Every possible sound is available in Philadelphia on Wednesday through Saturday nights. On other nights, the choices are narrower, but if you look carefully there’s always something going on. Rock, Pop, Soul: Philadelphia has always been a popular stop for national acts. There are concert halls from the massive stadiums of the First Union Center and the Tweeter to the comfortably mid-size Trocadero, Tower, Electric Factory or Keswick, right down to the overheated and cramped rooms of the legendary bars where everyone from Bruce Springsteen to hiphop stars, the Roots paid their dues.

Though you’d never know it from the local radio stations, the local talent is worth a listen too. The Roots, Will Smith, Patti LaBelle, Bruce Springsteen, Teddy Pendergrass, these are the famous names, but the range of local talent includes just about everything with a healthy mix of soul, hip-hop, Americana, alternative and even electric bluegrass. Some days it seems like everybody you bump into is in a band.

Dance Party: From disco to techno with a healthy dose of swing and mosh pit, there are a large and growing number of places to dance in town. Maybe the constantly expanding scene is due to the large student population here. Local DJs such as Josh Wink and Robbie Tronco mix so well that they spend half their time answering invitations from place from Miami to London.

There is a string of clubs along Delaware Avenue on piers jutting into the Delaware River. There are more clubs around South Street, such as Fluid, a place known as much for its no-right-angles design as for its techno mix. For swing or Latin, try a place like the Five Spot on Bank Street just off of Second and Chestnut. If you’re looking for grunge metal, there are events weekly in West Philly.

Classical: It is possible to find a string quartet, opera or symphony performance every night of the week. With the Curtis Institute and Settlement Music School, plus the various college programs, the quality of street performers brightens the parks and sidewalks in the spring. There are two radio stations that broadcast classical music: 90.1 programs classics from 6am to 6pm and 106 is classical at all hours, but hard to pick up in some parts of town. The Philadelphia Orchestra is legendary for conductors like Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Ricardo Muti and Sir Simon Rattle. Smaller classical groups fill the nights. Many of these include current or former Orchestra members.