Would you enjoy playing in a pool room without music?

S

Slim J

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was just thinking about an article I saw about one of the oldest rooms in the country closing and that it never played music at all, no juke box, no sound system at all, just pool. I know in this day and age all pool rooms seem to have a sound system in the background.

Would you enjoy playing where the only music was the pool balls themselves and if a certain block of time was set aside for players to play without music of any kind.

It was a different era but I think years ago most rooms were music free.

I find the idea kind of interesting.
 
my idea: a 5 minute 'song' on the jukebox which is silence. i know i'd pay to have it sometimes.

-s
 
My idea of heaven is a pool room with no music. Nothing but the "click" of the balls.

Regards,

Doug
 
The first pool hall I ever played in was when I was 5 years old and it was in Brooklyn, NY on 86th street between 5th and 6th avenue on the second floor and it was just like that, never any music and all you saw was the light and shadows of someone 5-6 tables over playing. I was very sad when it closed down and for the life of me I just cannot remember the name of the pool hall now, Skytop billiards rings a bell but I could be wrong. Since then that is the image of how a pool hall should be but have not found many to match it lol. If it could have survived another few years it probably would still be there today because in NY it seemed pool really took off after Color of Money.

After it closed I started going to Ovington Billiards (The Balukas family owns it) and they had a pretty nice set up where they had separate atmospheres depending on whether you were upstairs or downstairs, in the beginning there was only upstairs for pool though.

Since I've moved out to WA and there are some nice halls but most are smaller with only 6-9 tables which feels odd when I walk into them being used to ones in NY with 50-100 tables. One thing about those NY places, they were packed almost every single night.

I love the silence for me it's a big part of determing where I go play but a business is a business and I am sure most customers who are just there for some fun and kicks for a couple of hours prefer the music.
 
The 211 Club in Seattle, WA was that way up until it closed. Dark, quit. No music. Sign on the wall said "No Whistling, No Loud Noises, No Bull$#!+" Only the constant sound of pool balls colliding, the occasional raised chatter, and balls being racked. It was nice.
 
One of the hardest things about being a pool enthusiast for me IS actually having to deal with the music they play in the poolhalls. It is seriously damaging to me when I'm listening to the same crap over and over for 6 or more hours straight day, after day, after day.

I know the effect it has on my brain when my head hits the pillow. It's tormenting.

I would pay more table time easily, just to be able to play in a poolhall without any music. Nada, zero, zilch.

If only I found a room where management VARIES it's music selection, and the songs actually have more than two chord changes, and three-note melodies, that already would help. Oh, and why so LOUD!!!???
 
Slim J said:
I was just thinking about an article I saw about one of the oldest rooms in the country closing and that it never played music at all, no juke box, no sound system at all, just pool. I know in this day and age all pool rooms seem to have a sound system in the background.

Would you enjoy playing where the only music was the pool balls themselves and if a certain block of time was set aside for players to play without music of any kind.

It was a different era but I think years ago most rooms were music free.

I find the idea kind of interesting.
Click to expand...


Yeah that is what i would prefer by far.

If i ever open a room, I will make sure there is an area with turnoffable speakers. I also will have partitions so that the AC can be cranked up in stages without wasting energy on a 3/4 empty pool hall.
 
I love the music and the background noise of people and the sound of the balls on the tables. Too quiet...no good. The noise and the excitement is where it's at.
 
steev said:
my idea: a 5 minute 'song' on the jukebox which is silence. i know i'd pay to have it sometimes.

-s
Click to expand...

Not bad-With a 'Play it now' feature, it would go over big in many pool rooms.
 
We have a straight pool league that plays one night a week. Luckly, the section of the pool hall we play in has a seperate volume control for the speakers. We turn the music off when our matches start.

I would prefer no music, but I understand that a poolhall must be more of a bar than poolhall to survive. Music is a necessary evil. However, why does it have to be so damn loud? Occasionally after work I stop by a local bar with some folks from work for a beer. In every bar we have ever gone to the music is so loud you simply can't talk. I really don't understand this at all. It seems to me that most people go to a bar to socialize, not listen to the jukebox as loudly as your ears can stand it.
 
I will confess that I much prefer music; as long as I control the volume and content. My first pool hall had a jukebox with the music of the day (late 60's), and it still is a great feeling to hear those tune's while playing. My best runs have always been with tunes playing - help's one get "into the zone."
 
Slim J said:
I was just thinking about an article I saw about one of the oldest rooms in the country closing and that it never played music at all, no juke box, no sound system at all, just pool. I know in this day and age all pool rooms seem to have a sound system in the background.

Would you enjoy playing where the only music was the pool balls themselves and if a certain block of time was set aside for players to play without music of any kind.

It was a different era but I think years ago most rooms were music free.

I find the idea kind of interesting.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing that I'll be in the minority of people who respond to this thread but I prefer having music on. Not so loud that it's distracting but I don't think I would like complete silence.

Alex
 
Nostroke said:
Yeah that is what i would prefer by far.

If i ever open a room, I will make sure there is an area with turnoffable speakers. I also will have partitions so that the AC can be cranked up in stages without wasting energy on a 3/4 empty pool hall.
Click to expand...


Why does some common sense like Nostrokes post be so uncommon?
I would do exactly the same thing should I ever get to open a room.
 
We just had the Texas Open this past weekend at G-cue and they played music through almost the whole entire time the tourney was going on. IMO, that was great. It wasn't too soft that you could barely hear it. And it wasn't too loud. When they have the music off or barely on, you can hear everything. From the people in the stands to the guy who is drunk and side betting making noises to rattle the other player or going off when his player gets out or whatever. I just feel that it is better to have some music on so you can drown out the crowd. And far as pool halls around here (Texas), most of the time the music is loud anyway and I think most players are use to that.
 
lewdo26 said:
One of the hardest things about being a pool enthusiast for me IS actually having to deal with the music they play in the poolhalls. It is seriously damaging to me when I'm listening to the same crap over and over for 6 or more hours straight day, after day, after day.

I know the effect it has on my brain when my head hits the pillow. It's tormenting.

I would pay more table time easily, just to be able to play in a poolhall without any music. Nada, zero, zilch.

If only I found a room where management VARIES it's music selection, and the songs actually have more than two chord changes, and three-note melodies, that already would help. Oh, and why so LOUD!!!???
Click to expand...


I couldn't agree with you more.The music in one of the pool rooms I frequent is nothing short of irriatating. Also it's so damn repititious as they play the same(top 40 pop,rap) CD's over and over again.If they manage to play one or two songs I like in a day, I find it amazing.

Like you, when I hit the sack, I wonder how it is destroying my subconcious mind.

There is music that I prefer that actually makes me shoot better, however, I would settle for no music at all as a compromise.
RJ
 
At the Pool Room in Duluth if you go in the late afternoon you'll usually not have to listen to music. I love it. It has a good echo in there but is carpeted and broken up enough to where the acoustics aren't too much.

But if a person (Normally a waitress) gets a hold of the juke box prepare to be blasted. Because with little people in there and the jukebox volume seeming to be left on a Saturday Night volume it can be annoying. It's actually driven me out of there a few times to go down the road to Cues2.

Which at Cues 2 I like the volume. You can hear the song and make out all the words. What I like about it is if you are not paying attention to the jukebox or are playing you normally don't even hear it or compensate that there is music playing. Unfortunately it is smoking which can annoy me sometimes.

So I say during the afternoon I don't like music. But once 8pm or so rolls around and the rift raft comes rolling it it doesn't bother me too much.
 
Is that blood coming out of your ear?!??!?!

Imagine Friday night 7 ball tournament with Karoke going on so loud that businesses a block away ask... What the hell is that? Most of the time the jukebox is way too loud in Chalkies in Merritt Island but Friday night Karoke is like sitting by the speaker @ a Metalica concert.

My vote no music... or at least turned down enough where I can carry on a conversation with someone @ the next table without screaming.

Funny thing is when you ask them to turn it down it sounds like its louder...

Johnny V
 
steev said:
my idea: a 5 minute 'song' on the jukebox which is silence. i know i'd pay to have it sometimes.
Click to expand...

That way the room owner is making money and the players get what they want too. There's a room here in Houston where they turn the jukebox off before 4:00, so most of the older players get together in the afternoon and gamble there.

Here at the house, I have a radio/record/cd player that I listen to records while I play, but it's really quiet.
 

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Slim J said:
I was just thinking about an article I saw about one of the oldest rooms in the country closing and that it never played music at all, no juke box, no sound system at all, just pool. I know in this day and age all pool rooms seem to have a sound system in the background.

Would you enjoy playing where the only music was the pool balls themselves and if a certain block of time was set aside for players to play without music of any kind.

Nope, even in the PBT the players wanted the backgroud music to help minimize distractions.
Click to expand...
 
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