OMGosh this place is so ghetto!! We got in for free through yelp so that made me feel a lot better. We got in around 12 and there was a batchelorette party going on. The place was pretty dead besides those girls. Not sure if it was the time we got there or just that it's not great.
The guys on the piano were really funny but honestly this was not what I expected for a dueling piano bar. I brought a few friends who had never been to a bar like this and I was extremely disappointed that I brought them to this one for their first time.
Usually go there on a weekend but decided to go during the week. There was free admission do we stopped by. The place held a few people who just like us just wanted some entertainment on a weekday. We had a blast! Â Sat up front and sang every song. The two singers were full of energy which got the crowd singing and laughing. Great place to be entertained and to chill on a hot day.
Review Source:This used to be my favorite bar. Â Had scheduled to have my bachelorette party there. Â Even send out Evites to all my friends. Â All I did was smile and show my "bride to be" sash to the doorman. Â He rudely deemed my unfit to enter, even though 3 other where more than happy to help me and my party celebrate my special night.
Review Source:My friend won a party here so I was able to go for free. No cover.
I had a good time. The music was great, mostly 70-90s. Nothing current really. This place is definitely geared toward a more middle aged crowd. My parents would love this place. There were a couple of bachelorette parties. People were singing and generally having a great time. I also like the fact that it wasn't crowded. Plenty of room.
I didn't like the drinks or the bartenders though. Expensive for low quality alcohol and the bartenders had an attitude, like they didn't seemed thrilled to be working there, and were generally annoyed with the patrons.
I would return but I wouldn't pay to get in (that sounds bad but no other way to put it). Just an ok establishment for me but I did have fun.
Mill Ave in Tempe usually has very chill bars where mostly college kids go to. Â I have to say that I would have never thought I would run into a Piano Bar. Â Although our stay was not long here because we came too late to get a seats (arrive around 9 pm), there was an excellent and fun. Â The crowd here is a good mix of young and middle-aged folks. Â If you have a student ID, there is no cover too, which is a huge plus.
Review Source:Went to Rooftop with some friends and weren't feeling the atmosphere so we began to head to Canteen. On our way, we passed the entrance to Big Bang and decided to go down and check it out. So glad that we ended up heading down. The atmosphere is so relaxed and laid back. We ended up staying for about an hour or so just drinking beers and listening to the music. Can't wait to go back in the near future and expose more of my friends to this somewhat overlooked gem on Mill Ave.
Review Source:Was in town for a conference, and found this place on Mills Ave. Cover is $6 (discount if you have a student ID), but we were given a voucher for free admission for 2 while walking on Mills Ave so that was great.
The atmosphere is your typical college bar. Drinks are served in plastic cups. They bring people up on stage if they are there celebrating something, and once in a while all the servers (4 of them on a Sat night) will go up and do a dance number. If you can get a table it will be a lot more enjoyable, and we were lucky enough to get one due to being at the right place at the right time. The piano players (4 of them) go through a rotation, and they all had a different style.
I would go back again if given another free admission voucher.
No cover on Tuesday through Thursday nights. Stopped here after an ASU game to check it out. It's not as big as it appears and on weekends it is probably too crowded to have fun. Dual piano bars are actually a concept that should have died years ago, but it carries on here with a couple of average piano dudes cranking out tunes. I didn't hear any vulgarity in my 30 minutes which is usually a staple of these joints - hopefully it got raunchier later. Sailor Jerry had drink specials that night, so that was a plus ($3.50 drinks). The crowd was a bit older that night, but also some drunk kid got rejected at the door prior to my entrance. Piano's don't do it for me, but it's another bar on Mill off the checklist.
Review Source:First off the piece of garbage so called bouncer said my picture wasn't me. I retorted, Really? He said yes, this isn't you, do you have a debit card or credit card with your name. I provided the proof, but like I told him my ID name is different from my real name, thanx SSA. But my picture still looked like me sans long hair.
Anyway, we were told no cover charge and we were given two free drink tickets. Mr. Garbage bouncer, who will remain unnamed, said no we don't accept those. Even though it had their name and were laminated by the club.
I asked why they had canvassers out on the street tonight handing these out? He said to get people to come to the club. But they don't accept the cards.
Then he stated that I didn't have to give him attitude. I said asking questions and calling them on their false advertising practices was being rude!?!?!?!
Don't waste your time or money on this establishment!
Today, The Big Bang held their 1st family Christmas event. Â SO MUCH FUN!!!
It was a great time singing, dancing and children just having fun. Â The whole band-piano players, drummer & guitar player were very interactive and engaging everyone to participate. Â All the kids had the opportunity to request a song and they played almost all the requests.
Kids under 12 were free, adults 5 bucks unless you brought a toy for a local charity...they had a few Marines which gave us local citizens an opportunity to say, "Thank You and Merry Christmas!"
They had great prices for kids.. 2.50 for either hot chocolate, hot apple cider or juice with a special snack. Â At the end each kid was greeted with a special candy bag. Â The entire staff was very friendly and getting all of us into the Christmas spirit. Â They had special table set for the kids to color, create special crafts and let their imaginations go wild.
All in all, it was a great time. I hope they continue this event and make it annual. Â We will definitely be there and bring more friends.
This place is a gem hidden among the crappy, overcrowded bars on Mill. Though there is a small cover to get in, you usually get in free if you are a student. They have other specials that go on as well.
I love the music. I'm a huge oldies fan and the mix of 70s-90s the talented Big Bang band plays just really gets me in a great mood. My boyfriend took me on a date here this past weekend after I had a crummy week and my spirits were lifted by the time we left. I couldn't stop singing along the entire night.
The only two things that have bothered me when I've stumbled down into this piano bar are:
1) Do they really play your requests? I, for one, have never had my request played, even if I've tipped. I am wondering if the band just plays only a few of the requested songs and the rest, songs they already know.
2) Drinks are a little pricey, but what isn't on Mill?
Love Big Bang and I'll be going here for years to come. Also, I can' t wait to take my parents! They'd have a blast.
Big Bang - you never let me down. We e-mailed you ahead of time and got our Happy Hour wristbands and free entrance for our party of seven. Thanks so much. Love the drink specials, the clean restrooms, and of course those terrific piano players. We were so pleased with our service - can't remember her name but boy she can belt out a rap song too. We'll be back.
Review Source:Coolest place I've ever stumbled into. In less than five minutes, I had a beer in hand and was fist pumping to a Queen sing-a-long with a rowdy crowd. There was ample room to sit or stand, and I'm convinced Big Bang is a great bar for any audience.
I would take a date here.
I would take my parents here.
I would take the guys here.
I would even go here for a company/team meeting.
Someone who doesn't drink would even have fun. Anyone between the ages of 21 and 100 needs to get underground for guaranteed good times!
This place is a lot of fun for big groups or just to go with a few friends. The last time I was here, it was my birthday and boy do they celebrate birthdays! I got asked to the stage (with a few other people who also were celebrating a birthday) to be played and sing along...it was super fun! Just a heads up, if you plan to go on the weekends after 10pm, it's always super crowded and there's a cover charge.
Buuuut, if you're looking for a fun (and a different) change of pace from the norm, this place is fun to visit. It's loud, entertaining and fun to sing along to the songs (that you know :)
Went here to ring in the big 2-1 a few weeks back. Â Was suggested by a friend before heading out but didn't think much of it. Â While strolling down Mill Ave. I stumbled across the entrance (stairway heading down to a basement bar) and saw a crowd of some fine ladies heading in. Â Figured it couldn't hurt to take a quick peak and see what this whole dueling pianos was about.
What was supposed to be a drink and a few songs turned into rocking along and getting lost into the music for over 3 hours (and a long bar tab). Â Not complaining here though, I thoroughly enjoyed my time rocking out to the live music, personable musicians and great atmosphere.
Definitely going to come back again!
I've never been to a piano bar before but this was great. I was mesmerize by how talented the people were jumping to different instruments after every song. Piano, guitar, drums, piano guitar and some pretty good singing. Couldn't believe there was a human karaoke machine playing the piano to every song. Â There was a cover charge, but free if you are student (this was a saturday night I believe.) We were able to get seats, but the place was packed! You can definitely request songs along with a gracious tip, which they will notice more than the two or one dollar bills.
If I ever come back to Phoenix, this is the place I would definitely like to come back to.
Go to Bang if:
You enjoy Billy Joel, Elton John, top 40 done via piano, people watching, standing if you can't get a table (and you probably won't unless you show up at 7pm), singing loudly to Journey while the drunk girl screeches next you, sweating.
Don't go to Bang if:
You hate all of the above, have issues with bachelorette or birthday parties, fear being dragged onstage to sing or dance while people judge you, you like your piano straight up - none of this guitar/drum nonsense at a dueling piano bar. If you have a headache or a stick up your ass, this place will not help.
Cover at the door. Overall, fun place to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.
I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the Musicians were on this night. Â I have never been to a Piano bar and found it quite entertaining. They do songs by request and even took requests for Rap songs such as Baby Got Back. I had a truly good time. I will definitely return and won't even mind paying the cover charge!
The drinks were a bit weak so don't order any mixed drinks if you decide to go here, but definitely worth checking out.
This was my first experience at a piano bar, and I definitely enjoyed myself! Dueling pianos? LOVE the concept! The people playing were very talented on the piano and sang quite well!
The place is quite big with a bar upstairs as well as down stairs. Its not super high class, but rather low key and the more down to earth feeling. Look out for the audience going on top of chairs and singing on the top of their lungs. Great experience!
Both entertaining and somewhat exciting, this bar is fun if you want to participate in what's going on around you.
Big Band is a dueling piano that features music by request. It's fun the first time, but can get somewhat dull after your second or third visit. How many times can you hear Journey played on a piano? Despite the repetition in music, it's still a blast to hear it played live by local talent.
There is a cover charge on the weekends (UGH!) and the cost of drinks are high for the small plastic cups you get in return. But for the entertainment, you can't go wrong. Request for someone in your party to get on stage and play the tambourine.
Typical Piano Bar in a college area - shitty drinks, average entertainment, & crowded.
I will say, our drinks came fast, however I am disappointed with the drinks themselves - watered down. If you are drinking, stick to something straight up and/or beer.
Their entertainment was alright, but I have been to MUCH better piano bars that have wicked awesome entertainment. I was totally not blown away.
And the crowds...
I am upset that we had to pay a cover for this place. It wasn't worth it.
I doubt I will be back.
I will say, however, that I was incredibly intoxicated by the end of the night and totally had the worst hangover of my life the two days following my trip here. I wish I could say the place was worth it, but it was really the company I kept that made it alright!
My overall thoughts? Try it out and judge for yourself. I didn't like it because it was truly not my type of crowd, but you might enjoy it!
I purchased the HomeRun deal - $1 for admission AND a free cup of draft beer. DEFINITELY worth it! However, I doubt I'll come back on a night they charge cover (which is basically everyday, I believe).
It was my first time at a piano bar, and was pleasantly surprised at how fun the night was. My friends tell me that piano bars in San Diego play contemporary and top 40 songs, so I was expecting to jam to piano renditions to the latest tunes. Although I didn't know several songs the piano duos played, I still found the live entertainment fun and lively.
If you find a table, the waitresses are very attentive and come by often to check if you're thirsty. I don't know if they do this every night, but they have a contest for a free party at the Big Bang for 100 of your friends if you could name the "corniest song of the 80s" -- this was our topic of the night. People would write the name of a song down on a napkin, put down cash, and the pianists would play it and wait for other patrons to outbid you.
A dueling sing-along piano bar? I'm so there! If you're a fan of live karaoke, then you're going to love this place even more!
The Big Bang is located sub-street level below Hooters (nice combo, right?) - you can't miss the neon sign. Get here before 10pm to get a seat at one of the tables up front next to the stage. The place gets pretty packed later on at night. It was so much better to be right up in the action.
The musicians are super talented. The crowd gets them to "BANG THIS" - by requesting songs on cocktail napkins (include a few bucks as a tip to make sure they play your song). I don't know how they do it, but they know all the lyrics and the music to every song. How I wish I had a database like that in my head. They played everything from Billy Joel, Journey, Bon Jovi to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cee-Lo Green and Sublime. Sometimes all four pianists were on stage, but two of them would hop onto the drums and bass and play together as band. It was really amazing!
Drinks are ok, crowd is really diverse, and on some nights there's a cover but there are daily specials. But you really can't hate on this place - it is SO much fun! We ended up staying there the entire night. I think every party should have dueling pianos. In fact, I think I might consider having them at my wedding some day!
Music 5 Stars. They are amazing!
Staff 3.5 stars. They are there but could care less.
Drinks 3 stars. Small cups, light pours.
Clientele 1 star. I will explain.
We have been here 3 times over the years 2 or the 3 there have been reasons to throw down and get dirty. I do not know if it is because we are so close to ASU or what but there are some real DB and DB ho's there.
It seems like everyone there is only concerned with themselves. I have never been somewhere like that. EVERY time too. LOL
Get there around dinner, at least you will have a place to sit.
PS I really do not want to see what this places looks like in the light.
I have to admit I've never done the whole mill party thing. After turning 21 my sights went more downtown than down mill. So when I thought about mill nightlife the only tempting place was The Big Bang. Finally I tried it out and was more entertained than I expected.
For a Thursday the place wasn't too bad. By 11 there was a pretty big crowd with enough waitresses around to liquor you up enough to be creative with requests. I chose "Benny and the Jetts" which they played immediately and "I'd Rather Fuck You" by Easy E. To my surprise they gave it a shot and didn't do too bad. Even though they played the hilariously vulgar Easy tune they lost points by not saying Happy Birthday to my friend who was there with me to celebrate. So much for tipping nowadays. The bartender didn't know many drinks when I asked for suggestions but that's understandable with two years of bartending under your belt. Max.
In summary GREAT TUNES
Average Bar
As a fellow pianist I feel like I have to help get the word out about this place. Obviously from the number of reviews it's pretty well known, but because of its location and main attraction (dueling pianos) many outside of Tempe haven't heard about it.
These entertainers are truly some of the most talented I've ever seen. Not only can they play you any tune you request, they can deliver it with a generous amount of raunchy comedy. Seeing them expand their performance to the guitar, bass, and synthesizer are also equally impressive. Â It's such a great time taking part in singing along with hundreds of other people, too. I can't say enough about how much fun it is watching them work. If there is only one venue you should visit while on Mill Ave, this is it.
As far as the bar goes, the prices are decent and they have a wide variety of options. I definitely wouldn't come here if I were trying to hold a conversation with anyone, it's more of the place you go after you've had a few (unless you get there early). This is one of the many places that  consistently charge a cover, which is a pain for me because I rarely ever have cash. Which brings up another aspect of Big Bang... if you plan on having your request played for you, you better tip well. Otherwise, you won't hear your song and don't expect the money back (but if you gave a crap tip, its the least you could do for such entertainment). It does get pretty packed in here, which at times can be uncomfortable. If you want a good table, arrive early.
Again if you're not a frequent traveler to Mill Ave, make sure The Big Bang is on your list of stops. If you skip it you'll definitely regret it...
Big Bang is a pretty sweet thing when you consider how many cool spots there are in the Valley. Â Residing under a bar where the women dress as slutty librarians which is under a Hooters, there are a lot of expectations for a place like this. Â Unfortunately, it really doesn't do much right. Â
The music is fine but there are a lot of places where you can't see the piano. Â It is just one of the limitations of the building. Â The place is spread out over about 5 different levels which can either be hazardous or entertaining, depending on if you are the drunk trying to navigate back to your seat. Â There is a bar at each end of the place but the lower/smaller one is the only one open during Happy Hour. Â If you want to avoid college kids wearing $200 jeans, this is not a place for you.
The positives are pretty awesome though. Â $3 everything except Red Bull during Happy Hour is a pretty wicked deal. Â It is close to the LRT stop on Mill Ave so it makes drunken bar hopping easy. Â The booze selection is pretty good and the entertainment gets better as the night goes on.
It's not a bad place. Â Shout House is a bit better but is way out in Glendale and doesn't have LRT access. Â If you want to go to a Piano Bar, this is a pretty good place.
I love The Big Bang and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. There's something about coming here on a Friday night after a long day at work, getting drunk, singing loudly, and imagining that I'm a rock star (and not tone deaf) that just puts me in a good mood.
Yeah, there's a cover and the drinks aren't cheap but it's still a good time. I try not to pee when I come here because the lines are always long and once I break the seal I am a goner.
I've had a good time here with friends before, but I just want to warn everybody on Yelp that some good friends of mine got drugged here last year and management was seemingly indifferent when they reported it the next day.
I mean yeah, it's a lot of fun, but I recommend getting beer in a bottle or something not mixed.
this is WAY better than karaoke and a thousand times more fun.
Definitely not the scene for people who weren't raised on classic rock. if all you love is R & B and the only songs you know by heart are rap, you're not going to like it here (as much as i do!!!).
I'm always stoked to come here and get to sing a little diddy about jack and diane, while together we lament the day the music died and have one last dance with mary jane until the midnight hour when we cried MORE MORE MORE! In the very end we'll put bread in their jars and say "man, what are you doing here?!"
The Big Bang is a huge hit, with the entertainment truly making this place. i've come in here by myself, with a large group of people and with just a significant other. it doesn't matter who i'm with, we're all in here to get great drinks and shout great classic memories along with the (VERY) talented pianists... who all also double as drummer and bassists/guitarists. I highly recommend this barrel-of-monkeys type entertainment. but beware! the language gets foul and we all get a little rowdy. and if you didn't understand my paragraph on what gets me so stoked about this place, you're not going to "get" why so many people love it here.
Went here with the gf. Fun and entertaining place to drink and have a good time.
First of all, good luck finding any eating whatsoever.
Two pianos duke it out with classic songs and you can request songs with a tip. Don't think they only play cheesy showtunes. They do at times, and sometimes you can just sit there laughing at grown men belting out every word like they are own stage. Other times they drag unwilling people to stage and make them sing the words.
All in all, a good time. Minus the Arizona heat.
FINALLY.
I tried coming here one time before and the line was ridiculously long to get in. Now I have a good understanding of why so many people want to come here! It's POPPIN'!!! I wish they had a place like this in San Francisco where there are dueling pianos and drunken college folks who just sing along whether or not they know the lyrics.
Cover was $6 I think but well worth it since the drinks are fairly inexpensive (from a city girl standard)...$6-7 roughly. You can request songs to the pianists but they'll really only get to your request if you throw in a few dollars for tip. One lady threw in $20 and her song was automatically played. She even got to sit up there with them.
I would definitely come back to the Big Bang when I'm in town next. Bring a few friends, get a table in front (if possible) and enjoy the entertainment.
I love this place. Its great for a fun relaxed night out, or for a friends birthday party or what have you. The music is good and interactive with the crowd, they help get you in a good mood. They take requests and do the best they can to sing everything they are asked, only once have they turned down one of mine, because they just didn't know it.
If you go early between 5-8, they have fantastic drink specials aka happy hour. Beers, wines, wells are 2 bucks, everything else is 3 bucks. Can't beat that :). Also the earlier you go the easier it is to find the seat. Going after 8 it is almost impossible to find a table, and standing room is kind of limited.
People some times say they play the same songs every night, and they do, because they know them, people request them all the time, and they are good group singing songs. And you have to admit to be up there playing the piano, drums or guitar and being to play a song on the spot with no music sheets is pretty awesome.
I gotta say.
I've been in here a few times and each time I had a great time!
Really great time!
Singing along at the top of my lungs to Billy Joel songs great time!
HOWEVER
I've always stopped here after bar hopping a bit. Â This was kinda the last stop... and we were all pretty buzzed each time we visited this place.
I dunno.
I have fond, fond memories of this place though.
To me, this bar is a great concept with terrible execution. Â The one time I went the musicians were subpar and they could not get the crowd into it to save their lives. Â If you have ever had the chance to go to Pete's Dueling Piano Bar in Austin (the original) or in Dallas (good copycat), you will see a piano bar done well. Â In Dallas, you have to get a reservation way in advance in order to have a place to sit.
These places tend to be havens for birthday and bachelorette parties. Â All in all, I like the concept. Â I will have to give it a try again to see if they have improved since my last visit.
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