Your Dueling Piano Bar Experiences - players and guests

April 11, 2019 8:14 AM

So...my husband and I attended our first Dueling Piano Bar this past weekend. We think a place like this would THRIVE in our city. Before we start business planning please tell me what your experience has been with a little information. The city you attended. The cost to for the ticket - if any. What was served. Was there a minimum purchase. Things that made it unique. What did you love about the experience. What would you have changed. What would you have added to the experience. Any and all feedback is welcome! Thanks in advance!
posted by Coffee Bean to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

Best answer: I love dueling piano bars!

Some specific ones, though I've been to others:

I used to go to one in Boston (Jake Ivory's), which unfortunately closed, because we apparently needed another generic Irish bar in Boston. I think it had maybe a $10 cover, no minimums, just served beer and mixed drinks (I don't think it had any paid food?).

I go to one at Disney World (FL) every time I'm there (Jellyrolls), which has a $12 cover, no minimums, and serves beer and mixed drinks and free popcorn, no other food.

I have been to a few different locations for a chain, Howl at the Moon, in Boston and Foxborough MA and I think one elsewhere. I don't recall the cover charge.

Things that make a good piano bar:

#1: actually being a piano bar. Howl at the Moon is really more a live music venue, and every time I've tried it I've been disappointed. There's something much more interesting about two people playing piano (plus maybe a couple small instruments sitting at their side). If it's just live cover music, I'm not coming back.

#2: performers who have good rapport, skills, and crowd work -- ideally who stick with the venue for long periods of time. Jellyrolls is great at this, the people who work there are pairs that I've literally been seeing off an on for over a decade. There's been some slight turnover but in general, if I go to the place and then go back 6-12 months later, I'm going to see many of the same performers, and they're really good at what they do.

#3: places to sit. I don't want to come to a piano bar and stand around like it's a mosh pit, thanks.

#4: small enough that every seat is a good seat.

As you can probably tell from above, I really love Jellyrolls -- it's basically my perfect piano bar (sadly far from my home). Great performers, intimate space, good seating. Howl at the Moon is a dud for me -- too large of a space, too much like a mosh pit, really just live music, not a dueling piano bar. Jake Ivory's was pretty good in its day, though it was a little big and sometimes you were sitting someplace where you couldn't get into it enough.
posted by tocts at 9:08 AM on April 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

It is important to note, as part of your business planning, that Jellyrolls doesn’t have to be financially viable as a stand-alone business. And that this is the sort of thing that people enjoy as a novelty, but may not necessarily make their regular hangout.
posted by jeoc at 9:17 AM on April 11, 2019 [7 favorites]

The chain 'wolf' dueling piano bar in my city has a fairly bad reputation, it's a drink till you drop spot, lines down the block for Halloween, St Patrick's day, etc. I'm told by bartender friends of mine that there are frequently several fights out on the street around closing. As a result I have never set foot inside and would probably never set foot inside any other dueling piano bar as a result. You may need to work to keep it classy depending on what people in your city would think of such a place.
posted by TheAdamist at 3:05 PM on April 11, 2019