Lounge Music Idea

[ih303]

I want to play different genres of music different nights of the week. Not only that, I want different nights to be associated with different styles of music. For instance, right now we have DJ's on most Fri and Sat nights that play Jazzy House and Liquid Drum & Bass respectively. I want to make that a regular thing where people can EXPECT to hear those music styles on those nights of the week. Not only that, I want to carry it over to other nights of the week with other styles of music.

The logic here is based on the fact that most people relate and identify with some style of music. If a place plays that kind of music, the relationship is extended to the place. People with a relationship with a business and the people who work there feel a sense of ownership and loyalty. And these people act as ambassadors for your business in the general population.


The execution of this would be simple - it's common practice for venues in bigger cities. We create a flier that has all the days of the week on it. For each day, we have something different. Each day would have different music as well as maybe a catchy name, special promotion, or performance. I know you guys have seen these adds. They're always in the back of your local entertainment paper.


So what do you guys think? Am I over thinking this or am I on to something? If you think this is a sound idea, what kind of night (music/promotion) would you like to see if my lounge was in your hood?




Thanks in advance, guys. This forum acts as a sounding board for a lot of the decisions we make at the lounge, and I appreciate it.

[delSol_si]

[size=2]sounds like a great idea to me. Some of the music i like listening to when smoking is Akon, Johnny Cash, L[/size][size=2]ynyrd Skynyrd, Phish, The String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams...just to name a few. You could have a local spotlight type deal, invite local bands to come in and play, a lot of them will probably suck, but they will try to get their friends to come listen to them, which means more business for you.[/size]
[size=2]
[/size]
[size=2]you might also try handing out a survey and offering like 10% off on your next visit for filling it out...that way you know what kind of music your clientele likes.[/size]

[Venger]

Banner Idea. I am not a fan of country or hip hop so I could avoid those nights in favor of trip hop,electronica ,EBM ,industrial nights.
Ray

[KeepItSimple]

Great idea. I would def be down to go to a place like that.

Although maybe have one night where it's requests and stuff like that. I would love to go to a place and be waiting for the song I picked to come on, then I'm all stoked when it does. I miss the days with jukeboxes. And I say miss in the way that I never really got to experience that, being young.

[rhineholt]

I think that's a great idea. I know there's a lounge around here that does belly dancers evey friday. The lounge is always packed that night.

[TheyCallMeDave]

I am a huge fan of the Jamacian reggae/costal style of music. That's what makes me enjoy my session more than any other music. Tropic, breezy groovy jam sessions.

Love me some Bob Marley during my smokes.



I'd smoke to that on a Sunday, that's for sure.

[Hassouni]

Arabic and Turkish pop is always good...

[Arcane]

great idea....but, you also have to think of the opposite side....if i saw a flier that said you were playing live rock music during that day of the week, i'd avoid the lounge that day. in fact, if i know what music you're playing in advanced...it may limit the days i go to your lounge.

as for me, i prefer R&B or local hawaiian/reggae music....some hip hop too.

[ih303]

[quote name='Arcane' date='07 April 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1270669727' post='462455']
great idea....but, you also have to think of the opposite side....if i saw a flier that said you were playing live rock music during that day of the week, i'd avoid the lounge that day. in fact, if i know what music you're playing in advanced...it may limit the days i go to your lounge.

as for me, i prefer R&B or local hawaiian/reggae music....some hip hop too.
[/quote]

That's actually something we've thought about. I guess the question is, would doing something like that encourage more people to go to hear music they like, or would more people stay home to avoid hearing music they don't like? Right now, they have no idea what we're playing until they get there.

Another advantage to my idea is it allows us to target slower nights with certain music and promotions to bring more business.

Our format is not set in stone, but this roughly what it's like right now:

Mon: Downtempo (trip hop, fusion, jazzy house, etc. - think Mark Farina)
Tue: Hip Hop (NOT RAP! - older stuff like digable planets, tribe called quest, mos def, etc. REAL hip hop)
Wed: Same as Monday
Thu: Reggae (we have a drum circle that night as well)
Fri: House (Not pumping club stuff, but chill, jazzy, funky house - think Miguel Migs)
Sat: Drum & Bass (again, chill, liquid, atmospheric stuff - think LTJ Bukem)

If you can't tell, my partners and I old party kids and are deeply into the electronic scene, albeit a much more mellow variety now we're older. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

[bellydancerakn]

Maybe have a promotion like monday is blues night with half off a bowl of SB blue mist. Kind of something like that.

[Venger]

[quote name='ih303' date='07 April 2010 - 04:03 PM' timestamp='1270670601' post='462458']
[quote name='Arcane' date='07 April 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1270669727' post='462455']
great idea....but, you also have to think of the opposite side....if i saw a flier that said you were playing live rock music during that day of the week, i'd avoid the lounge that day. in fact, if i know what music you're playing in advanced...it may limit the days i go to your lounge.

as for me, i prefer R&B or local hawaiian/reggae music....some hip hop too.
[/quote]

That's actually something we've thought about. I guess the question is, would doing something like that encourage more people to go to hear music they like, or would more people stay home to avoid hearing music they don't like? Right now, they have no idea what we're playing until they get there.

Another advantage to my idea is it allows us to target slower nights with certain music and promotions to bring more business.

Our format is not set in stone, but this roughly what it's like right now:

Mon: Downtempo (trip hop, fusion, jazzy house, etc. - think Mark Farina)
Tue: Hip Hop (NOT RAP! - older stuff like digable planets, tribe called quest, mos def, etc. REAL hip hop)
Wed: Same as Monday
Thu: Reggae (we have a drum circle that night as well)
Fri: House (Not pumping club stuff, but chill, jazzy, funky house - think Miguel Migs)
Sat: Drum & Bass (again, chill, liquid, atmospheric stuff - think LTJ Bukem)

If you can't tell, my partners and I old party kids and are deeply into the electronic scene, albeit a much more mellow variety now we're older. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
[/quote]
OLDER I am 46 years old and my top 3 favorite groups are Neurotic fish,VNV Nation and assemblage 23. Since I was in my 20's during the 80's I was all about new wave and this is just the current incarnation of that style music...synth on.
Ray

[Arcane]

if i saw that, i'd probably only come on tuesdays and thursdays...IF i wanted to go out that night...

i probably wouldn't even consider going on the other nights...


now...if i didn't know what was playing and headed out to the lounge, and the music isn't something i like, my thought would probably be "well, i'm already here...might as well stay for a while..."

[PSU Smoker]

I'm with Jay on this one, If I go out to a lounge I really only want to hear Jamaican/reggae and some other chill music like Matisyahu, maybe rock if I'm in the mood. Therefore I might only come to the lounge on certain days IF i am available and want to go out. However If you get polls from your customers and make the slow nights a popular music night you might up attendance, but you might just steal them from coming on a different night. You can always try it and change it back later if it doesnt work

[Skoozle]

I'm guessing that most people don't go to a hookah lounge more than once a week anyway, so why not gather like minded people on a specific night. You definitely need a karaoke night.

[ih303]

[quote name='Venger' date='07 April 2010 - 02:31 PM' timestamp='1270672287' post='462467']
OLDER I am 46 years old and my top 3 favorite groups are Neurotic fish,VNV Nation and assemblage 23. Since I was in my 20's during the 80's I was all about new wave and this is just the current incarnation of that style music...synth on.
Ray
[/quote]

Diggin' on the industrial, eh? I used to be into Front 242, Kraftwerk, and Recoil back in the day. Still love early Depeche mode, Erasure, and Pet Shop Boys. I always gravitated towards the lighter side of new wave. Where HAVE all the true goths gone? Hot Topic came along and ruined it for everyone. But I digress...


All our music is "loungish" in nature. The only time we crank the beats is when we have a party, which is not that often.

[Venger]

[quote name='ih303' date='07 April 2010 - 08:20 PM' timestamp='1270686049' post='462539']
[quote name='Venger' date='07 April 2010 - 02:31 PM' timestamp='1270672287' post='462467']
OLDER I am 46 years old and my top 3 favorite groups are Neurotic fish,VNV Nation and assemblage 23. Since I was in my 20's during the 80's I was all about new wave and this is just the current incarnation of that style music...synth on.
Ray
[/quote]

Diggin' on the industrial, eh? I used to be into Front 242, Kraftwerk, and Recoil back in the day. Still love early Depeche mode, Erasure, and Pet Shop Boys. I always gravitated towards the lighter side of new wave. Where HAVE all the true goths gone? Hot Topic came along and ruined it for everyone. But I digress...


All our music is "loungish" in nature. The only time we crank the beats is when we have a party, which is not that often.



[/quote]
I feel you man.loved all those bands back in the day. I keep telling my son I was goth before we had a word for it. Hot topic posers see me walk in and shoot me dirty looks.I'm thinking to myself "dude I was shoving metal in my head before you were an itch in your daddy's pants"
Ray

[joytron]

[quote name='ih303' date='07 April 2010 - 01:03 PM' timestamp='1270670601' post='462458']
[quote name='Arcane' date='07 April 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1270669727' post='462455']
great idea....but, you also have to think of the opposite side....if i saw a flier that said you were playing live rock music during that day of the week, i'd avoid the lounge that day. in fact, if i know what music you're playing in advanced...it may limit the days i go to your lounge.

as for me, i prefer R&B or local hawaiian/reggae music....some hip hop too.
[/quote]

That's actually something we've thought about. I guess the question is, would doing something like that encourage more people to go to hear music they like, or would more people stay home to avoid hearing music they don't like? Right now, they have no idea what we're playing until they get there.

Another advantage to my idea is it allows us to target slower nights with certain music and promotions to bring more business.

Our format is not set in stone, but this roughly what it's like right now:

Mon: Downtempo (trip hop, fusion, jazzy house, etc. - think Mark Farina)
Tue: Hip Hop (NOT RAP! - older stuff like digable planets, tribe called quest, mos def, etc. REAL hip hop)
Wed: Same as Monday
Thu: Reggae (we have a drum circle that night as well)
Fri: House (Not pumping club stuff, but chill, jazzy, funky house - think Miguel Migs)
Sat: Drum & Bass (again, chill, liquid, atmospheric stuff - think LTJ Bukem)

If you can't tell, my partners and I old party kids and are deeply into the electronic scene, albeit a much more mellow variety now we're older. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Sounds like a good set-up, I am actually quite surprised since i am a little picky but i would be happy to go any night of the weak. What about fitting in some psybient and psydub on downtempo night. Also if you are playing LTJ Bukem be sure to play some Liquid Groove. Maybe fit some fusion on the hip-hop night, I am always happy to hear some funky jazz.

[wayfarinstranger]

[quote name='ih303' date='07 April 2010 - 03:03 PM' timestamp='1270670601' post='462458']
[quote name='Arcane' date='07 April 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1270669727' post='462455']
great idea....but, you also have to think of the opposite side....if i saw a flier that said you were playing live rock music during that day of the week, i'd avoid the lounge that day. in fact, if i know what music you're playing in advanced...it may limit the days i go to your lounge.

as for me, i prefer R&B or local hawaiian/reggae music....some hip hop too.
[/quote]

That's actually something we've thought about. I guess the question is, would doing something like that encourage more people to go to hear music they like, or would more people stay home to avoid hearing music they don't like? Right now, they have no idea what we're playing until they get there.

Another advantage to my idea is it allows us to target slower nights with certain music and promotions to bring more business.

Our format is not set in stone, but this roughly what it's like right now:

Mon: Downtempo (trip hop, fusion, jazzy house, etc. - think Mark Farina)
Tue: Hip Hop (NOT RAP! - older stuff like digable planets, tribe called quest, mos def, etc. REAL hip hop)
Wed: Same as Monday
Thu: Reggae (we have a drum circle that night as well)
Fri: House (Not pumping club stuff, but chill, jazzy, funky house - think Miguel Migs)
Sat: Drum & Bass (again, chill, liquid, atmospheric stuff - think LTJ Bukem)

If you can't tell, my partners and I old party kids and are deeply into the electronic scene, albeit a much more mellow variety now we're older. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Yeah I like that format. I'd be fine with any any of those. Personally I'd have some specific preferences about other music I'd want to hear (jazz, older country/rockabilly [Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent], OLD school hip hop ([i.e. Sugarhill Gang] and all of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing & Preemptive Strike) and that's just me, but I'm definitely feeling the chill vibe you're going for.

I second the suggestion for karaoke night. I'd go that night specifically for that purpose and rock some [i]choice[/i] Grandmaster Flash.

This may be too complicated, but one night you could let the customers choose the playlist. You'd offer a selection of albums that they can choose from. It's more of a jukebox scenario and having one of those would make it easier, but it's kinda nice to hear the joints you picked filling the place with your brand of freshness.

[ih303]

[quote name='wayfarinstranger' date='07 April 2010 - 09:36 PM' timestamp='1270697773' post='462604']
Yeah I like that format. I'd be fine with any any of those. Personally I'd have some specific preferences about other music I'd want to hear (jazz, older country/rockabilly [Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent], OLD school hip hop ([i.e. Sugarhill Gang] and all of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing & Preemptive Strike) and that's just me, but I'm definitely feeling the chill vibe you're going for.

I second the suggestion for karaoke night. I'd go that night specifically for that purpose and rock some [i]choice[/i] Grandmaster Flash.

This may be too complicated, but one night you could let the customers choose the playlist. You'd offer a selection of albums that they can choose from. It's more of a jukebox scenario and having one of those would make it easier, but it's kinda nice to hear the joints you picked filling the place with your brand of freshness.
[/quote]


The Jukebox idea is good in theory only. You have to assume that most people have terrible taste in music. You should hear the requests we get. In fact, we have a sign behind the bar that says "Song Requests - $50". That's how we feel about that.

I like the idea of like-minded people getting together to hear specific types of music. Maybe in a scenario like that, the jukebox idea would work.

I've got to figure out what I should add to Mon and Wed to complete the gamut. Maybe poppy, indie-type stuff like Death Cab and The Shins. There's not much of a rockabilly scene here. Huge hardcore scene though, but I'll NEVER play that crap in my lounge, NEVER!!

[ih303]

So, last night we did our reggae & drum circle. It went off! The vibe was great, and we made pretty good money for a Thursday. I've definitely seen an increase in business since we started doing the music/performance. I definitely think I want to advertise it.

I think it's probably worth the risk of people choosing not to come on a certain night if they know they won't like the music. In fact, if we could take some of the people that come in during the weekend and shift them over to the week, that would definitely help us out with our seating issues.

I'm still looking for some good/catchy promotions to go with music styles. Just to get you guys started, I thought of doing an 80's and/or electroclash night where anyone born in the 80's would get a discount.

[JEEP :)]

Just throwing this idea out there...my local hookah lounge plays movies on some nights and at some spots they have old game systems to play(ps1, super nintendo) ...but other than that they do a poor job with music. I think you got a good idea with your music nights.

[ih303]

We actually tried that before. The movie didn't work too well because those who didn't want to watch it were loud making it hard for those who did wan to watch it.

I also used to have my old xBox in there. That seemed to work pretty good. Then I lost the xBox to my ex wife.


I've got to come up with some way to convince my partners to get on board with this music idea. They're so afraid somone's going to choose not to come in because of the style of music. I see the complete flip side - I think of all the people who will choose to come in because of the style of music.

Which would you guys (and girls) be? Would music prevent you from going to the only hookah bar in town? Could it encourage you?

[Venger]

[quote name='ih303' date='12 April 2010 - 09:14 AM' timestamp='1271078074' post='463200']
We actually tried that before. The movie didn't work too well because those who didn't want to watch it were loud making it hard for those who did wan to watch it.

I also used to have my old xBox in there. That seemed to work pretty good. Then I lost the xBox to my ex wife.


I've got to come up with some way to convince my partners to get on board with this music idea. They're so afraid somone's going to choose not to come in because of the style of music. I see the complete flip side - I think of all the people who will choose to come in because of the style of music.

Which would you guys (and girls) be? Would music prevent you from going to the only hookah bar in town? Could it encourage you?
[/quote]
I hate country music and most rap (not the old school,just the hater stuff) but I don't hate either so much that it would keep me away.
Ray

[JEEP :)]

What do you go to the hookah bar for?....to smoke the hookah. If the place is playing good music its a plus. If they are playing bad music its no big deal your there with your friends. I do not think that knowing you are going to play a certain type of music would make me want to come or not come. I am not too into music so it would not have any effect on me coming or not. I do not think it is that big of a deal. Unless your are going to be blasting the music that would be a turn off. If it is just being played i dont think anyone would be against it.

[Arcane]

[quote name='ih303' date='12 April 2010 - 03:14 AM' timestamp='1271078074' post='463200']
Which would you guys (and girls) be? Would music prevent you from going to the only hookah bar in town? Could it encourage you?
[/quote]
as i said before, most likely it would. but, now that i think about it...if i had a desire to go to the lounge, the music would have to be pretty bad to keep me away. i know i've left some lounges when they started playing junk music...