Howl at the Moon

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This article is about the company. For other uses, see Howl at the Moon (disambiguation).
Howl at the Moon
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois United States
Number of locations
14, plus cruise ships and a traveling show
Websitewww.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 2024, the franchise had 14 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.

History[edit]

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 "Howl2GO", 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 early 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[edit]

Musicians perform on a variety of instruments including pianos, drums, guitars and horns, though the centerpiece is the dueling pianists, "performing hit songs and taking audience requests".[18] 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[edit]

Howl at the Moon in Milwaukee

As of June 2023, Howl at the Moon has 15 locations in the United States,[3][19]

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

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b Tkacik, Christina (February 11, 2020). "Piano bar Howl at the Moon to close in Baltimore's Inner Harbor after 19 years". Baltimore Sun.
  12. ^ a b "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 benefiting 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. ^ a b c Snyder, Molly (April 22, 2022). "First look: Howl at the Moon". OnMilwaukee.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Cooley, Patrick (July 29, 2021). "Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar coming to the Arena District". The Columbus Dispatch.
  19. ^ "Locations". Howl at the Moon. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  20. ^ Sarah Sper and Heidi Leigh Johansen, eds., Chicago 2007 (Fodor's, 2006), p. 273.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i "On The Menu", The Shreveport Times (August 12, 1999), p. 5A.
  22. ^ "Shark Bar replacing Howl at the Moon at Ballpark Villages", St. Louis Post-Dispatch (July 7, 2018), p. A07.
  23. ^ Sam Sessa, "They Take Requests", The Baltimore Sun (February 23, 2006), p. T9.
  24. ^ Sarah Aarthun, "Unpretentious Howl a comfy uptown hoot", The Charlotte Observer (June 27, 2008), p. CLT-10.
  25. ^ Sarah Aarthun, "Lynx At Night", The Charlotte Observer (November 28, 2008), p. CLT-13.
  26. ^ Brian Mains, "Bar, bowling alley to open Aug. 26 at Banks", The Hamilton Journal News (August 10, 2016), p. B5.
  27. ^ Heidi Diegmund Cuda, "CityWalk Runs With New Entertainment", The Los Angeles Times (June 29, 2000), p. 50.
  28. ^ "Piano fight!", Minneapolis Star Tribune (December 9, 2011), p. E3.
  29. ^ 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".

External links[edit]

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