Dinner at Marin Joes (6pm- Optional) and Piano Bar with Geoff Labes at 7pm

Hello Socialites:

Since this event was a success, lets get together again and experience this intriguing activity.. Yeep.. Singing along with an incredible songwriter Geoff at the piano bar in Marin Joes . Geoff is quiet a talented and accomplished retired musician and songwriter. He has written and performed songs with Van Morrison and other...

...so lets get together and sing a few tunes and enjoy each others company inside one of the best and oldest restaurant in Marin.. and you don't have to sing but enjoy each other's company..

For those who want to eat at this incredible restaurant please let us know. We can make reservations for you at 6pm.

http://www.marinjoesrestaurant.com/bar/

About Geoff Labes:

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/2/6/0/600_333517472.jpeg

http://jeflabes.com/

Since 1985 I have made my home in San Rafael, California located in central Marin County. I was introduced to the music scene here in the early 1970s while working with Van Morrison and, later, with Jessie Colin Young. The area has been filled with musical creativity and has nurtured the careers of such performers as Bonnie Raitt; Carlos Santana; Elvin Bishop; Huey Lewis and The News; Pablo Cruise; Shanna Morrison; The Doobie Brothers; Van Morrison, and, of course; myself.. With all the activity involving world-class musical performers, it is an inspiring place for a musician to live, work, learn, teach, play, and grow.

The Piano Bar at Marin Joes

Marin Joe's offers a large piano bar area, the perfect place to unwind before dinner. During cold winter evenings, a cozy fireplace keeps you warm. The full bar serves your favorite drinks while you listen and relax to classic tunes by local musicians. Musicians play six days a week.

Beers on tap include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Fat Tire, and Bitburger Pilzner.

"The piano bar at Marin Joe's harkens back to an era of three-martini lunches . . . Leave your Corvette with the valet, wink at the doll behind the cash register and make your way into the pleasing chiaroscuro of the lounge. Find a stool at the baby grand in the corner and order a Dewar's (neat) from the waitress. Tuck a five-spot in the brandy snifter and ask the piano man for a little Rodgers & Hart - "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" . . . Sing along if you know the words, as of course you do. A dish of crackers and beer cheese appears at your elbow . . . The aroma of woodsmoke beckons from the kitchen and the second drink is on its way. Man, this is living!"

http://www.marinjoesrestaurant.com/images/martini.jpg

Theatre historian John Kenrick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kenrick_(theatre_writer)) describes the piano bar as follows:

"A piano bar is a hybrid creature: part performance space, part living room, part cruise-a-thon, and part saloon. The bar is there to sell drinks, the pianist is there to perform, and the crowd is there to sing, listen, drink and socialize. All of this means that it's impossible to predict what a given evening's chemistry will be, even if most of the people on hand are regular customers.... While every factor counts, the most important issue is the person at the piano. The pianist determines the type of music, the style of performance, and the general tone of the evening.... The experienced piano bar player knows how to take genial control of most any situation and generally keep the party going".

A piano bar (also known as a piano lounge) consists of a piano (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano) or electronic keyboard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_keyboard) played by a professional musician (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musician), located in a cocktail lounge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_lounge), bar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_(counter)), hotel lobby, office building lobby, restaurant, or on a cruise ship. Usually the pianist receives a small salary plus tips in a jar or basket on or near the piano, especially from patrons requesting a song traditionally written on a beverage napkin.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_bar#cite_note-1) Some piano bars feature a baby grand or grand piano (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_piano) surrounded by stools for patrons (or, somewhat humorously, an upright piano covered by a counter that makes it appear to be a grand piano). Others have a bar surrounding the piano or keyboard.

Jimmy Durante (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Durante) started as a piano bar player, as did Billy Joel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Joel). Joel's classic hit "Piano Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Man_(song))" is based on his experiences as a piano bar player. Italian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy) tenor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenor), Andrea Bocelli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Bocelli) also played in piano bars to pay for singing lessons.

Reviews of Marin Joes:

Darius A. (http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=z7KsQ_nfTZq6mm6ZPAk_Mg)

San Bruno, CA

Darius A. (http://www.yelp.com/following_user/add?dst_user_id=z7KsQ_nfTZq6mm6ZPAk_Mg&previous_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fmarin-joes-corte-madera%3Fstart%3D160)8/20/2009

The only place in the entire city of Larkspur that is open past 9 PM. Good food, good prices for being an upscale Marin steakhouse and the food is always good.

Cyndi C. (http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ndsBC-OTb7zzbbn8KAvFiA)

Woodacre, CA

Cyndi C. (http://www.yelp.com/following_user/add?dst_user_id=ndsBC-OTb7zzbbn8KAvFiA&previous_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fmarin-joes-corte-madera%3Frh_ident%3Dpiano%2Bbar)10/8/2007

Marin Joe's is it. Sorry, reviewer Ellis D., you have no clue. None. You are nowhere NEAR a clue. Here's the clue: living in BELIZE. Here's YOU..in like, Canada, or something.

I digress...but truly, Ellis...ya just don't GET IT...

Marin Joe's, first off: AMBI-friggnin-ANCE up the yingyang...Piano bar...fireplace in the bar...little crackers with that funky port wine cheese spread stuff like my mom used to have for company. I could hang out there and drink martinis and eat cheese and crackers and listen to the piano guy and never even MAKE it to dinner...BUT...if I do...

...There are steaks, or ANYTHING from the grill...cooked over this big fire-pit Mephistophaclean mutha of a grill...perfect...charred rare or however you like them...there is the Joe's Special Salad...with shrimp AND crab (real crab, not that dyed weird string-cheese-looking shit) and avocado and crispy begetabbles...and if you get any dressing besides the vinaigrette you are SO missing out...and damm, the BURGERS...they are just a bigass wad of hamburger on a French roll but lemmetellyabub, they are SO perfectly seasoned and cooked you do NOT need anything else on them....(damn, I'm honnngray just thinking about it).

It gets busy (because it's GOOD, Ellis, hellOOOOOO), so go early or be prepared to wait...oh yeah...what torture...waiting in the PIANO BAR with the MARTINIs and the weirdly satistying cheese stuff...come ON!

Prima nailed the Caesar thing... it is live tableside theater!!! GO JIMMY AND MIKE THE WAITERS!!! Go almost-catching-themselves-on-fire-every-second Grill Cook Guys!! Go you funny hostesses!!! Go martini-monster bartenders!

Ellis, are you some kinda frisee-nibbling elf who fears large pieces of meat??? If so, avoid Joe's...otherwise, I think you should give ol' Joe's another shot. Bring your martini appetite and a craving for meat...