Tickle the Ivory
Nate LipkaIssue date: 10/29/09 Section: Nightlife
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Howl at the Moon jumped into the dueling piano bar fracas earlier this month - along with Mill Avenue mainstay The Big Bang and new-ish Glendale joint The Shout! House - this one holding it down in Old Town Scottsdale.
It's a well-established format, so much so that it's surprising that The Big Bang was the only game in town for so long, but for the moment the metro landscape is blanketed by piano bars.
It's a rather fun, simple idea. Two pianos, two players, sing-along-friendly tunes, plenty of cheesy tomfoolery and plentiful booze. Corny, yes; fun, most definitely. The aforementioned "plentiful booze" only helps matters.
There are some slight tweaks to the arrangement at Howl, too. The two piano players yield to two fresh players after an hour of jams in a big switcheroo affectionately referred to as a "four-way." Drums, guitar and saxophone are even mixed in during such transitional sessions - yes, these guys really have to know how to play.
The staff also gets in on the act from time-to-time, acting out parts and dancing to accompany songs, usually well-worn jingles and TV show themes, a la defunct Valley eatery Ed Debevic's.
But Ed Debevic's didn't have the sweet nectar of the devil to keep the party going. Howl has all your favorite stand-bys, plus a few wicked additions. Like 24 ounce "bones" (the long glasses that look a little like bongs). Or, stomach-turningly enough, giant 86-ounce buckets of hurricane, margarita, jungle juice or adios motherfucker for the whole table to share with giant straws. If that won't make you sing "Don't Stop Believin'" a little bit louder, nothing will.
The buckets o' booze probably have something to do with the establishment's wonky hours of operation, we're guessing. Like any musicians, Howl's piano players and hard-dancin' servers need time to recover from a weekend of hard-partyin' and relentless jamming. And while a three day post-weekend weekend may seem like a bit much (the place is closed Sunday through Tuesday), there's probably still a piano bar much like this one open, nearby and ready to fill the need at a moment's notice.
Howl at the Moon, 7419 E. Indian Plaza Drive, Suite A, Scottsdale, 480.994.4695
THE BIG BANG
The Valley's o.g. piano bar is a favorite spot. Go on your birthday - seriously. 501 S. Mill Avenue, Suite B-101, Tempe, 480.557.5595
THE SHOUT! HOUSE
A new-ish piano bar in Glendale is much like the others. 6770 N. Sunrise Boulevard, Suite 207, Glendale, 623.772.1500
THE SAIL INN
With stages inside and out, the Sail Inn has live music and DJ sets every night. 26 S. Farmer Avenue, Tempe, 480.966.9565
GOAT HEAD SALOON
The Goat Head is the East Valley's epicenter for metal music. The joint's pool tables are within earshot of the stage, too. 1423 S. Country Club Drive, Mesa, 480.464.8030
THE CLUBHOUSE
It's hard to find a bar closer to the stage at any of the Valley's music venues. 1320 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, 480.968.3238
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