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Philadelphia · Venue

Kung Fu Necktie

Kung Fu Necktie is a 140-capacity Philadelphia room where a dive-bar front gives way to a small standing performance space at the back. Its location beneath the Market-Frankford El

Upcoming shows
52
Capacity
140
Address
1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phone
(215) 291-4919
Next show
Thu, 1 Oct 2026
Official siteDirections
Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia

About Kung Fu Necktie

Kung Fu Necktie is a 140-capacity Philadelphia room where a dive-bar front gives way to a small standing performance space at the back. Its location beneath the Market-Frankford El gives the place a particularly industrial setting; inside, the original 2008 redo supplied a wraparound bar, high ceilings, bowling-lane tables and a handmade wooden stage arch. For concertgoers, this is a close-range room built around a bar, with limited seating and little distance between crowd and performers.

A bar remake with a band-first plan

James Herman opened Kung Fu Necktie in 2008 in the former Penalty Box, a sports bar at Front and Thompson. Contemporary coverage described the old spot as a Kenzo dive; the overhaul retained original details while turning the rear into a stage-and-smoking-garden setup. Herman told JerseyMan in 2017 that his aim was to serve punk, indie and metal acts, a market he felt other Philadelphia rooms had left thinly supplied. He also said the venue’s first six years stayed stable before growth accelerated after he brought booking in house. By 2017, Herman put the room’s maximum capacity at 300 and was pursuing adjacent space for expansion, a useful marker of the ambition behind a venue that began as a neighborhood-bar conversion.

The room now

Kung Fu Necktie’s current calendar supports live bills and DJ-led nights, with the official August 2026 listings marked 21-plus. The program ranges across rock, metal, punk and indie-adjacent shows, plus themed dance parties; the venue’s own listings include post-punk and darkwave programming. Expect a standing-forward main room behind the bar, an elevated stage, and limited seats. Upstairs historically added a separate bar and pool table, while the principal concert experience remains compact and crowd-close.

Sources

  1. Kung Fu Necktie | Bar, Live Music Venue | Philadelphia, PA — Kung Fu Necktie
  2. Kung Fu Necktie Open In Fishtown — Philadelphia Magazine
  3. Rocking The Bottom Line — JerseyMan Magazine
  4. Kung Fu Necktie — Philly Music Link
  5. Kung Fu Necktie | Bars in Fishtown, Philadelphia — Time Out

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