Trocadero Theatre   

Originally a burlesque theater, the Trocadero (or the Troc, as it's generally referred to) is a Philadelphia icon that's managed to change with the times. In the heart of Chinatown, it continues to draw capacity crowds. The announcement in the spring of 2004 that the House of Blues would begin booking shows at the venerable venue only solidified its reputation as a local mainstay for great live shows. Upstairs, the 21-and-over Balcony Bar features mostly local acts (and its famous Monday Movie Nights), but the Troc is a venue that's been known to book an eclectic lineup of national acts -- everyone from Lil' Kim to the String Cheese Incident to H20 has graced its Art Deco doorways. With the House of Blues on board, we may be seeing a more jazzy, Tejano-influenced flavor in the future here, as the national booking agency ramps up its Philly operation.