Music

2012 Street Fairs and Fests!

2012 Street Fairs and Fests!

It’s here! Cheap Date Philadelphia’s extremely handy and quite dandy list of Street Fairs and Fests for summer 2012! As you well know, Cheap Dater is a huge fan of festivals. It gets you outside, there’s lots to see, hear, and talk about, and there’s always plenty of cheap eats and treats. Good for a first date, a friend date or a group date – a win, win, win! Check back often for updates, share with your friends, and let cheapdatephiladelphia@gmail.com know if there’s a festival that should be added! Happy Festing! MAY 26-MAY 27: Sundrop Music and Arts Festival. Live Music all day at the Fire, 412 W. Girard(1-8pm). MAY 28: Memorial Dei Picnic and Music Fest at Old Swede’s Church (noon-6pm – $10 entry). MAY 31-JUNE 3: Greek Festival at St. George’s Cathedral. Enjoy homemade Souvlaki, gyro, mousaka, pastitsio, spanakopita, baklava, play Coach Bag Bingo, listen to Greek music, learn…

Read more »

Introducing: Top 5’s! My top picks for cheap fun in Philadelphia.

Introducing: Top 5’s! My top picks for cheap fun in Philadelphia.

First up: Top 5 spots for FREE live music!* The Curtis Institute. Talented young musicians perform solo and chamber pieces nearly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during recital season at Field Concert Hall in Rittenhouse Square. Fiume. This tiny West Philly hot spot hosts a blue grass night every Thursday featuring the band City-Wide Specials. Bob and Barbara’s. Every Friday and Saturday, from 9:30 to close, veteran jazz musicians, The Crowd Pleasers, bring down the house. The Kimmel Center. Their “Free at the Kimmel” series features a wide variety of musical acts, with most events taking place Saturday or Sunday afternoons. World Cafe Live. Every Friday afternoon at noon, you can get up close and personal with bands big and small, local and national. A great segue to a lunch date, or skip lunch and enjoy a naughty mid-day drink at the bar! *Top 5′s are listed in no particular order…

Read more »

BYO Is the Way to Go! Second Friday Jazz at Moonstone Arts

BYO Is the Way to Go! Second Friday Jazz at Moonstone Arts

Hello readers and friends. Some of you might have noticed that I haven’t been as diligent about bringing you new cheap date ideas quite as often over the last several weeks. I wanted to assure you that there’s a lot more coming your way soon so keep checking back! And once a month look for my column at Drink Philly about a boozy cheap date. This month I wrote about BYO Second Fridays at Moonstone Art Center featuring eclectic and excellent Jazz performances curated by Lucky Old Souls. Read the full review here! Thank you for your continued readership and support! XOXO, J.S. Cheapdater

Read more »

Find Lights, Music & Action at Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s

Wye Oak

Going to see a band play can make for a great date. It can also make for a very expensive date, depending on the venue and the band. There are times when it’s fun to splurge on $50+ tickets to see a band you love (Phoenix at the Tower last year, anyone?) but that’s certainly not a cheap date. So where can you see consistently good bands at affordable prices that also has a decent date atmosphere? My go-to venue is Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s. How cheap we talkin’? Look for a show that’s $10-$12 at the door. True, that won’t leave much leftover for eating or drinking, but there’s always at least the $3 Kenzingers. Why this will impress your date: Show off your good taste by introducing your date to a new band that you think they will love. That’s what happened on this date, and I was definitely impressed.…

Read more »

Weekend Jazz Nights at Bob & Barbara’s

Weekend Jazz Nights at Bob & Barbara’s

Bob & Barbara’s, located at 1509 South Street, is not only a classic dive bar, but practically a Philadelphia historic landmark. If you haven’t been there yet, chances are you’ve at least heard of it, and if you’re the one introducing your date to Bob and Barbara’s for the first time, it’s going to be a date to remember. With walls heavy with vintage Pabst’s Blue Ribbon beer paraphernalia, a rowdy bar, and a venerable jazz tradition going back over twenty years, weekends at Bob and Barbara’s may feel more like a rite of passage than a date.  For example, a PBR pounder and shot of Jim Bean might not be the classiest of choices on most dates, but at Bob and Barbara’s it’s just what you order – every time.  It’s also a great spot for a group date, as my cohort discovered on a recent Friday night. How cheap we talkin’: Entry is FREE!…

Read more »

I’m Seeing Other Blogs #1: PhilaDate Takes Me Busker-Hunting

I’m Seeing Other Blogs #1: PhilaDate Takes Me Busker-Hunting

Meg Mirzoff is a 27 year old “self proclaimed dating pro” and the author ofPhilaDate, a relatively new (October 2010) blog that highlights fun date spots culled from Meg’s own extensive experience with both dating and Philadelphia. A lifelong area resident, her twitter profile quips positively that “Philly is a hotbed for the singles… you just gotta put yourself out there!” And that is exactly what Meg did when she agreed to meet me for a blind date after I pitched my I’m Seeing Other Blogs idea to her via email. My Date’s stats  Blog: PhilaDate — Hot Spots for Great Dates in Illadel! Age: Started blogging in October 2010. Likes: Walking the city, singing, jazz and blues, and being the go-to source for her friends (especially her guy friends) for date ideas sure to impress the ladies. Dislikes: Negative Feedback. (Who doesn’t?) Little Known Fact: Also writes Songs That Won’t Make…

Read more »