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| - Big thank you to Howl at the Moon for inviting me to attend their media preview with three of my best girl friends to celebrate their soft opening!
I had fairly high expectations going into the night, as I was really looking forward to a new nightlife activity downtown. The venue was a great size for our city and set up well, except that the stage was in a back corner and the bar was surrounded by tvs with sports channels on, giving it a sports bar vibe. The lighting was fun and night-clubby without being too flashy.
Because this was a media preview night, I felt the crowd was not as appropriate for the vibe and music as it might (and hopefully will) be on a regular Friday or Saturday night. People weren't of the dancing mindset, except for a few individuals. I was most surprised by the music, as it was advertised as a piano bar, but instead delivered a full band that played high-energy pop songs all night. My peers and I had assumed it would be more of a dueling piano bar, especially because they had two pianos facing each other on the stage. The performances were well done and a lot of fun, but I would have liked a variety of genres and moods instead of all fast popular music. I would have preferred more audience interaction, since it just seemed like they were playing a set. Though they did take one of my requests, they did not have any dialogue in between songs, nor did it seem much like improv. This was a little confusing given that they had song request forms on every table.
The drinks were flowing and they were overall pretty delicious. They have a nice selection of drinks for both the beer drinker and those who'd rather enjoy some hard liquor. They give recommended size options depending on the size of your party--the largest being a giant 84 oz bucket.
This seems like a great girls' night out option and something fun and different to do to switch up the typical happy hour hop around the outside neighborhoods. It's a nice change to the cultural district area and hopefully will evolve into something everyone can enjoy.
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