The Fire — Local services in Philadelphia

Don't be fooled by reviews about former owners of The Fire... the new Ownwrship is bringing this place back to its original glory!

I can’t say enough about The Fire or its passionate, invigorating new Ownership Group and staff.

The Fire has always had a special air to it. I’ve been attending concerts as a fan for over ten years, and have had the privilege of performing there myself from time to time. And every time I walk in the door, I’m greeted by an atmosphere thick with history, comradery, and dedication to the neighborhood and music scene it is a part of.

I don’t know what happened that caused previous ownership to leave The Fire behind. But I’m sure glad they decided to pass their business along to Karen Saillant. She has an artist’s heart with a finely-tuned business savvy that will make any and every patron and performer feel welcome and inspired. It’s a privilege to work alongside her as a performer, and a joy to be in her presence just when I go in to enjoy myself for the evening.

The bar is old school, but extremely charming. And the bartenders are genuinely NICE PEOPLE. I don’t come across that quality often in a “corner bar”, especially in the sprawling metropolis of Philadelphia.

The performance venue is the real deal. It’s small, sure. But it WORKS. Whether there are 30 people, or 200 jam packed into every corner, the energy is palpable amidst the glow of professional lighting and the clarity of the sound system. Every sound engineer I’ve ever worked with (especially Randy from thedearlydepart!) knows their stuff, is very accommodating, and makes sure each band that performs is presented in the way they want to be heard.

Get out to The Fire. Take in a show or two. Stick around at open mic night. Or hang out for one of the amazing parties they throw to celebrate holidays and special events. In any case, you’ll find out just what makes this place so special and why you’ll be itching to come back...

ARTISTS BEWARE Amazing that after all these years, The Fire has managed to maintain its status as arguably the worst venue in Philadelphia. They treat bands and artists like garbage. People running the show/sound are always inconceivably rude and nasty to bands/artists. Attended a show there the other night. After making over $200 at the door, they refused to pay either of the touring bands and kept about 90% of the door money to themselves. They gave one local band about $25, feigning generosity, claiming they typically take 10% of that money, on top of the 90% they’ve already taken from the door. Complete joke. There are plenty of venues in this city that actually treat artists like people and contribute to the community in a meaningful way. This ain’t one of them. The Fire has long been maligned by artists and appreciators alike. Let’s just say they’ve certainly earned their stripes. Go literally...

Fine bar. Terribly run venue. Show was extremely rushed. Sound man was clearly rushing bands along, though I do think this more from an ownership and managerial side. Played there the other night and drove from Pittsburgh. Definitely a smaller show but we brought out about 15 people with a $12 cover. We received absolutely no payment, no drink tokens, nothing. The show was very slow until we got there. The people that came to that show we clearly brought and even though it was only 15 people, that was 15 people buying drinks and supporting that bar that only came because we played that venue. And we received absolutely nothing. Not that we expect much but if a band makes a business as much money as we made them, then that business owes that band some form of compensation. Would not reccomend...