Taphouse
Tap House seems to think of itself as the classiest of Penn bars and its music selection reflects that. Indie and alt rock dominate Tap’s playlists, which fit the chill vibe of the establishment. Where Tap really thrives is in its live music offerings. Every weekend, a band will set up shop in a corner near the balcony entrance and soundtrack the tipsy musings of the Tap crowd. Often it’s a local cover band, but they’ve been known to venture into bluegrass territory every now and again, which may earn it the title of Penn’s classiest bar—at least musically.
Smokey Joe's
Smoke’s weekly music lineup almost always features live music, usually from Philly rock heavyweight Kenn Kweder or a local DJ. Kweder is a Smoke’s staple on Tuesday and his live show guarantees an on–point mixture of classic covers like “Brown Eyed Girl” and Kweder originals (“Heroin,” anyone?). The weekend DJs deliver perfectly danceable tunes, despite some occasional choppy transitions. But it’s mostly standard fare and by the time anybody gets to Smoke’s, they’re usually too drunk to remember what song they were dancing to anyway.
Blarney Stone
Blarney is a magical place where you can purchase seemingly bottomless fish bowls for under $20 and that special kind of atmosphere is only accentuated by its musical selections. The bass of Top 40 songs pound throughout the joint, and there’s sure to be a song for everyone to practice their karaoke skills. Special occasions call for DJs or particularly hilarious/pathetic bouts of karaoke and with each drink the music seems to get better and better. Blarn’s music caters to the essence of its environment; the drunker the patron, the better the experience.
Copabanana
The mecca of margaritas likes to keep its guests guessing with playlists that range from traditional Latin tunes to 1960s throwbacks. They’ll occasionally throw in a Top 40 hit, but stick to more classic songs until the rowdy 1 a.m. crowds. At that point, it becomes a reggaeton free–for–all—LA CABEZA, DANZA KUDURO!
