterwards, I was so nauseous I actually had to leave early. not cool, World Cafe. NOT COOL. The others in my group ordered quesadillas and the eggplant fries and I'm pretty sure no one else was suffering the stomach uneasiness that I was. Maybe I just have bad luck....?
Overall, I think this place would be totally rad if you're there to see a group that you're already a fan of. Nice and intimate. Open Mic was definitely impressive. I'll admit I was surprised at the amount of talent brought in here, as all of my other adventures to open mic nights in the past haven't always been so pleasant. Everyone (staff, performers and other attendees) were so friendly too and it was a pretty diverse group of people all coming together, which I love.
So, all that being said, I think I will go back, but I'll be honest here, I will definitely eat before hand. The food was delicious and all, but not worth the nausea.
Visiting from out-of-town, my treat was Mother's Day brunch at WCU. We arrived near the end but did not experience the 'we're out of that' one frequently finds. Coffee and food were good & nicely presented. The BEST part was the band - LP Stiles Trio (great jazz). They sounded very good in the space and actually played at a volume appropriate to the venue - loud enough to be lively but not enough to drown out conversation. You in PHilly are privileged - go hear them online at http://www.myspace.com... or live at the Rusty Nail in Ardmore PA 6/27. We bought the CD and are still delighted with it a month later. These guys have got the groove!
i am fairly behind in writing this review, so forgive me.
came here for the victory beer dinner on the 15th the last day of beer week in philly. this event took place in the upstairs part which was set with tables encouraging you to sit family style.
as soon as we walked in we were greeted by Victory's co-owner, Bill, who was pouring their brand spanking new offering: triple ring ale.
A+ right there.
(just a quick run-down of the tasting menu: prima pils and smoked cheddar bisque; golden monkey and arugula salad w/ roasted pear and candied pecans; hop wollop and a really lovely, stinky aged cheese; baltic thunder and pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with rosti and brussels sprouts; and finally v-twelve with an apricot and caramel bread pudding)
the craig thomas quartet played great jazz throughout the night, which really kept things laid-back and lively at the same time. the acoustics were great, the vibe was friendly and i can't wait to get back to catch some of the great acts that play here. the food and drink were phenomenal and it was a great deal - look for this during next year's beer week.
i think the event perfectly fit the venue and vice versa.
This was the venue for an after party for a conference. It was fantastic. Great craft beer selections, including victory, breckenridge, chimay, dogfish head and others, on tap or in bottles. I had some sweet potato fries that were delicious. Then, the music started. I happened to catch Rubblebucket Orchestra with Agent Moosehead and it was one of the best live shows I've ever seen, hands down, for only $10. It was amazing, fun, clean, and the service was impeccable. I will be back.
I've seen some amazing live shows here (including their "Peanut Butter and Jams" kids concert series...don't laugh...I may be a mom but I can still bust you up if I have to :) and last night I had the chance to dine here for the first time.
I attended the "Wines of the French Mediterranean" dinner and goodness me - I'm still full the next day. It was seven courses of pure, unadulterated gluttony that included pairings of some spectacular wine with great dishes like grilled farm raised chicken breast, PEI mussels, a gorgeous cheese plate and, to wrap it all up, pears in puff pastry served with lavender creme. W.O.W.
We were also treated to a lecture by wine expert Joseph Brandolo about each specific wine, where they came from and why they pair perfectly with each dish. So it was culinary edu-tainment at its best.
Service was great and of course, it's gorgeous inside. They do wine/food pairings each month, so I'll be back for next month's BBQ dinner for sure. (Can you think of a cooler combination?)
A great place to see a show (downstairs at any rate.) We got great seats for Black47 and had dinner there pre-show. The food was Irish themed (for Black47 and it was March 16!!!)
I thought my "boiled" dinner of corned beef and cabage was good.
The rest of the menu was typical bar food. Not great - but not inedible as others have said.
The show itself was great and we had a balcony front row sofa to sit on - and beer to drink.
No problems for me.
I've been here a few times now - once downstairs and three times upstairs. I have been going to check out the open mic on Monday nights @ 7:30pm. I still have mixed feelings about this place because the food isn't bad at all, but I have been receiving mixed service treatment.
I enjoy the food and atmosphere at WCL. So far I've had the WCL burger which was tasty, but I like mine with a bit more pepper and if possible, it could be juicier. I know order fries is just asking for greasy food, but the eggplant fries were a bit crispy and greasy for my liking - nice horseradish dipping sauce though. The price of drinks aren't bad either.. $3 pints on Monday nights, I choose the draft over the $10 cocktails any day.
As for the service, when it wasn't busy it was hard to get the waitress' attention and she forgot an order for my table. But when it was busy, they were able to remember all of our requests. Two of the times I've been there, I had to request some silverware after my food had been served. I might just be anal, but one last thing is I observed is one of waiters was cleaning the table and had sprayed cleaning solution on it while there was a silverware set on the table. Needless to say, it got all over the set and that's something the next person was going to use.
I would still return because I enjoy the atmosphere and it's a nice place to grab some dinner with some friends.
I've seen one show downstairs here and it was a nice atmosphere. Though the concept of dinner during a show was new to me, I'm now a fan because it caters perfectly to my inner sloth, glutton, alky and music fan all at once. Beautiful!
The upstairs however merits its own separate star rating, I'd give it 3. As someone mentioned they've got this weird Central Perk decor going on, it resembles some dorm living rooms I've seen. Also, the open mic is kinda crap (as are most) and the patrons are your typical UC monstrosities. However the older punk rock bartender lady is really nice and funny, and they have nice beer selections on tap. But if it's food you want, go downstairs, whatever the hell they did to the hot wings on the way upstairs just completely wrecked them into a mess of burnt, unflavored chicken parts.
I had a memorable experience here about a year ago. I came to perform at the well-known Monday night open mic. I got there early (around 5:30) and the line was already most of the way around the lobby. This ended up meaning that I didn't get to play until around 11:00. So what do you do when you're at a bar waiting for several hours... you start offering the other customers table dances (when the manager asked me to leave I promised I'd stop). *ok that's enough for the made-up part.
But for real I drank myself a little silly and mingled with some cool people while I got to hear some better, and some not-so-better performances. By the time I got on stage I had gotten buzzed enough that I couldn't remember the words to the songs. So after fumbling around with my guitar I just smiled and made my way off stage.
The atmosphere was great and its awesome that a place with a reputation like theirs still does an open mic.
I absolutely love the World Cafe. I've been there three times to date--twice in 2006 for two consecutive shows; Ben Jelen (with the Alternate Routes as his opener) and Will Hoge (with The Trews as his opener), and once in 2008 to see Ben Jelen (with Standard of Living as his opener). The two times I saw Ben Jelen, he performed upstairs and that is my favorite part of the venue as it is the most intimate performance setting. When I saw Will Hoge, he performed downstairs and my friends and I rocked the front row for that performance.
I have never made it to a Free at Noon show, but my dad has gone (to see Hanson...oh how jealous I was even though I had a meet and greet pass to their show at the Troc later that evening...I had no choice but to go to school that day and not see Hanson's free at noon show. However, Taylor was happy to hear during the meet and greet that my dad had attended the noon performance).
World Cafe also has great food, drinks, and desserts, so if you're attending a show upstairs, make sure to get there early enough to get a table close enough to the stage! There are also tables downstairs but I am not sure if they always have seating for downstairs shows. Regardless, I will definitely be returning to World Cafe Live and hope to perform at one of their weekly open mics sometime in the near future.
I enjoy going to shows here but am continually annoyed by the decor. When it opened, I was blown away by how badly it looked inspired by the set of "Friends" and other mid-90s themes. Basically, if my mom was asked to design a concert venue for XPN it would look like this.
Other than that, they bring great acts and the shows I've seen (Josh Ritter, Greg Brown, Rhett Miller, and others) have always sounded great.
The Music Cooks, The Food Rocks!!! WCL is a great place to catch a show or a quick bite.
There are 2 venues in the building, Upstairs Live (Walnut St. Street Level) Bar and Grill type atmosphere, great for up and coming artists and acoustic performances.
Downstairs Live (31st Lower Level) is the main venue. This is an awesome place to see a show, there is no bad seat in the house and the acoustics's in the room are out of this world. No matter where you are in the room you are no more than 70 feet from the stage, with clear sight lines from every angle. Trust me see a show down there and you will be amazed. Doors open early if you wanna catch some grub from the kitchen. The menu is fairly simple and has daily and weekly specials, prices are about average in terms of restaurants.
I just saw Apples in Stereo here. I thought the venue was really nice, the atmosphere was definitely laid back for those who want to relax and enjoy the show, or high intensity for those who want to get up and dance. The acoustics were better than most other venues. The food was sort of expensive, but I liked the option of being able to sit down and eat at a venue. And the portions were more than I expected too.
But it just didn't do it for me. This is the first time I've been here because not many big artists do play here. And looking at the list of upcoming bands, I probably won't be back for a while. The venue is great, but the lineups that they have are much more diverse in musical genre than what fits me. I know whatever R5 offers I will enjoy, since I am into the indie music scene. But I won't be sure about what the World Cafe offers...
I like it here a lot for shows. My experience here was for the Sunday day of the Popped! music festival, so the entire place was open and shows were going on both up and down stairs. The downstairs room is HUGE, the stage is HUGE and the sound is GREAT. They have a nice big bar to get a drink and tables to sit at if you don't feel like standing up front. Unfortunately, they also have nice big prices for their beers. My normally cheap lager was $5! That's a killer.
Upstairs has more tables and a smaller show space than downstairs with a more moderately-sized stage (comparable to the M Room). The sound was still pretty good up there. The last band even had video projected on a screen behind them which added a bit to the ambience. Everyone got up and danced...since that's what people do to dance music.
At a point, I got hungry and had to cave and get food even though it was a little pricey. It was fairly worth it though. I got the WCL Grilled Chicken sandwich (chicken, prov. cheese, roasted peppers, spinach and pesto mayo). It was one of the most delicious chicken sandwiches I've ever had and completely satisfying with delish fries (you have the option of getting a salad instead but I wanted to be bad) for a little over $10.
Overall, I would totally go back for the right show since the space is so nice, but I would hesitate to book there because I would feel bad forcing my audience to pay that much for food and drink.
I was here about 2 years ago to hear Duncan Sheik (who knew he still had a career!) and I also was introduced to the wonderful Vienna Teng at that show. The downstairs venue is the intimate area with good acoustics and delicious eggplant fries. I was there by myself so I got to share my table (just a warning to the anti-social folks out there).
I kept meaning to go back but just really never got there....
Oh yeah, I had also gone to some kind of networking event there when I was in grad school - wasn't too impressed with that, but it was more due to the lame-ness of the event...
I am right there with Andy S. Great in theory, not great in execution.
I went to a Sunday brunch + music thing they did last summer. The food was decent and the music act was average. It was definitely cramped.
They get so-so acts with an occasional up-and-coming indie or folk act that I really enjoy.
I think the costs tend to be a bit high for some of the better acts, but not super terrible.
I haven't been to a concert at World Cafe Live for a while, though that has nothing to do with the venue. The two I have been to, Nouvelle Vague downstairs and KT Tunstall upstairs, were both good shows. I think on the balance of it, I prefer the vibe of the upstairs venue especially when they have it as all seating downstairs. That seems to just take away from any atmosphere.
I would love to go more but in all honesty, they just don't host that many artists that I want to go and see. Maybe that says something about my taste (and its diversity) in music but I don't think so, I'm into some pretty varied stuff.
In terms of the place as a restaurant/bar, I am not really sold. The happy hour drinks deals are good and there are often one or two interesting beers on tap. The food just isn't anything to write home about. On my visits, I haven't had any dish which made me go wow and I still fail to understand why people go mad about the eggplant fries, I thought they were pretty awful. I have heard they have had problems keeping chefs, which may be making things difficult.
Still, it's a good place to see a show if something is on.
I have mixed feelings about this place...while I love it in theory, in practice, its a bit so-so.
I love the diversity in music it brings in, and I love that is (ostensibly) a "music lovers paradise". But, with all that comes a somewhat standoffish staff, prices (for everything) that range from high to really high, and a general feeling of "we will tolerate your presence for as long as we need to and not a second longer". I can't point to any one particular example, but its a vibe thing. I guess my feelings for the venue somewhat mirror my feelings for WXPN...cool, but not nearly as cool as they would like you think.
All that aside, the main room is a great place to see a show, and the sound and sightlines are generally excellent. As others said, take care of your eating/drinking needs beforehand, and you'll have a much better time.
I'm a huge fan of downstairs shows - never caught one upstairs. With that said, the 3 or 4 shows I've been to downstairs were an incredible time. I love the set-up of the place, the bathrooms are clean (HUGE plus for a music venue!) and the staff is friendly. The security guard at one particular show even kept an eye out for me to have a good spot for sight-lines, as I'm a staggering 5'2 and couldn't see a thing. I thought that was cute!
Never tried any food, but the eggplant fries sound delicious.
They get some very interesting acts as well... I've seen shows ranging from Balkan Beat Box to Lee Perry. Definitely worth checking out.
Oh - and free parking!
i like this place. it's fun, young, good food and service.
