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The Dueling Pianos Craze
Every weekend starts to feel like the previous one. Yeah, you have fun, but you are
starting to get a little tired of the status quo. You keep running into the same people and
sure they’re fun, but you want to meet someone different for once or try something new
for a change. Same old story. Different weekend. As Jacksonville and the Beaches grow,
so does the desire to have the same entertainment as other markets such as Orlando,
Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta. We want the top restaurants, the best concerts as well as the
great entertainment venues. Why not,
we are the fourteenth largest city in
the US.
One of the fasting growing genres on
the entertainment scene that is in all
those other markets nearly made it to
Jacksonville at the end of 2005. On
November 4, 2005, the Jacksonville
Business Journal wrote a story titled,
“Piano Bar Eyes Landing Location.”
National dueling piano bar, Howl at
the Moon was looking at opening
their 14th location right on our
riverfront. The deal fell through, but
Jacksonville didn’t lose hope.
Many larger markets have been
franchising piano bars due to their
guaranteed-good-time atmosphere.
For those who don’t know or have
never been to a dueling piano bar
the concept is quite simple. Two
piano players/entertainers play songs
the audience dictates. So it’s like
watching a band where all they play is
dedications? Not at all. Nor is it two
piano players trying to out-perform
each other. Rather, the two players
work together to provide a highenergy
show in which the audience is
as much a part of the entertainment as is the performers. You won’t find another form of
entertainment that can match what the dueling pianos players can do. These aren’t your
old piano teachers on keyboards. These are funny, artistic, showmen who play popular
songs, requested by the audience as well as comedic lyrics in place of some standard lyrics,
light-hearted roasts of audience members, and a high-energy mix of music and comedy.
The show is different from night to night.
Finally the dueling piano craze landed in Jacksonville this past summer. In June, 2006,
Crazy 88s Dueling Pianos opened up their first location in the Tinseltown Shopping
Center. Crazy 88s Dueling Pianos teamed up with Dick’s Wings Tinseltown, to bring a
new form of entertainment to the Southside area. The talent for each show is different
every weekend. Crazy 88s books top players who perform at Howl at the Moon, Sing
Sing, and other dueling piano bars around the country and bring them to Jacksonville.
Crazy 88s looked at several venues to host Crazy 88s Dueling Pianos, and finally selected
Dick’s Wings because of their central location, demographics and room size. The
Southside area continues to grow, but until now there really hasn’t been a bar in the
Tinseltown area that provides this
type of great entertainment on a
regular basis.
Most recently, Crazy 88s opened
their second location at the Beach
inside the front part of the Ocean
Club. With the success of the first
location it seemed obvious to provide
the same entertainment to the
thousands of people who love going
out in Jax Beach area every weekend.
Teaming up with the Ocean Club
and converting the front bar, what
used to be Bubba’s Lounge, into their
second location. Sharing the same
excitement of opening a dueling
piano bar at the beach, the Ocean
Club invested into the conversion
of the old Bubba’s Lounge. Now
completely redesigned, Crazy 88s
newest location resides in what is
now called The Lounge at Ocean
Club. The same format can be
found at the Beaches location with
different top players from other cities
performing every weekend.
Dueling pianos has the reputation of
being a fun and energetic show that
can be found in many major markets.
Crazy 88s management knows it’s important for them to continue to bring in different
talent every weekend so the show is always new. Having this new form of entertainment
is something Jacksonville needs in order to continue to grow its nightlife scene. If you are
ready to try something different or shake off your old drinking habits, visit either location
this weekend.
Crazy 88s Dueling Pianos is open every Friday and Saturday night. The Tinseltown
location starts each night at 9:00 pm and the players perform until 1:00am. The players at
the Beaches location start each Friday and Saturday at 10:00pm and play until 2:00am. For
more information or for reservations on Jacksonville’s only dueling piano bar, Crazy 88s,
visit their website: www.jaxduelingpianos.com or call (904) 394-7196.
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