Pastor Dan Roth, of Fishtown's Summerfield/Siloam United Methodist Church is something of a man on the cutting edge.

Not only is Roth consistently busy with the many duties of running the church, he is also the moderator of the popular Web site Fishtown.us, which allows residents to easily communicate with each other about neighborhood concerns and ongoing events.

And next week, the hard-working pastor will unveil his newest effort, intended to provide hip, exciting entertainment for all ages - The Underground music venue.

Located in Luff Hall, a gathering spot located at 2215 E. Dauphin St., where Roth regularly hosts church events and early morning breakfasts, The Underground will be a venue that caters to a special audience.

Come September 18, when The Underground hosts its debut concert, featuring the Lehigh Valley-based rock band Sunsets North, the breakfast hall's pancakes and scrambled eggs will be put aside for raucous beats and funky guitar licks when the space becomes a concert hall.

Roth said he's excited about the opportunity to offer shows in an alcohol-free environment, allowing everyone from ages 14 on up to enjoy the venue.

"Basically, the idea is to offer a Friday night alternative that's alcohol free," said Roth. "It's good for kids and it's also good for people who might be in recovery."

Roth said that in his work as a pastor, he often works with individuals who are striving to overcome alcohol and drug addiction and he realized that weekends are a tempting time for those struggling with chemical dependency.

"Fridays are a really tempting time. That's when people get their paychecks and they usually have off on Saturday," he said. "So, it can be pretty tempting . . . this is about offering an opportunity for them."

Roth said that at most venues in the city, alcohol might flow freely, making it potentially difficult for a recovering alcoholic to enjoy a performance without feeling pressured to have a drink.

The Underground will offer the same high quality, entertaining acts, just as any quality venue, but will remove that temptation.

Also, by removing alcohol from the equation, Roth said, he's also able to open shows up to a teenage crowd, a segment of the local population that he feels deserves more options for entertainment.

"This is a good opportunity for teens. In our neighborhood there really isn't a lot for them," he said.

But, when asked if the intent of the venue is to help keep teens off the streets and out of trouble on Friday nights, Roth said that wasn't really his motivation.

Instead he was more interested in providing something that the neighborhood might enjoy and embrace.

"It's more about giving (teens) something to do, something that they could all get involved in," he said.

To ensure that everyone will find something they enjoy at the new venue, said Roth, he's working to make sure that the musical acts are varied.

The fact that the venue is in a church hall shouldn't inform the types of talent on stage, said Roth.

"We're not going for Christian or gospel acts . . . not to prohibit that either, but we're trying to get a variety," he said. "All the acts that are coming, I'm really excited about."

The intimate venue, with space for about 125 people, will feature mostly rock bands and solo, singer/songwriters at first.

Roth is open to all types of music and hopes that in the future, as the venue grows and more people learn about The Underground, hip-hop, country and all types of musical styles will be represented.

But, don't expect to see huge shows with many different acts.

Instead, Roth said, he's hoping to keep the feel of the venue intimate by providing one artist each week in order to highlight that act.

"We're being intentional that we want the focus to be on one artist. We want to let them have their time on the stage," he said. "We're really trying to get a variety. We're looking to book hip-hop and other acts. We might even have jazz one night, who knows? All we ask is that the bands avoid profanity, just be respectful of the fact that it's a church."

Tickets to the shows will be just $3, and will include a bottomless cup of coffee or iced tea. Other food and drinks options will be available for purchase.

Shows will run from about 9 to 11 p.m. and if the venue is a hit, he plans to offer more shows, bigger acts and other events.

But, right now, Roth is just excited for opening night on Sept. 18 to see how the neighborhood reacts to his newest venture.

"We wanted to have something that is affordable for the neighborhood, and we're still working some details out, but I'm excited," he said. "We'll see what happens. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting, but it's a good sign, so far, that this is the biggest thing this year that people have signed up to volunteer for."

Reporter Hayden Mitman can be reached at 215-354-3124 or hmitman@phillynews.com

Rock The Underground

United Methodist Church will host the kick-off concert at Fishtown's newest music venue, The Underground, on September 18.

The Lehigh Valley-based band, Sunsets North, will perform during the venue's inaugural show.

Tickets cost $3 and include a bottomless cup of coffee.

The Underground is located at 2215 E. Dauphin Ave.

The show will start at 9 p.m. and is scheduled to end at 11 p.m.