Bowl, rap and rock out at the new Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia in Fishtown

Crowds of all ages love attending live concerts, especially now, after being quarantined during a global pandemic.

Most people also love bowling. And just about everyone enjoys dining.

The prescient Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg knew all this as far back as 2009, crafting an industrial-looking bowling alley-concert venue out of an old iron works factory, with deep green elements in its architecture, and within 5 years, made it into one of the most noted, best music clubs in the nation.

After adding BB locations in Las Vegas and Nashville since that time, Brooklyn Bowl and Live Nation have now teamed up for Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia in Fishtown. The 1,000-person-capacity room—a next-door neighbor to Fillmore Philadelphia and Punch Line Philly – will open on Nov. 4 with tickets for that first night, and all other upcoming, initial live shows at BBP (30+ at present) go on sale this Friday, Sept. 24 at noon at www.brooklynbowl.com/philadelphia.

Appropriately enough for both Brooklyn Bowl and Philadelphia, the opening salvo will include Bowlive, the Williamsburg outpost’s beloved house band, Soulive with legendary bassist George Porter Jr. from The Meters, as well as Philly’s own Questlove from The Roots and ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ spinning a late night “Bowl Train: Hometown Philly Edition” on Nov. 4.

“As part of Live Nation’s ongoing commitment to the City of Philadelphia and the revitalization of iconic Fishtown, we are excited to partner with Peter Shapiro and bring the Brooklyn Bowl to Philadelphia,” wrote Geoff Gordon, the Regional President of Live Nation, and the man behind spaces such as The Met Philadelphia and events like Made in America. “The Brooklyn Bowl completes a full-campus entertainment district in Fishtown with the Fillmore, Foundry, Punch Line Philly, Philadelphia Distilling, and the new Other Half Brewery. We look forward to the great shows, artists, and performers coming to Brooklyn Bowl Philly and can’t wait for the shows to begin.”

Adding to Gordon’s statement, Brooklyn Bowl co-founders Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan were quick to give it up for Philly pride and pandemic-based entertainment.

“Philadelphia has given us so many of the greatest names in rock, soul, funk, jazz, and hip hop. That deep history, along with Live Nation’s success and contributions in the Fishtown neighborhood made us excited to partner with Geoff Gordon and his Live Nation team in bringing Brooklyn Bowl to Philadelphia,” says Shapiro.

“With each Brooklyn Bowl venue, we’re excited to see our audiences take in the experience,” adds Co-Founder Charley Ryan. “Now that we can gather again, it’s particularly meaningful. With great music, bowling, bars, and food, the Bowl provides the unforgettable social connections you look for in an evening out.”

While Brooklyn Bowl often is beloved for its commitment to Dead Heads and jam fans—Nov. 11’s Antibalas showcase and its Nov. 14: The Rock and Roll Playhouse Plays Music of The Grateful Dead for Kids & More ft. Steal Your Peach event is living proof in Philly—the local BBP will offer an impressive lineup. Shows include everything from live hip hop (Nov. 27’s show with rapper and podcaster Talib Kweli), folk-funk (soulful singer and songwriter Yola on Feb. 16), New Orleans’ based jazz-soul (Dirty Dozen Brass Band in March 2022), and pop-oriented DJ nights dedicated to Taylor Swift, One Direction and Jonas Brothers.