The Ave Live

The volume that the night already knew

In the same industrial building in Northern Liberties where Egypt closed in 2005, after a fire and fourteen years at 520 Columbus Boulevard, The Ave Live reopened the dance floor at the end of 2019. Brands that didn't take root had passed through that venue, including Solo and Shampoo, and later Soundgarden Hall, an electronic club with separate areas for minors and adults, associated with Live Nation and closed about three years before this reopening. The volume remained the same as always: high ceilings, a wide dance floor, and the main entrance on Columbus Boulevard, next to the Delaware.

A postponed first night

The inauguration scheduled for mid-November 2019 was delayed at the last minute. The first public date was December 26, with Dirt Monkey, and New Year's Eve was occupied by Making Time with Dave Pianka's team. The start, with Derek Dorsey in talent buying, was announced as a live hip hop club: Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli were scheduled for December 27, a date that was canceled, and the January calendar opened with Method Man and Redman. Electronic music, however, was on the dance floor from the first week.

The margin was short. The club had just been born when the pandemic left it silent for nearly eighteen months. In that parenthesis, Unlocked Presents —Dimitri Laskaris, Josh Zwirzina, and Eric Cuadrado, formed in university parties, in Catharsis Collective, and in the city's bass scene— went from resident promoter to owner. The identity with which the venue presents itself today is dated to 2021.

Between New York and Washington

With Unlocked at the helm, the programming leaned on club and bass electronic music. Chris Lake, Subtronics, and Green Velvet marked that turn: Philadelphia, wedged between New York and the Washington area, began to have its own tour stop. The current calendar keeps the arc open. There is house from Cloonee, Gorgon City, or Victor Calderone; techno from Maddix; drum and bass from Hedex; tech house from Matroda; bass from Kai Wachi or G Jones. There is also room for R&B and hip hop nights, such as The RnB Room, but the center of the week is the dance floor.

The doors, only on event nights, open on Fridays and Saturdays from 21:30 to 02:00. Entry is for those over 21, with official identification. The published rule asks for a t-shirt and adequate coverage; the rest is decided at the door. Tables are chosen on a map with a dance floor, stage, and sides, and bottle service works for a minimum consumption that already includes group access.