one thing i hate - ridiculously loud music in bars/lounges at Urban Monarch

one thing i hate - ridiculously loud music in bars/lounges

14Sep07

by Cash

When I’m on the packed dancefloor at a club or immersed in the experience of a live show, I’m happy to be completely overwhelmed by a high volume sound system. When I’m sitting in a bar or high-end lounge, wanting to have a few drinks and socialize - be it with strangers or my friends; I’m definitely not. Why then must so many bar owners(?)/managers(?) make this fatal mistake? It almost always drives my business elsewhere, and can often ruin an otherwise perfectly appealing establishment.

Two recent offenders in Denver; The Aphrodisiac Lounge @ Aqua Restaurant (which features some of the most gorgeous cockailers you can imagine, all dressed in the skimpiest of lingerie) and Shag Lounge, a location so close to my place I could easily picture myself a ‘regular’ if not for the idiocy of the ear blasting volume pouring out of the speakers.

My question then, turns to you faithful readers:

What’s the best way to voice my displeasure to the appropriate people at the bar? I’m pretty sure the DJ isn’t gonna take kindly to a request to turn it down. Is a letter appropriate? Should I just try to talk to the manager? Your thoughts are appricated.

Filed under: Lifestyle, Music & Media | Author: Cash |

5 Responses to “one thing i hate - ridiculously loud music in bars/lounges”

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1 Alexander on Sep 14th, 2007 said:

amen! I feel the exact same way. If I’m going out to a bar/lounge and when I get to the door its too loud, I’ll leave and find another place. I HATE having to scream at people inches away from me.
2 goat on Sep 14th, 2007 said:

nothing worse than a schitzo establishment that can’t decide what it is….

i think it’s also an incorrectly used ploy to make a venue seem more exciting/happening of a place. mentally banned way too many places that i know will be loud, which is too bad because they typically a reason why i wanted to be there in the first place..
3 Gucci on Sep 14th, 2007 said:

Great question Cash,

Here is some useful advice. Obviously you never really know what the response will be if you bring up this concern to the Manager or the appropriate people at the bar.

However, as a business establishment surely there are laws and ordinances that dictate the level of hospitality that must be given to all patrons. Think of any elderly person with a hearing aid, surely the establishment must cater to the individual otherwise it would be violating some law.

I would recommend you contact the Better Business Bureau or research what your rights as a patron are when visiting an establishment. I believe you have the right to have the establishment turn the music down.
4 Lincoln Jones on Sep 15th, 2007 said:

I’m a club DJ, and most of the time it’s not a good idea to ask the DJ to turn it down. The only way you would be able to get a DJ to turn it down is if no one was dancing. I think the most important thing to having a bar that has both a loud dance area and a quieter lounge area is to have them physically separated.

In the club I DJ at, there are two rooms, the big back room with a big dance floor area and a short bar, and in the front a long but narrow lounge area with a long bar. They are connected by a short hallway that has doors to bathrooms on either side. They have the two separated fairly well, and the music comes over some small satellite speakers in the lounge. (if you want to see what it looks like, go to the “soma interior” gallery on the second page of the photos section on this website: http://www.somaultralounge.com )

As an on-the-fly fix for the loudness, if you do end up talking to the bar owner/manager, maybe ask for the big speakers to be turned away from the more social area. Also things like adding a curtain, or using sound proofing could be suggested, but would be costly and possibly impractical. Hope this helps! Good luck! And if you’re diggin what the DJ is playing, go up and give him respect. And we always love for someone to ask what track is playing, we love it much more than getting requests. (which we usually hate)