Low Key Piano Bar

This was the first night I have ever been to the bar, being a frequent flyer of Mill. Me and my company were all escorted out of the bar 10 minutes after being checked our IDs (25+ yrs). I asked why I was being escorted out of the bar and their response was «a third party». I am a graduate student at ASU who is well educated and does not drink frequently. It is a shame that such a well attended bar would kick people out with zero reasoning. I would NOT recommend.

Pros and cons of this piano bar since new ownership.
Pros: The interior in the lighting is really nice compared to the old ownership. Sound isn’t bad either. On weekends they have an entire band.
The crowd is energetic which adds to the fun.
Cons: takes 15+ minutes to get a beer from an already substandard list.
They play A LOT crappy top 40 music now, and they tend to rush through the good «classic» songs. To get your song played takes at least 15 or $ 20 now.
overall it’s a cool venue that I would highly encourage you to check out at least once and form your own opinion. Great place to take folks from out of town, or even a second or third date.

I’ve been to quite a few piano bars in my time, and this place definitely measured up with some of the best. Bar staff is very friendly and the prices even more friendly. The musicians were great as well. I put in a few requests and they accommodated them. The sound was amazing, I’d definitely recommend this place.

In response to the owners comment below to Michelle K., who wrote a negative but honest review, all I can say is WOW!
How classless for the owner of an establishment to say the things he said to her. Especially since she was right… the sound system in this place is horrible… nothing like the old Big Bang used to be. I guess when Austin and his daddy bought this place and brought back the old musicians from the Big Bang, they couldn’t afford to spend much money on a decent sound system. Too bad, because the Big Bang was a ton of fun, but this place is pathetic.
Oh, and try to develop some thicker skin Austin, you might stay in business a little longer that way… can’t wait till your little dive bar goes out of business and daddy has to bail you out again.

The music does not start when the doors open. Be sure to ask! On weekdays they start the music later. Beer selection was subpar and the Stella they served us was skunky. Had high hopes for this place. Will try again on a weekend.

OMG!!! I didn’t know what to expect of this place but we went on a Friday night and wow it was such a fun night! They played everything from country, hip hop and classic hits! They are so much fun! They have two pianists, a drum player and even play the trumpet! The ambiance was awesome and we will definitely visit again! Plus+No cover!

The only spot on Mill Ave. with Live Music gives this place a huge plus.
Om top of that, this is the best Piano Bar I have ever been too. Mostly because of the musicianship of the performers. Granted I went on Friday and Saturday nights which probably featured their best musicians, but still I was quite blown away when they switched from the keys to the drums then to the bass. At one point it was a four piece band performing.
I liked that they were able to pull off literally any song. The only request that got snubbed as far as I know of was Barbie Girl (and rightfully so).
One of the pianist eveb whipped out a trumpet. Quickly I put in my Miles Davis request, but sadly the guy said he didn’t know who Miles Davis was. I think it was a bluff, who doesn’t know Miles, but still at least say you can’t play trumpet that well, don’t just deny knowing one of the best Jazz Trumpet Players ever.

I wish I had been a this bar on one of those great nights all the five star people wrote about! It was awful… When we walked in it sounded like a bad karaōke night! Whomever is in charge of sound for the place needs to be replaced. the acoustics are difficult in this venue as its multi leveled but really at one point all I could hear was bass drum, snare drum and mumbled singing. And yes apparently drums is part of their dueling piano line up — who knew?
I ordered a Cape Cod with extra lime and my waitress came back and said they were all out of Cape Cod… I asked her how they were out of Vodka and Cranberry juice? I guess the bartender is only familiar with cheap college beer and no mixed drinks that don’t include redbull or sex in the name. I suggest the bartender needs replacing as well. I finally did get my drink which tasted like straight cranberry juice. we stayed about an hour but just couldn’t take it anymore. I will not bother going back.

I hope piano bars never die out and I hope this place is open for a long time. Very entertaining and a fun atmosphere! Zoe is one of the best waitresses I’ve ever seen, she was attending to probably 40 people by herself and not once was she not keeping up! Tip her good if you get her, she rocks!

What a great time, love this place. If you are looking for a fun time this is it! They will play anything you wish to hear and make it fun. Great people, amazing staff. I will for sure be going back again and again.
I highly recommend it.

Low Key is a blast and is now my go to spot in Tempe! The Dueling pianos were much fun, the music was off the hook and it was an awesome time. The vibe was super clean and had extra seating. The ambiance was modern with blue lighting, the wait staff was quick with drinks and happy hour till 8pm. Perfect place to bring friends or out of town guests, Thanks for a great time!

We had got there a little early so we didn’t get charged the $ 5 cover fee which was nice. The musicians are very talented and it is a unique experience that is not just another bar. We had a table and service was a little slow so we ended up just walking up to the bar to get our own drinks. Overall, a good time!

This is definitely a fun bar with great live music. I came on a Tuesday night, so there wasn’t a whole lot going on. Nonetheless, there was still a small crowd near the stage, and they were really enthusiastic. Others, including my party, sit a little further just chilling and enjoying the atmosphere. I hear it gets really packed though on weekends. Luckily, there is another bar closer to the entrance to help serve. This way, not everyone has to go down and crowd around the bar near the stage. Otherwise, on relatively slow nights, the servers are really nice and stop by to check on customers and help out if there is anything we need. I’ll definitely come again if I’m in the area.

I went with my fiancé’s family on a Tuesday night. The atmosphere was great, and our waitress was wonderful. She checked back on us several times throughout the time, and when our party showed up in waves, she was on top of getting us new drink orders and making sure that we had enough water. Props to the bar staff. The employee clearing away our glasses was also great — we actually had an accident where a member of our party dropped a glass of beer, and the staff cleaned it up immediately and, without even asking, handed him a new glass. Drinks are tasty and reasonably priced. The bar staff get ⁵⁄₅ stars and generous tips.
The reason why I’m giving two stars total is to express my disappointment in the performers. I sent up three requests, along with tips in increments of $ 5, none of which were fulfilled. I feel very gouged in terms of tipping, and I wonder if there could be an improvement in the tipping system?
I was originally very excited about this place and had requests lined up in my head. The concept of Low Key is great. The performers are talented and have great humor, but as they pulled up my requests on stage, they scoffed and refused to play them. If I had not tipped, I would completely understand their inclination to not fulfill my request, but I feel like $ 5 is worth three minutes of music.
I am of the belief that the concept of tipping should be based on services provided and my satisfaction of the services. This is not how Low Key manages its tipping system. I’d be a much happier customer if tips weren’t expected per request, and there was a tip jar that I could take advantage of before I leave the bar. That way, I could tip accordingly, based on my experience and satisfaction.

I have frequented this location through all of its transitions. I loved them all and am happy this place is still a piano bar. I like the clean vibe and the extra seating in this latest move. The acoustics are not as good as I remember — something to think about… Drinks are standard and the wait staff was attentive. It’s a great place to bring out-​of-​town late-​night guests!

I had a pretty good time here. Our waitress was really boobs and the musicians were entertaining. Drinks were on the expensive side, and had little booze in them, so I would recommend beer. Seriously. I watched the bartender hook up the weakest damn pour into the smallest cup full of ice EVER!!! It was like a little half second squirt lol.

This is a very fun place. Until last week I haven’t been here in a few years and I really don’t know why because I’ve been to so many places which aren’t fun.
Last week went there for a birthday and they really know how make it fun.
They also let me take my semi-​pro camera in, which a lot of bars/​clubs in town allow, despite everyone having phone cameras, which doesn’t prevent people from taking pictures, it just reduces the type of pictures that can be taken to mediocre.

This place is rad! Dueling pianos, happy hour till 8, $ 3 wells and $ 4 drafts, and fish bowl long islands… Heartburn, drunk was and great dancing– what else would you need on a Friday night? Come by if your on Mill Street, it’s right by Gordon Biersch and guarantees good music and fun times!

We were the youngest people in this bar by 20 years. Not to put down the elder generation, but it just wasn’t the scene we were looking for. On this Wednesday night, there were no dueling pianos, but a 5-​ish piece band playing country western while a crowd of people practiced the two step. Or something like that. There wasn’t a good place to sit down and talk, and — maybe we were just being hugely lame — but we didn’t feel like embarking upon the polka journey, so we decided to leave and go elsewhere. I would have given it more stars if there had actually been dueling pianos… and I assume that sometimes there are… but there weren’t that night and it was a huge bummer!

On a night on Mill, my friends and I decided to check out this bar because we have never been to a piano bar before. We didn’t really know what to expect, but was very happy that we came. There is a $ 5 cover, but it’s free for students (with student ID’s)!
When we entered the bar, it was low-​lit, blue, and modern. There were two people playing the piano and singing, and a server attended us as soon as we sat down. We were able to request songs by filling out a simple request form and placing it on a piano on the stage with a tip. The pianists/​singers were playing music constantly, and knew many songs, a lot of them classics, including songs by Beatles and Michael Jackson. They also played some modern songs, including those by alternative and rock artists. What I liked the most about the Low Key Dueling Piano Bar was that the customers were singing, dancing, and interacting with the stage. The noise level was loud, but it’s a piano bar, after all.
The drinks were reasonably priced, and the servers were very attentive and polite throughout. I would highly recommend checking out this place — it’s definitely different from the other bars that I have been to, and I love it. It’s super fun — I had a great time!
On another note, the stairs leading down to the entrance look like piano keys. It’s a great spot for a picture :)