Philly's Iconic North Star Bar, Haven Of Live Music, Is Closing

One of Philadelphia’s most iconic local music venues will shut down after a final hurrah this Saturday, October 17.

North Star Bar, short ride down the river from Manayunk in the city’s Fairmount neighborhood, posted the sudden announcement recently on its website.

The bar will undergo renovations and will return as a restaurant with a larger bar and no live music, the announcement states:

The last minute decision was made so that the (mostly) cosmetic work could all be done at once, and in a most expedient fashion. Good things to come to Fairmount / Brewerytown. A new name, even better food, ‘more better’ beer and lots of cool fun stuff. On a “changing times” and sad note, there will be no more live music.

While the North Star Bar never had quite the fame or profile of downtown venues like the Trocadero or Electric Factory, it was a consistent host of quality live music, often from well-known Philadelphia bands.

Before they were famous, the White Stripes even played at the North Star Bar in 2001.

The announcement continued:

So celebrate the great bands you’ve seen at the North Star and the friends you have made here! You’ve all been a part of this stellar music scene & history, and nobody can take that away from you! We will miss the good old days of rock and roll at the North Star, but we will look on them with great fondness for the rest of our lives and hope that you will as well!

All future concerts scheduled at the venue have been cancelled.

A completion date for the new restaurant has not yet been released.

Image courtesy North Star Bar.