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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tower Theater in Philadelphia Info

If the info here is useful to you,  please take a minute to  sign this petition  so children with food allergies can travel safer. It would be greatly appreciated - thanks!!

* Where to buy tickets
* Seating chart 1
* Seating charts 2
* Seating chart 3
* The pit area
* Great pics inside the Tower
* More pics inside: different views of the stage from different seats
* Convenient Hotels
* Tower's Street + parking
* My visit to the Tower
* Aerial image
* Restaurants
* After the concert...
* Things to do while in Philly: a walk across the Benjamin Franklin bridge & the best ice cream!

Note: For questions on venues, pls don't e-mail me but write your question in the comments section of the post. That way it's useful to everyone. Also pls check first whether the info you're looking for is already in the blog (do a search in the search box above selecting this blog). Thnx!
Labels: Tower Theater Philadelphia info, Tower Theater Philadelphia venue, "Tower Theater Philadelphia seating chart", Tower Theater Philadelphia pit area, Tower Theater Philadelphia images, Tower Theater Philadelphia pics, Tower Theater Philadelphia photos,balcony seats, pit seats, Most complete info on the Tower Theater.

79 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw a concert at Tower last night. I am a big fan of the group (Dream Theater) and saw them also 2 weeks ago in Baltimore. I had "pit" seats and I was seated along the main aisle in the center. The weather was around 77 deg. outside- it was not hot out. By the end of the second song, every member of the band was soaked with sweat and the temperature inside was at least 90 degrees. It only got worse after that. The singer was so sopped in sweat, it looked like he pissed himself by the end of the 4th song. NO AIR MOVING AT ALL. Also, the aisleway became a general admission area and nobody was watching the area for "insurgents". If there was a working HVAC system in the Tower, I suppose we would have not only had a better concert experience- the band was obviously affected- but we would have heard more songs as was the case in Baltimore. Bottom line- Tower sucks!- they should not have any more concerts until they get an HVAC system that can handle it and they should invest in ushers that do their jobs during the show- not like mohawk guy that disappeared after the 1st song. No, the Tower is NOT a good place to see a concert! Very bad experience and I will not be back-

infotaupe said...

Hi there, “mixed emotions” about your comment. I’m really happy that someone has finally added feedback, but of course I’m sorry that you had such a bad experience. I hope I didn’t raise false expectations on the venue (otherwise sorry), I should have insisted that “My visit to the Tower” was my personal experience and it seems rules are quite different depending on the day. One thing that was the same though was the heat, I hope that one of these days they get around to fixing the a/c. So about the aisleway thing, we’ll have to conclude that unfortunately there’s no way of knowing which way it’s going to go until you’re actually there, shouldn’t be like that. It’s a pity because the Tower could be a great venue, it felt quite magical to me when I went there.

Anonymous said...

I've never blogged before so I may not get the post in the right area, but... I need to know if I can I bring my 11 year old kid to the Neil Young show. I can never reach any one in the box office. Does any one know how to reach a person at the box office?
Thanks, Peter

infotaupe said...

Hi Peter, contacting the Tower and getting beyond the usual pre-recorded message with concert dates, etc is, to the best of my knowledge, not possible (if anybody finds out how, pls let us know!!). Best option to find out about your question might be asking Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com), they should know. Click on the help section and you can either contact them by phone or e-mail (customer service), you don’t need to have purchased your tickets from them in order to ask. However I think it is allowed.
Still (and please don’t take this personally, I know you didn’t ask that and it’s none of my business, but more people going to different concerts may read this answer and I feel I have to say this) in general I don’t recommend bringing children to concerts at the Tower. Hope it helped, & welcome to the bloggers world!!

Anonymous said...

Hi! I am going to the Tower for the first time, for the John Fogerty show. For whatever reason (maybe some big convention in town?), I can't seem to find a hotel room in Philly, so we may stay near the airport. Are there usually cabs hanging around after the show, and would that be the best way to get back to an airport hotel? Also, just a thanks for a great and very informative site on the Tower! Looking forward to the show and whatever experience happens there . . .

infotaupe said...

Hi, thanks!!. I'll try to answer: regarding the taxis: there should be cabs around after the show but to be on the safe side you might want to contact a cab company, maybe they won’t charge extra and you’ll have peace of mind (I’ve used victory once, this is their website: www.victorycabcompany.com, you can also check out www.philly-taxi.com, and find out how much it would cost you, or any other). The area where the theater is located is not the safest at night, so I wouldn’t recommend any other means of transportation to leave it.
Before giving up on center Phillly’s hotels you may want to give Priceline a try (www.priceline.com), I don’t know if you’ve used it before but they have this feature where you name your own price and some hotel may accept it. You can end up paying a very reasonable price, I use it often. Enjoy the show, and pls come back to my blog after it to let us know how it went!!

BJK said...

what's the best way to get to the theatre via mass transit? i'm seeing the smashing pumpkins tomorrow (10/19) and my friend and i are taking a train from nyc to philly and was wondering if there is a light rail that runs by the theatre or if we should just take a cab. thanks.

AL said...

I have tickets to see The Pumpkins this weekend and I'm having so much trouble figuring out where the heck my seats are on the seating chart.

R/C LG LL 17
LOGE

Can you please tell me what this means, or at least if these are decent seats?

Thanks so much for your help!

infotaupe said...

Answer to beej- I don't honestly know. Does anybody know?. Thanks

infotaupe said...

Hi, Al. Ok, your seat is located in the loge, which is one level above the orchestra (if you look at my pics in "my visit to the Tower" post, you'll see it in the second image. You are in the right center section (RC) (you are not in the central part but the next one to the right, seat 17. And what I can't find is which row LL is; I'm adding a new seating chart but I can't see it there either. Still, I'm afraid seats are not very good in that area. Pls come back and feedback about row LL in loge!!

Anonymous said...

Any idea where row LL is in the LOGE? according to the seating charts, is this in the orchestra section? i could've sworn the Loge was an upper level?

infotaupe said...

Hi, Loge is definitely upper level. But I can't help with row LL. A few comments before yours you'll see that "Al" asked about the same thing. Unfortunately she hasn't returned with any feed back yet so I can't help any further. If people would return with more info this place would be much more helpful. But so far it's me alone bothering to help, and there's stuff I don't know. Enjoy the show!!

Unknown said...

I am going to see Ron White tomorrow but I can't find anywhere whether or not this place sells alcohol. I am a lush, I need to know these things!!! HAHA, no but really do I need to go out for a drink before I get there? Someone help me here!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi there, i found your blog very useful. I just attended a concert at the Tower and was looking around for good information on this amazing place. I saw The Moody Blues on April 25th and it was a great atmosphere. Went with my mom and the crowd was around the same 60's generation. Despite, it was a great time! At first it was hot in the Tower but it cooled down. I can imagine with a more lively crowd the temp. can get a little much. As for the ushers there were a couple monitoring and keeping everyone in check. Although the crowd was older and the band was pretty well received i imagine that a younger crowd's ushers would be less active. Is this true?

The place was easy to navigate our tickets were L/C OR NN on the very right, next to the aisle. VERY GOOD SEATS!! I am attending another concert on the 5th of May, The Flight of the Conchords, FLIPPING SWEET, and was wondering if my seats (R/C OR C 125&123),are good seats and where they are exactly.

As for the beer question that i saw someone ask on your blog, yes they do have some. I bought a Yuengling for $6, and saw that they do some limited mixed drinks (also a coke venue, score for the coke people),just cash taken though.

Another question that i can answer for traverlers from afar comming to the Tower is public transportation. The Septa (South East Public Transportation),has a convenient station located at 69th Street were you can then walk up 69th street a few minutes to the Tower. (you can't miss it, but if you need help ask anyone that is working the bus terminal to direct you, also Septa's website is www.septa.com on it they have a handy function called "plan my trip," were u put in your address and your destination to find what septa can do to help you out, if stuck somewhere in the area of Philly always ask an employee of Septa to direct you to the 69th Street Terminal, asking bus drivers never hurts!)

Good stuff though keep it up and hope to contribute more after The Conchords!!!!!!!

infotaupe said...

Hey, thanks a lot! Top info!!. About your seats, if you look at the seating chart nr 1, your seats are where the black rectangle is, for some reason. So they're on the ground level, to the right, and some rows behind the one your previous seats were located. Have a great time, and thanks so much again!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Im Going To Cheech And Chong Light Up America At the tower Theater....

On SEptember 12...

Now... I got
these Seats Please
tell me the following...
if there good..
ill be able to see cheech and chong okay..
Im in CTR LG
ROW CC
2 seats 105 and 7

Anonymous said...

i mean will i be able to see cheech and chong okay

infotaupe said...

You are in the third row in the first upper level. These are decent seats but not very good ones... I don't know what else to say, you've seen the pics...But the Tower is a good theater, you should see the stage well only a bit far.

Anonymous said...

I mean they could be worse seats right?
i could be in upper balcony

like will i see c&c cleary.. or like really small ants.. with hard 2 see facial expressions....

infotaupe said...

You're making me work!!
Here's a link to a pic that was taken from the loge, the area you are seating in, maybe that will give you an idea:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t23e/521021765/
and of course there are many many worse seats!

Anonymous said...

They Are pretty Decent...
i mean there a bit far...
but i rather be a bit far..
then pissed off.
cuase i got some big dudes head in front off me in the orchestra...
actually there pretty good..im happy..

and upper bal..
must stink...

They are pretty good.. and i cant wait to go to the theater..
thank you very much!!!!!

infotaupe said...

Lol, enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

ME agian.. .with the cheech tix

okay i may be able to get 2 other tix..are these better then loge row CC

L/c Orch... row GG seats 10,12

are they better?

infotaupe said...

You again...
GG L/C are centered and row 12...
Orchestra floor is steep (not much but...)
I think they're definitely better...
But don't want you cursing at me if you end up thinking they're not...
Let us know when you've seen the show!!

Anonymous said...

ill def. let you no.....
but 2 question =)

1. Can you take pics inside.. duriung show....

2. Are there backstage psses

infotaupe said...

Sorry for the wait, was away for a few days.
Ok, regarding pics, somebody's not been reading my post "my visit to the tower"...it's all I know: "Nobody asked if I was carrying a camera or said anything about it, and people were flashing their cameras inside all the time even before the concert (I believe it depends on each artist's instructions ). But people who were recording the show were asked to stop".
Regarding backstage passes, unless you know someone...but most artists show up to meet people after the show, outside the theater, same block to the left, I think the street's name is Ludlow but you can ask anybody from the theater.
Good luck with that

Anonymous said...

Thank im sorry im being such a nooge =)

i did read that camera bit after i sent the comment..

now.. lets say cheech and chong were to go and meet people..
if i wanted to get my ticket signed...

will i get a whole ticket for them to sign..
or do they ripe the ticket before i go into the theater

infotaupe said...

No worries! - I totally understand curiosity (in fact what I don't understand in the opposite!)
They rip a portion of the ticket but you have a big enough part left for them to sign, but be careful with the smudges, happen too easily in that type of paper

Anonymous said...

Hi, this is a question, about the 2nd floor seating...

does it go over the middle isle..
or go back and over seats like row d , e ,f kinda thing,,,

do you no what i mean?

Anonymous said...

Hey its me with the cheech and chong tix... there show is tonight..


and i cant wait!!!
ill take pics from the upper bal.
lower bal
and loge...
and different parts of orchestra..

and maybe you can put them on this site.. so that people like me in the future stop bugging about how there seats are.. (just like i did =) ) where could i send them

infotaupe said...

Hey Cheech and Chong tix person, where have you been? ;)
It'd be great if you could send those pics, I'd sure post them. Pls send them to infotaupe@gmail.com
Enjoy the show!!

Anonymous said...

cheech tix-

oh the orchestra seats were completely re-done...

there like all big ''U'' shapes now..
well something like that..

but there not flat and strait like the pics in ''pics inside tower''
sorry i could get a pic of that

Anonymous said...

oh.. and they did not rip the ticket..
they have a scanner..

oh and i waited out front and out back near the alley..
and no luck of seeing them and score an autograph

infotaupe said...

Hey, cheech tix-, thanks so much for all the info. Will post your pics soon. And sorry for the wrong info. Things have changed quite a bit in one year, it seems... glad you had a great time!

Anonymous said...

this is cheech tix person!

I was just reading the very first comment on here.. about the degree in side the tower....
yeah .. i dont no how long ago that was...
but..
it was very air conditioned when i went.. to the point it was kinda chilly.....

it did'nt cover the marijuana smell but i went to a cheech and chong concert so wadda expect!
cya

infotaupe said...

Cheech tix, I'm going to have to give you a medal or something! Thanks for all the details!

Anonymous said...

cheech tix*
hey, i dont mind helping out
i mean when i bought my tickets there i thought they weer horrible seats and i was doing everything in my power to find better ones..but this is the ONLY site online with information.. that told me these seats where good and they where great!

infotaupe said...

So glad! ;)

Jared said...

We're heading to the Tower Theater for the first time to see Keane in May. (Can't wait) We have tickets in Loge Center, Row AA, seats 113-119. Any feedback on how good these seats are?

infotaupe said...

Loge Center Row AA are seats in the first row and in the 1st elevated floor (and centered seats too) so to me they're pretty good. Love Keane too, I started this blog when they played at the Tower two years ago, had to buy tickets and could hardly find any info on the place!!

mr_mojorisin said...

I have tickets for the upcoming Eddie Vedder solo show in June. My tickets are in the Loge row LL. I have not seen row LL on any seating chart on the internet. Do you know where these seats are located?

Anonymous said...

mr mojorisin,
i have the same tickets for the 12th. i inquired and livenation told me they are two seats behind row JJ in the loge. said he's not sure why the seating chart only goes to jj. i hope they're decent.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys and gals,

I'm thinking of trading tickets my eddie vedder night1 tickets (left orch Row H) for night2 (orch left center row JJ) because I can't make it to night one. Is this a reasonable trade? How is the view from up there in JJ??

Keep in mind my and my company are kinda short and are worried we wont be able to see over others heads!

Also, if anyone has a better trade let me know i'll be happy to swap for my row H's!

Would appreciate feedback asap before I trade!!

Anonymous said...

Since the seating chart only goes to Loge JJ, anyone with tickets Loge LL, these seats are the last row of the first balcony section(loge). I thought the seats were pretty decent, and there really probably isn't a bad seat in the house.

Stephanie said...

Hello :)
I will be going to a concert on Feb. 14th and purchased 2 tickets for Loge row FF. I believe they are in the center. I was just wondering what your opinions were on those seats? This will be my first time there and your info on the theatre has been very helpful to me. I will defintely come back after the concert to give some feedback and if I'm able to take any good pics I will send them to you as well. Thank you in Advance.

-Stephanie

infotaupe said...

Hi Stephanie, as per seating chart nr 2, your seats are not in the orchestra level but in the "mezzanine", 6th row. You can see a pic taken from that section on a nearby row in the "More pics inside: different views of the stage from different seats" post. Looking forward to your feedback!

Unknown said...

Hey,

I just wanted to say that your site and the pictures you posted are really helpful! I just bought tickets to a show there for February 16 and they're in the LOGE LEFT CTR, Row HH. I was wondering if you knew if these were good seats or not?

I've heard the theater is actually small but the one picture you have that was taken from the stage makes it look huge, is this just because of the angle?

infotaupe said...

Thanks!. This theater is over 3000 seats capacity, to me that's big, still many people say there's not a bad seat in the house...Your seats are far from the stage, but it's all very relative...

TSOFan! said...

Hi there! I like your site and it has been very helpful to me thank you! I'm going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra on April 7th.
My seats are LC Orch row AA seats 102/104 according to your charts 1st row center isle behind the pit about 6 rows from the stage. I have 2 quick questions about the pit. on the chart there are 5 rows, are they all fixed to the floor or are they folding chairs? In your pictures it looks like the first 2 rows are folding and the last 3 are fixed? If that's so is there an isle between pit row EEE and orchestra row AA? Thanks for any info you can provide...keep up the good work. If more people would post here it would be great! I'll try to post some pictures and a review after the show.

infotaupe said...

Hi three, thanks!. You're right,first 2 rows in pit are folding chairs and the last 3 fixed. There is no isle/separation between pit row EEE and orchestra row AA. Hope it helps!

Unknown said...

I have a question or concern about the air conditioning. Adam Lambert is scheduled for August 12th and it will be a very HOT show and I'm not just talking about room temp.Tickets go on sale tomorrow I'm a little worried about the early post about how hot it was in there and the singer looking like he pissed himself it was so hot. Have they fixed this problem because August can be really hot.

Anonymous said...

Hello I am a big fan of concerts at the Tower Theater of which I've been to many, I am attending the Jackson Browne concert this Sept. 11, 2010 and cannot wait however I am now in a wheelchair (never was before at other shows)and because I cannot reach any human being by telephone there, I am unable to ask where to enter the theater. Does anybody know? There are specific entrances at other Philly theaters for the disabled. I know this as I am a Philly resident and attend as many concerts as I can.

infotaupe said...

Hi there, sorry, I'm not sure. There are a number of doors to the theater though usually everybody has to go through the main ones, hopefully one of them will be wheelchair accessible? But there's always staff from the theater around a while before the show starts, the box office is also usually open a while before the show, so they should be able to assist you. Pls let us know about it after the show so hopefully it will be useful to others in the future. Thanks and enjoy the concert!

Anonymous said...

Where is row KK for the 'Black Crowes' concert? Sec LFT LG

Anonymous said...

Great website. Thanks!!!! Lots of very useful info. Now going 3 nights for Further in March (AAA, DD Center, GG Center)

infotaupe said...

Thanks, glad to be of help!

Anonymous said...

I've got 2 pitt seats for my chemical romance in row CCC. I think the seats are good. But im a little worried about if securuty will keep people from rushing up to the pitt area. My 15 year old sone and his girlfriend are going and its their first concert. I would hate for security to fail them. also, how is the surrounding neighborhood, would I be able to drop off and pick up in front of the theater?

Unknown said...

I am going to the Tower Theatre this weekend to see Chelsea Handler perform. A friend and I are going in celebration of her birthday, but I was wondering... Is there a bar area in the theatre and if so do you know the average price of drinks? Thanks for all your help!

infotaupe said...

Hi Jennifer, you'll find that info on the post "My visit to the Tower" (2nd paragraph), also in the "Tower restaurants"one. Have fun!

Anonymous said...

It says on their web page that personal cameras are allowed but no removable lens cameras and no video taping allowed with any type of device. Parking is hard to find - there are lots but they are not guarded or safe - do not leave anything in your car just in case. There are many break ins during a concert night. Also try and park on the street - there are meters and they can hold up to many hours. Once again do not leave anything in the car.

Anonymous said...

I saw Rufus Wainwright at the Tower around 2003 and it was one of the best-sounding shows of my life (12th row from stage). I'm thinking of seeing Gotye/Kimbra there, but unfortunately the orchestra is all GA. I hate standing. (Do they remove the seats? I don't get it.) I saw Dylan there from one of the balconies and it was a pretty lackluster experience. I'm hoping the Loge might be an improvement on that. It's gotta be better than standing at the very back of the orchestra, anyway.

infotaupe said...

Wow, the general admission thing at the Tower, that's a first. I wonder how they'll do it. Pls let me know if you can.
Standing has its pros and its cons..

Anonymous said...

I'm seeing Gotye & Kimbra tonight at the tower, and my tickets say row "GA6" where the hell is this located??

Anonymous said...

check out FB group"tower theater midnight sun memories"

Anonymous said...

Infotaupe I want to apologize for emailing my question ..
My seats for soundgarden this sat at the tower are section L/C LG Row DD seats 10 and 12 ... Are they crappy seats ?
Thank you,
Mary

infotaupe said...

Hi, what can I say?. Well, half the seats in the theater are better...but most of the seats let you have a good view, and these are not the worst so hopefully you'll be ok
Thnx

Anonymous said...

If I splurge and buy AAA pit seats, am I guaranteed of being in the front, or does the tower do that annoying thing where anyone who has pit seats can stand in the first row if they are first to arrive? Thanks for this information. I would like to be in the first row for Morrissey, but in Reading I saw that the pit ended up being a free for all and I was glad I didn't spend the extra money.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to see Chris Tucker on the 10th and my seats are in the Loge area in the right center in row DD. I've already read all the comments and still unsure what to expect. I honestly bought the tickets expecting to be closer based on the seating chart I've read. Regardless I PROMISE I will upload pictures on this website from my angle for future inquiries if I'm allowed to take pictures.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I took so long. I think my seats were really good (right center loge row DD). Orchestra area is of course down stairs. The Pitt are the really close seats (only a few rows) and the orchestra is the rest of the downstairs area. Everything else is higher. Now don't assume just because you're downstairs your seats are the best and if you're upstairs they're the worst. The orchestra is split. It has 18 rows in the front and then there is a small gap followed by 22 more rows. Now the loge area is directly on top of the second half of the orchestra (not that far from stage). Meaning if you're in the first row in the second half of the orchestra after the gap it's the same distance from the stage as being in the first row in the loge area. The only difference is you're above them and probably have a better view since downstairs in all one level. I initially thought the loge area was on top way in the back behind ALL of orchestra and that's not true. In fact people in the second half of the Orchestra can't see you because you're directly on top of them if you're in the loge area. Also the Loge area slightly goes up a level each row so you shouldn't have a problem seeing over someones head. Now the lower and upper balcony is further back and the view isn't the best. Overall no seats are really that horrible in there. One more thing. if you're way in the back in Orchestra, it may be better to get tickets within the first few rows in the loge area. Just my opinion. Here are my seats.
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae289/heem123123/010.jpg
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae289/heem123123/011.jpg
Right Center Loge area Row DD seats 5-7

infotaupe said...

Thanks for sharing!!

Unknown said...

I am so upset with TLA/ Tower Theater for the way they are handling the Tamar Braxton concert on May 26th, 2014. The concert was originally going to take place at TLA on South Street but I guess because of the big response to tickets they switched the venue to The Tower Theater instead. Luckily I received a phone call from my girlfriend to inform me of this change or we would have been at the wrong location. I love the location of the TLA Theater because it’s on South Street and there are so many things to do before and after the concert so that was a big disappointment for us. But I can understand that a bigger venue means a bigger profit which is not why I am upset. The reason why I am upset is because TLA is standing room with limited seating options. So I went out of my way during my lunch break from 19th & Market Street to the TLA box office to purchase tickets for VIP SEATING. I am not as young as I use to be and besides that I am a mother, wife and a career woman who does not have the ability to be on her feet for an entire concert nor do I want to. So that’s why I made a point to try to get tickets with seating. Now when I called TLA yesterday of course I was offered a refund for the additional funds I paid since The Tower is selling the tickets for $30.00 and I paid $50.00 because I got VIP seating. The problem is The Tower isn’t offering VIP SEATING they are during it base on a first come first serve basis. This is a mess and it can create so many problems. I can’t believe that because these where inexpensive tickets you can’t come up with a better organize plan to accommodate your customers. I paid for a show to see Tamar Braxton and that’s what I want to do, I am 5’2 and there is no way I would be able to see the concert even if I had to stand. I am not about to be in competition with the youth today in order to push my way through doors for a seat. This is ridiculous and I am outraged and prefer you keep the extra $20.00 per ticket and guarantee me 2 seats!

infotaupe said...

I agree. Unfortunately there's nothing I can do, no links to the Tower or its management.

Tater_Pez said...

thanks for the detailed seating chart(s). Been going here since late 70's and love the venue (when down low).

infotaupe said...

Thank you, you're very welcome!

Unknown said...

I wanted to know where is the band's tour bus parked at

Unknown said...

I wanted to know where are bands parked after the show

infotaupe said...

That would be Ludlow St (by the Tower). Sorry it took me a while, don't check comments often anymore..

Anonymous said...

Hi I'm wanting very much to see Steven Tyler at the Tower Theater in September ,but I need to know because of a diagnosis I have where I'm affected a lot by heat if there's A/C and does it work well if sitting in the handicapped accessible orchestra seating? I've seen him with Aerosmith in the 90's,but seeing him in a more intimate setting like this would be a dream come true to me.

infotaupe said...

Hi I'm sorry I don't know how it is now. But the Tower theater has an official facebook page, I'm sure they can answer that for you. Hope they can help.
https://www.facebook.com/TowerPhilly/