Latest news with #Marys
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
the all-request music bar that's replacing Dirty Martini in the heart of Cardiff's party scene
Here in Cardiff, we are totally spoilt for great ways to spend a night out. From great activity bars like Golf Fang and Flight Club, to traditional pubs like The Cottage and places to bust your dance moves like Bonnie Rouge and Barbara's Bier Bar. And now, there is a new bar on the scene. The Piano Works opens on St Mary Street on Friday, May 30. The venue will have crowd-led setlists and high-energy performances from a live band and duelling pianos. Piano Works will offer "something different" to Cardiff's nightlife with a mix of live music, audience-requested songs, and a late-night DJ. The venue will focus on creating an interactive, high-energy atmosphere that keeps the music going into the early hours. It also serves food and has a special Sunday 'roasts and rhythm' menu where you can dine on roast beef and bloody Marys while two duelling pianos duke it out on the main stage. Owned by the Nightcap Group, who also own Blame Gloria, The Cocktail Club, and Tonight Josephine, The Piano Works takes over the former location of Dirty Martini, which is also owned by the Nightcap Group. The Nightcap group is run by former Dragons' Den dragon, Sarah Willingham. She was on the show from 2015 to 2016. Speaking about opening The Piano Works in Cardiff, Sarah said: "We love Cardiff... we've really invested in it, it is beautifully done. "That street in Cardiff is just a great street and the people of Wales love to go out they love a good sing song and we feel really confident that this is bringing a concept that the Welsh are going to love... we know the Welsh love a sing-song, love a good drink and love some great food and we are bringing all three in one venue." Bringing a fresh twist to the city's music scene, The Piano Works promises a non-stop, singalong experience where the audience decides the playlist. Every night, guests can scribble down their favourite songs and hand them over to the live band. There will be no setlists, just back-to-back audience requests played by a talented roster of musicians and vocalists. Once the live music wraps up, late-night DJs will take over to keep the energy high into the early hours. Inside the dark bar there is plenty space to sit, with tables with benches, an illuminated stage, a photobooth and a very well stacked bar that runs the length of the wall. Pride of the venue is the elaborate stage which has two pianos, a drumkit and other instruments. You will also be joined by Welsh icons Sir Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey who are illuminated and lit up on the walls. There are other Welsh nods with neon signs that read The Cwtch and 'oh, what's occurring?' In another part of the venue, near the windows, it is lighter and there is another bar with comfy high stool seating available. Outside follows a red theme, with font and text used like old style Hollywood and geometric patterns, and there is some seating right on St Mary street, so you never miss out on the hustle and bustle. The Piano Works is open now at
Axios
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
The Nashville marathon turns 25
Twenty-five years ago, the organizers of the Nashville marathon set out to establish a marquee event that would attract participants from around the globe. Why it matters: They succeeded. State of play: The annual marathon, which celebrates its quarter-century anniversary with this weekend's race, has grown far beyond its original scope to include a full weekend of events that are now known as St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Nashville. There is a series of races that cater to everyone from elite runners to couch potatoes and the dogs who love them. (This year's "doggie dash" starts at noon on Sunday.) By the numbers: Marathon events have logged more than 600,000 participants through 2024. About 25,000 are expected to join their ranks this weekend. The big picture: Nashville grew alongside the marathon. Parts of the course have transformed over the last 25 years as the city exploded with waves of population growth, new construction and bachelorette parties. Zoom in: The Music City Center wasn't even a pipe dream when the first runners took the course in 2000. Bridgestone Arena had barely been open for three years. Lower Broadway was nowhere near the neon jungle it is today. Flashback: Success wasn't guaranteed. An earlier attempt at a marathon floundered after a few years — one event drew only a few hundred runners. Yes, but: The new organizers had a more ambitious vision. Recruiters traveled the world to find top-tier runners who would give the race clout. Some 7,500 runners participated in the first year. Musicians and stages were placed every mile along the route, which made it feel as much like a concert as a race. Over the years, the marathon has become a citywide block party. Now raucous watch parties crowd the sidewalks and front porches in the Belmont area on marathon morning. The bars on 12 South feature annual specials on mimosas and bloody Marys for fans. Fun fact: The Music Row roundabout was still under construction when the first marathon took place in 2000. The city had to pay to pave over a barren patch of Demonbreun Street days before the marathon to maintain the route. After the race, they ripped up the pavement and construction continued. Between the lines: The marathon also serves as a fundraiser. In 2000, the race raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Now organizers have partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
