Music of the night

Harvelle's is the kind of place that you can go to on the spur of the moment after dinner to listen to live music and dance. It's one of the hole in the wall places that has been around since the 1930's and still manages to stay up to date with new acts and fresh faces, even though some of the patrons have been here for decades, the music mix is broad enough (and good enough) to attract the new blood that every place needs to live on in live music venues. The music tends to lean more on soul, rock, and jazz, but they also feature bongo night with Cuban/Afro beats and they have live dancers with the music on some week-end nights. The dance floor is small and gets packed, but usually there is enough room to at least stand and move around the place (a little). Harvelle's is a bar, so no one under 21 is allowed inside; if you're not 21 yet, then you'll just have to listen to the music from the sidewalk for now. The drinks have fun names, like the Deadly Sins, so you can choose which sinful martini you wish to attribute your hangover to, hmmm, maybe gluttonny?

For a completely different musical venue, there is Vibrato in Bel Air. This is an upscale, low key, much more formal place. If you are looking for a place to take a date or business associate for classic prime cuts of beef and freshly grilled wild salmon, with mellow jazz, this is the place to go. They have a wide and varied selection of wines, and the service is superb. All this elegance costs money, especially in Bel Air, but it's not unreasonable for a special occasion (or simply if you love to indulge your palate). They do have a small dance floor which attracts seasoned dancers. It's the kind of place that used to be the norm in the 1950's and 1960's, when people got dressed up to go to dinner, and live music was expected for an upscale restaurant.

Choose either venue depending on your mood and musical preference; as long as you have music in the night, it is a good night.