Just a few months after its grand opening, some big names in the music industry have already graced the stage at WXPN World Cafe Live -- a local concert venue and restaurant.
Although the 3025 Walnut St. locale, which is affiliated with the local radio station WXPN, has exceeded its own business expectations since its opening on Oct. 1 of last year, it remains relatively unknown among students.
World Cafe, which aims to provide an alternative to typically crowded and uncomfortable concert venues, attracts an average of 100 to 200 people per concert and has sold over 20,000 tickets since its opening.
However, World Cafe does not see as much business from Penn students as it would like, Marketing Director Nat Gutwirth said.
College freshman Shayne Wagman said she thinks that there are more adults at World Cafe than at other concert venues but that she still attends concerts there at least once a month.
"It's a classy yet causal atmosphere," Wagman said.
College freshman Sean-Tamba Matthew also said it's not a place Penn students would go unless it was for a specific show or a date.
"It's not really a hangout spot or anything like that," Matthew said.
Students agree that World Cafe is largely unknown.
"I think it could be [more popular] if more people knew about it,"College sophomore Erin Sale said.
World Cafe is working to attract a younger audience by bringing in more "student-friendly kind of music" upstairs and doing more jam types of shows downstairs, Gutwirth said.
"The student population didn't really know we were here," he added.
The venue is divided into two performance areas to accommodate both small acts and larger concerts.
The upper floor -- known as the Upstairs -- features a restaurant and bar with live music as an added attraction. Live acts perform nearly every night of the week as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch.
The Downstairs of the World Cafe is the main performance venue showcasing nationally known, more prominent artists and offering full restaurant service as well.
"It's a really good layout for socializing and dancing," Sale said.
Sale recently helped plan a sorority bid party at the venue for Delta Delta Delta.
"We wanted it because it was closer to campus than going downtown. ... It just sounded like a fun new place to have a party," Sale said.
There is usually no cover charge for shows Upstairs, and tickets range from $15-40 for Downstairs concerts.
"The bands that play there aren't typical popular bands," Wagman said. "They have a lot of local bands that are worth checking out."
Past performers have included Nancy Sinatra, Shawn Colvin, and Minnie Driver. Spring highlights include Kings of Convenience, Antony & the Johnsons and Aqualung.
World Cafe also plans to open a second location in Boston within a year or two.
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