Shop Penn

There is nothing like Fall in University City! The leaves turn, the air gets chilly, and there are so many things to do and see. Whether you enjoy sports, art, or music, this is the place to be! The “Shop Penn Playlist” is a snapshot of the top events being offered by institutions, organizations, and venues throughout the district this month.

World Café Live 20th Anniversary Spotlight Celebration – World Café Live
October 4

World Cafe Live, Philadelphia’s nonprofit independent venue dedicated to live music, education, and community engagement, is celebrating a milestone anniversary with a party like none other. The event will showcase what World Café Live does best – food, drinks, and of course, live music – as they reflect on 20 years and look forward to what’s next. The pre-event will kick off with a Sponsor Cocktail Party in WCL’s Lounge starting at 6:30PM, featuring performances from The MIC’d Up All-Stars. Then, at 7:30PM, the Main Event will start at WCL’s Music Hall, featuring food and drink from WCL’s Executive Chef Rob Cottman. Guests will enjoy live entertainment from Billy Allen & the Pollies

Mythili Prakash: She’s Auspicious – Penn Live Arts
October 4-6

In the Philadelphia premiere of She’s Auspicious, celebrated Bharata Natyam dancer Mythili Prakash leads an all-female cast of performers and musicians in a new, full-length work that challenges femininity and Prakash’s own conflicting identities of woman, mother and classical Indian dancer.

Skeletor Karaoke: Halloween Spectacular – World Café Live
October 11

The one-and-only Philly cult favorite Karaoke Gung Show is back! Step up to the mic and sing your favorite songs for Skeletor’s enjoyment or displeasure. But be warned – Skeletor may gong you before you're through.

Penn Bookstore’s Fall Guest Author Series: You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets – Penn Bookstore
October 11

A kick-in-the-pants wake-up call to start living meaningfully in light of how many Mondays you have left from longtime coach, positive psychology expert, and Penn Resilience Program instructor Jodi Wellman. Built around the principles of positive psychology, You Only Die Once is the jolt that will bring you back to life, no near-death experience required. Full of practical takeaways and research-backed content, this book will motivate readers to take action on the life they want to be living, acting like a defibrillator for the soul.

Penn Football – Franklin Field
October 12, October 19, October 25

The Quakers football season rolls on into October as the team prepares to host three-straight contests at historic Franklin Field. Penn will wrap up its non-conference slate with a game against Bucknell before hosting Columbia and Yale in back-to-back Ivy League bouts. The Quaker offense has been rolling through two weeks. Running back Malachi Hosley leads the Ivy with 307 yards rushing while wide receiver Jared Richardson is second in the league with 194 yards receiving to go along with two touchdowns. 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet – Penn Live Arts
October 18-19

Led by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, “hailed as two of the greatest virtuosos ever to emerge from [Alvin] Ailey” (The New York Times), Complexions is known for high-octane movement, an evocative style and a penchant for pushing the boundaries of ballet. This “matchless American dance company” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) performs the local premiere of For Crying Out Loud, set to a soundtrack of acoustic U2 hits. Drawing on the grit and honesty of these stripped-down, iconic songs, the work explores the vulnerability of the human condition in its most conflicted state.

Event Horizon Presents TR7 aka Taji Ra’oof Nahl, Huron, and Neil Cippon – The Rotunda
October 19

TR7 (aka Taji Ra’oof Nahl) – TR7’s Sonic Celestial Terrain is an electronic experimental music project that morphs cinematic jazz, ambient, & experimental hiphop abstract dynamics. Huron (aka Johnny Lancia) realizes blissed-out ambient works and concerts under the name Huron. His music is filled with heady drones and intriguing rhythms that reflect the natural world – filtered through a variety of modular synthesizers, analog electronics and digital manipulation processes. Philadelphia based Neil Cippon is an electronic bassist, composer and multimedia artist. Inspired by blues, rock and roots music, Neil toured and recorded with No. 6 records’ King Carcass, an industrial rock band. Carcass took and refined the combined concepts of noise, rock and industrial music.

Special Presentation of Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow – The Rotunda
October 24

Join cinéSPEAK and Ghouls Next Door for a special presentation of Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow. Ghouls Next Door is an award-winning media literacy show that explores the societal, historical, and scientific influences behind our cinematic fears. I Saw the TV Glow is an experimental, horror film that has audiences facing and exploring their identities. A personal tale of gender dysphoria, the film is heartbreaking and bizarre.

Philly Music Fest Featuring Amos Lee – World Café Live
October 24

Philly Music Fest is a full week of indoor shows featuring Philly musicians, national headliners and rising stars. Profits from PMF are donated to music education programs for kids. Amos Lee headlines the docket at World Café Live which also includes Anna Shoemaker, Cosmic Guilt, Super Infinity, and Cadre Noir. Amos Lee is a singer-songwriter who continues to expand his sonic range while sharpening his closely observed lyrics that squarely address death, aging, and love.

Flip Fabrique: SLAM! – Penn Live Arts
October 25-26

A stunning show with a downright smashing title, Canada’s FLIP Fabrique returns with SLAM!, an electric Philadelphia premiere that amplifies the theatrical and exuberant nature of wrestling, taking inspiration from the sport in its many forms from around the world. Known for “acts that don’t seem humanly possible,” (The New York Times) the acrobats of FLIP Fabrique collaborated with director Robert Lepage and Ex Machina to create a spectacular showcase of strength in which an array of characters test their skills and bring all the drama. Theatre and cirque are about to meet on the mat – will you be ringside?

CultureFest!: Dia de los Muertos – Penn Museum
October 26

This full-day festival offers fun for the whole family, including an arts activity, altar competition, artisan market, dance and music performances, and an enormous traditional ofrenda (altar) installation by the Mexican Cultural Center by artists José Martín Anguiano Hermosillo and Maria Felix. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a lively holiday blending of Indigenous Mexican beliefs and traditions with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. With roots in rituals dating back 3,000 years to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Día de los Muertos is observed across Latin America and in Latine communities worldwide.