The Mann Center

What A great outdoor venue.Beats the pants off of Susquehanna Bank Center. Fun!

A friend invited me to the Mann for the sold-out show for Fun last night, completely last minute. I'd been dying to go to this show, so I jumped at the chance. The Mann really packs a wallop, sound-wise. I had never had a lawn seat for a concert and I was afraid the acoustics would suffer, but I was totally wrong. I felt like I was standing next to the stage. Fun put on a fantastic show and the Mann has a great screen for everyone who is too high up to see the band properly. The tickets were really reasonable, especially because of the band-- only $30 for the lawn. Definitely worth it.

Food- and drink-wise, the Mann's prices were pretty typical arena fare, but there was a "local" beer garden and a few Philly food trucks, which totally stole the show. More variety and tastes? I'm in.

My only complaint is the parking. The Mann's in West Philly-- there's really no other place to park, unless you want to leave your car at the Belmont Plateau. Parking's $15, which is a lot of money when you don't have any other choice. Honestly, if you had to pick, park at the plateau and walk over to the arena, just make sure you bring a large group of people, because it's dark. Also, it's an absolute MADHOUSE to get out. I was lucky-- my car was in a spot next to the road, so I got out a little earlier than others. If you have to park in the lot, park as close to the Belmont/Montgomery Ave exit and go that way. It's less backed up than the Belmont/Girard side's exit.

What's not to love about this place!? From the hill, you have a perfect view of Philly's skyline. It's so romantic. Every concert we have been to here has been beyond amazing. The acoustics are awesome and I always get chills listening to my favorite artists here. The drinks are really overpriced (as it is with any music venue) and the lines for the drinks are so long. I don't know why it takes the bartenders so long to just pour something. It's not like they are making actual cocktails. But I do highly recommend this place, regardless. I am always looking for concerts to attend here!