By Jon Parton
There’s a corporate formula for everything. From where the products in a grocery store are located to the amount of lighting filling the store. Howl at the Moon feels like it was built by test groups.
Howl at the Moon, located at 1334 Grand Blvd. within the Power and Light district, is part of a chain of dueling piano bars.
It features a stage with two baby grand pianos and two or more entertainers who take song requests from the audience. The concept hearkens back to American cabaret shows of the Roaring Twenties, when restaurants and bars featured live jazz music and dance.
They charge a ten dollar cover to get in on a Saturday night. This is one of the worst complaints I could ever have for any bar. In addition to spending money on drinks, you’re forced to spend money just to get in the door.
This wasn’t an amusement park. The place wasn’t big enough to house an indoor roller coaster. The idea of paying money for the privilege of paying even more money is ludicrous.
Back to the formula, there are some things every corporate establishment needs. First, they need a lot of neon signs. Check. Second, they need the female wait staff to wear skimpy outfits. Check. Third, they have to offer weird or unique drinks. Check.
A waitress approached us shortly after we got in, offering us some weird drink served from a huge fake syringe. We passed on her offer. Instead, like any classy bar patron would, we ordered a “bucket of booze” called the Hurricane.
It was a combination of rum, dark rum, grenadine, orange and pineapple syrup, Bacardi 151 and cola. Although I’m not much of a mixed drink type of guy, I have to admit the combination of fruity flavors mixed well with the cola.
Unfortunately, the bucket wasn’t stirred very well, leaving most of the bottom of the bucket with a strong taste of rum. That’s not something you want to drink out of a straw. It definitely wasn’t worth the 35 dollars I paid for it.
The entertainers were the best part of our experience. They kept the atmosphere lively with covers of famous pop, rock, country and even rap songs.
Another positive aspect was the people watching experience of our visit. A man was celebrating his 50th birthday that night and brought his friends with him. It’s always fun to watch people try their best to dance.
We were less than impressed with the level of noise in the bar. Although it’s expected to run into loud volumes at most bars, it’s downright annoying when you have to shout to the person next to you in order to communicate.
We cut out of the place after about 40 minutes. The quality of the show wasn’t worth the quality of the booze and the noise of the place. Although I wouldn’t completely write the bar off, I probably wouldn’t go again unless I was with a large group of people.
Contact Jon Parton, managing editor, at jparton@jccc.edu.