If you like music, your next favorite band will have played at Johnny Brenda’s within the past 8 months – I all but guarantee it.  This may sound audacious, but try it: look at the lineup of talented musicians and bands that have come through in the past year, and try not to be impressed or have the, “I wish I had known” feeling.

Located on the corner of Frankford and Gerard streets in the now famous Fishtown district of Philly, J.B.’s is in the center of an Indy Rock renaissance. Although the downstairs portion is a fantastic bar featuring a perfect draft selection and great food, the real magic of J.B.s is its upstairs venue.

The stage is in the back corner of the room, but the balcony that wraps halfway around the room makes up for its awkward placement.  There is a huge bar on the same floor as the stage, but if you’re an elitist like me and can’t stand watching music from beneath stage level, it is a godsend that there is also a bar on the balcony.

Since the demise of the mid-sized venues on South Street (until a recent revival of JC Dobbs), Philadelphia was not considered for national acts touring mid-sized venues. And then…BAM! Brenda’s came in (seemingly) out of nowhere, gave bands a fantastic room (the sound systems and acoustics of the room are first class), and made Philly a magnet for about-to-break bands playing on the east coast.