Howl at the Moon (piano bar)

Last updated
Howl at the Moon
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois United States
Number of locations
15, plus cruise ships and a traveling show
Website www.howlatthemoon.com

Howl at the Moon is an American chain of live music venues, generally referred to as piano bars, established in 1990. [1] [2] As of 2022, the franchise had 15 locations in U.S. cities, plus locations on Norwegian Cruise Line ships. [3] The company has also produced a traveling version of their dueling piano concept, which has been used for entertainment at charitable fundraising events.

Contents

History

The first Howl at the Moon location, owned by Terry Cunningham and Jimmy Bernstein, [4] opened in the newly opened Convington waterfront of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1990, and was variously described as "a new Orleans-style bistro with dueling pianos, dancing and peanuts sent down chutes for customers", [5] and "featuring piano singalongs to the music of the '50s, '60s, and '70s in a setting including a fireplace, pool tables, and big screen televisions". [6] A review of the waterfront noted that "its instant hit seems to be the Howl-at-the-Moon Saloon", describing the venue as having "two baby grands manned by a pair of wild and crazy guys who spice old rock 'n' roll tunes with jokes dusted off from vaudeville and every audience-participation gimmick known to man". [7]

The following year, the owners began planning to franchise the venue to locations identified in Cleveland and Columbus, stating at the time that they "had inquiries from nearly every major city about bringing a Howl at the Moon there", and citing as the key impediment to such expansion "finding the keyboard players that fit our entertainment". [8] The Cleveland location was initially described as "an even bigger hit with lines forming up to two hours before showtime". [4] In 1992, Michael Lavery, who had helped to open the Ohio locations, opened a bar based on the concept but named "Rebell Yell", in Boston, Massachusetts. [9] The first actual Howl at the Moon location outside of Ohio was opened in Orlando, Florida, in January 1993, [10] with various locations opening and closing around the United States thereafter. [11] The franchise had an international location in Singapore in 2010. [12]

Beginning in 2015, the company also produced a traveling version of the concept called "Howl on the Go" or "Howl 2-Go", which appeared in local theatres and bars able to accommodate the performances and drink service. [1] [13] The traveling version has served as entertainment for charitable fundraising events. [14] [15] [16]

Reviews from the 2020s note that "with bars in 15 U.S. cities... and an at-sea program with Norwegian Cruise Lines, Howl at the Moon is known for its dueling piano show, where two pianists take turns fielding song requests from the crowd", [3] and that "live music shows happen nightly, with two 'dueling' piano players and a rotating mix of other musicians cranking out anthemic dance hits and sing-a-long songs from the '70s to the present". [17]

Theme

Musicians perform on a variety of instruments including pianos, drums, guitars and horns. The theme driving Howl at the Moon is a high-energy show based on party anthems. The venue is also known for its 86 oz. mixed drink buckets including drinks called hurricanes and "adios mofos". As one source described it, "Howl at the Moon is known for dueling pianos and big buckets of fruity booze drinks". [17]

Locations

As of November 2022, Howl at the Moon has 15 locations in the United States, [3] [18]

Various other cities have also had Howl at the Moon locations for different periods. These include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Castle (restaurant)</span> American fast food restaurant chain

White Castle is an American regional hamburger restaurant chain with 377 locations across 13 states, with its greatest presence in the Midwest and New York metropolitan area. Founded on September 13, 1921, in Wichita, Kansas, it has been generally credited as the world's first fast-food hamburger chain. It is known for its small, square hamburgers referred to as "sliders". The burgers were initially priced at five cents until 1929 and remained at 10 cents until 1949. In the 1940s, White Castle periodically ran promotional ads in local newspapers which contained coupons offering five burgers for ten cents, takeout only. In 2014, Time named the White Castle slider "The Most Influential Burger of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Improv</span> Comedy club franchise

The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Street Station</span> Historic train station in downtown Orlando, Florida

Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot, is a historic train station and commercial development in Orlando, Florida. The historic depot and surrounding buildings house a retail and entertainment center. The complex also contains a stop for SunRail, the commuter rail service of the Greater Orlando area.

<i>ampm</i> US multinational convenience store chain

ampm is a convenience store chain with branches located in several U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and in several countries such as Costa Rica and Brazil. The brand pulled out of the Eastern United States in 2012, but returned a decade later.

The Western League was the name of several minor league baseball leagues that operated between 1885 and 1899. These leagues were focused mainly in the Midwestern United States.

GameWorks is a gaming-based entertainment center with a single location as of 2022, a chain of such businesses. It was owned by then-owner ExWorks Capital, each venue featured a wide array of video game arcades, in addition to full-service bars and restaurants. It was originally created in 1996 as a joint venture by Sega, DreamWorks SKG, and Universal Studios, with the company growing into an international chain. Two former executives subsequently acquired the Seattle location and reopened it in August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Mitchell Restaurants</span>

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants is a restaurant group headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It owns restaurants under various names, many of which are located in Central Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano bar</span> Informal public venue for pianist

A piano bar consists of a piano or electronic keyboard played by a professional musician. Piano bars can be located in a cocktail lounge, bar, hotel lobby, office building lobby, restaurant, or on a cruise ship. Usually the pianist receives a small salary plus tips in a jar or basket on or near the piano, especially from patrons requesting a song traditionally written on a beverage napkin. Some piano bars feature a baby grand or grand piano surrounded by stools for patrons. Others have a bar surrounding the piano or keyboard.

China Coast was a casual dining American restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., specializing in American Chinese cuisine.

The Mitchell's Fish Market is an American seafood restaurant chain founded in 1998 by restaurateur Cameron Mitchell of Columbus, Ohio.

The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is a membership organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre, entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production and technology, and to generally promote their interests. To this end, the USITT mounts conferences and exhibitions, promulgates awards and publications, and supports research. USITT is a non-profit organization which has its headquarters in Syracuse, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Browns relocation controversy</span> Complicated NFL franchise move

The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy—colloquially called "The Move" by fans—was caused during the 1995 NFL season by the announcement from then-Browns owner Art Modell that he intended to move the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from its long-time home of Cleveland to Baltimore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club Baths</span>

Club Baths was a chain of gay bathhouses in the United States and Canada with particular prominence from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization, which purchased it from Live Nation in 2008.

Ocean Prime is a steakhouse and seafood restaurant concept owned by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants that currently consists of nine restaurants in eight states. Ocean Prime opened in Troy, Michigan in June 2008 and has locations in Columbus, Ohio, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa, Dallas, Denver and Atlanta. Other Ocean Prime locations are set to open in Indianapolis and Houston (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Ohio</span>

Ohio is home to many professional and college sports teams. The metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus are home to major league professional sports teams in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.

Dave Whinham is a sports and entertainment executive, filmmaker, and former American football coach and team executive. Whinham formed in 2002 and has since served as president of a consulting and production company now known as The TEAM Productions. Based in Columbus, OH, The TEAM focuses its efforts in four areas: (1) brokering of sports and entertainment opportunities and entities, (2) providing comprehensive consulting services to the sports and entertainment industry, (3) producing live sports and entertainment events, and (4) creating, producing, and placing media elements. Whinham resides in Columbus and is a native of Detroit.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ginny Beagan, "Howl at the Moon Experience lets audiences request the night's songs", St. Lucie News Tribune (July 8, 2016), p. D1: "Howl at the Moon is a successful franchise of piano bars with almost 20 locations across the country, including a popular Orlando bar".
  2. 1 2 Kellie Hwang, "Howl at the Moon piano bar opening in Scottsdale", Arizona Republic (October 14, 2009), p. Z9: "Howl at the Moon, the nation's original dueling-piano bar chain, is finally coming to Arizona".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wishingrad, Emily; Plumb, Tierney (November 21, 2022). "Dueling Piano Bar Howl at the Moon Goes Live in D.C. With Neon Booze Buckets". DC Eater.
  4. 1 2 "100 People to Watch in 1993", The Cincinnati Enquirer (January 5, 1992), p. E-1.
  5. ↑ Robert M. Elkins, Landing almost ready to launch", The Cincinnati Enquirer (March 11, 1990), p. B-1, B-2.
  6. ↑ Corky Richmond, "Riverfront complex features sidewheeler", The Indianapolis Star (July 15, 1990), p. G-3.
  7. ↑ James Nold Jr., "Down By The River", The Louisville Courier-Journal (August 31, 1990), "Weekend", p. 1.
  8. ↑ Patrick Crowley, "Howl at Moon owners plan Cleveland, Columbus saloons", The Cincinnati Post (February 26, 1991), p. 9B.
  9. ↑ "Downtown club for good times", The Boston Globe (May 7, 1992), "Calendar", p. 12.
  10. ↑ "Werewolves of Church Street", The Orlando Sentinel (January 25, 1993), p. D-1.
  11. 1 2 Tkacik, Christina (February 11, 2020). "Piano bar Howl at the Moon to close in Baltimore's Inner Harbor after 19 years". Baltimore Sun.
  12. 1 2 "Howl At The Moon". SG Magazine. April 8, 2010. This latest addition to Singapore’s nightlife boasts a unique live music and live stand-up comedy acts. Apart from its comedy acts, take note of the Dueling Pianos hour where piano players battle it out on stage in orchestrated routines.
  13. ↑ "Dueling pianos to rock downtown bar", Kenosha News (April 10, 2015), "Get Out", p. 12.
  14. ↑ "Regional communities plan spring clean ups", Victoria, Texas, Advocate (April 5, 2018), p. A2: "A dinner, drink, and dueling pianos event benefiting the Edna Education Foundation... will feature Howl 2 Go, a dueling pianos band and guests will be able to request their favorite music".
  15. ↑ "Dueling Pianos Fundraiser", The Odessa American (March 25, 2022), p. A3: "Howl 2Go and Sewell Ford has scheduled Dueling Pianos Event benfiting the Professionals of Odessa Lions Club".
  16. ↑ "Keys 4 Kids to benefit Boys and Girls Club", The Seymour, Indiana, Tribune (June 23, 2021), p. 1: "Enjoy an evening of musical fun with Howl at the Moon dueling piano entertainment".
  17. 1 2 3 Snyder, Molly (April 22, 2022). "First look: Howl at the Moon". OnMilwaukee.
  18. ↑ "Locations". Howl at the Moon. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  19. ↑ Sarah Sper and Heidi Leigh Johansen, eds., Chicago 2007 (Fodor's, 2006), p. 273.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "On The Menu", The Shreveport Times (August 12, 1999), p. 5A.
  21. ↑ Sam Sessa, "They Take Requests", The Baltimore Sun (February 23, 2006), p. T9.
  22. ↑ Sarah Aarthun, "Unpretentious Howl a comfy uptown hoot", The Charlotte Observer (June 27, 2008), p. CLT-10.
  23. ↑ Sarah Aarthun, "Lynx At Night", The Charlotte Observer (November 28, 2008), p. CLT-13.
  24. ↑ Brian Mains, "Bar, bowling alley to open Aug. 26 at Banks", The Hamilton Journal News (August 10, 2016), p. B5.
  25. ↑ Heidi Diegmund Cuda, "CityWalk Runs With New Entertainment", The Los Angeles Times (June 29, 2000), p. 50.
  26. ↑ "Piano fight!", Minneapolis Star Tribune (December 9, 2011), p. E3.
  27. ↑ Tom Horgen, "Goodbye, piano man", Minneapolis Star Tribune (July 6, 2018), p. E2: "The Shout House... outlasted another dueling piano bar, Howl at the Moon, which opened in 2011 and closed seven months later".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.