The Backbone of a Bar: A Perfect Soundtrack

Live music will always feel different from the radio or headphones. Every pore in your body fills with the movement of the bass, the beat of the drums, and the passion of the singer. Regardless of what is playing, you feel it. At a bar, these sensations are deepened by the enhancement of alcohol and the feeling of strangers united through friendship. For most people, going out to a bar isn’t for the music. But during many live performances, the sonic ambiance of bars is just as, if not more, important than the drinks you order and the people you’re with. To expose the value of background music in these spaces, it’s helpful to examine the musical accompaniments for three different types of scenes. 

Brunch and Jazz:

Brunch and jazz go together like bread and butter; you can always have more of both. At The Beehive, a jazz bar in Boston’s South End, the club built its brand on the reciprocal principle of live jazz sustaining the people around it. In their intimately dim ballroom, you’ll find couples of all ages sharing a drink and a tune. The walls, draped with rouge curtains, form a dampened soundscape to elevate the jazz and dining experience. On the hour, the soft din of forks clacking on plates and anniversary chatter comes to an attentive stop as the upright bassist takes to the mic. A quiet and grateful introduction ensues before the rest of the band joins, and the audience, happily eating their most treasured meal of the week, waits for their background music to commence. It’s an insult to call jazz background music, but live jazz performances almost require the patience of sitting at a table and ordering food. By nurturing your body and soul, a jazz bar enriches the experience of live music in a way that no other environment does. 

Clubs and DJs:

Dancing, the beautiful blending of the mind, body, and soul through movement and music, creates a magical air that fills a club like a toxin. Scorpion, in Boston’s Seaport, rests at the top of an onyx staircase where the backlit bar is piled high with expensive liquor and the dance floor is filled by equally luxuriously-dressed patrons. To your left, the DJ booth draws as much attention as the dancers atop a 4-foot high platform winding around the dance floor. Since there is nowhere else for you to take up space, the cramped dancefloor becomes your home and the music becomes the air you breathe. Similar to a jazz band’s command of tempo, the DJ balances already elevated heart rates, coaxing out a rhythm to guide you all night. This command requires a critical tool and an interested crowd. While a club can shape its space and pack people in, without inspired dancers, the music falls flat. Thus, there is a give and a take needed to maintain a club’s animated atmosphere; if you’ve got dancers, you’ve got a good set. 

Dives and Playlists:

The bartender at your favorite dive bar is responsible for not just your drinks, but the playlist that keeps you ordering more. Shay’s, a dive bar in Cambridge, functions as the perfect gathering spot for friends and strangers to coexist over a local IPA and a game of cards. Lacking a formalized atmosphere, a dive bar has one goal: to bring people together. Their background music, often underground throwbacks, supports this by building subconscious comfortability. Unlike the other two examples, the bar staff themselves are responsible for the music and the service forming a unique tone rooted in human connection. To do both things well demonstrates a trust in one's customers that reflects the collaborative and relaxed vibe dives look to curate. They’re there to serve good cheap drinks and even better late night memories all while securing your service with great music. 

The concept of a bar concert stems from bar goers’ desire for a shared experience, an exchange of attention for ambiance. Unlike a typical concert, the music in bars contributes to an already established vibe – the venue itself and the interactions within it. Bars act as a third space for adults to share their lives with friends, loved ones, and even strangers. Music does the same. Marrying the two makes falling in love with music as easy as ordering your first beer.