Last week, the Moon reopened for the winter season in traditional style – with a jamming Friday night lineup that kept the house rocking 'til the wee hours – but guests were greeted to a new Moon.
Fresh energy has come to the music venue in the form of new operators Dan Lynch, Jeff Smokevitch and Joe Carena, partners in the former Brown Dog bar and restaurant now occupied by the Floradora.
When their lease on the restaurant space ran out earlier this fall, the three began searching for a new home for Brown Dog. The end result – still called the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon – combines the atmosphere of the Brown Dog with the traditions of the Moon.
"We want to bring the Moon back to where it was in its heyday," says Lynch, describing plans for the space that include live music shows up to six nights a week, while also adding their own, decidedly Brown Dog-esque touches. The sports bar theme that once infused the Brown Dog has moved to the Moon, with multiple televisions and extended operating hours on weekend football days. Video games, pool and foosball tables have also been added.
Perhaps most exciting is the addition of food, with a menu similar to the original Brown Dog, minus pizza and pasta dishes. The kitchen in the new Moon is slated to begin serving food on Dec. 26, and although the business is still connected to Pacific Street Pizza, the renovated kitchen is small and better suited to serving primarily subs and salads.
"We can't really do the Brown Dog at the Moon," Lynch explains, citing the space's small kitchen area, "but we wanted to take a shot at doing something similar there."
The Moon's winter lineup is already filling up, thanks to help from local Dan Plummer and his Freestyle Productions company. The hip-hop and reggae band Greenhouse takes the stage tonight and local DJ Ryan Smith will spin tunes on Saturday. Also on the Moon's upcoming music calendar is Rose Hill Drive on Dec. 27 (a Madison House Managing Company band – the same managing company as the String Cheese Incident); regional fave Mama's Cooking on New Year's Eve; Listen, a hip-hop, jazz group on Jan. 29; local Mike Palis's band Upshot on the Dec. 30; and many more.
"We want to bring the Moon back to what it used to be like, and get people excited to come down here because they can see different music every night," Smokevitch says, adding that the new operators are committed to helping bring in bands that locals want to see, and original owner Skip Lichter has helped them make the transition to a smaller, music-oriented venue.
For updated music calendars or more information, visit www.flymetothemoonsaloon.com or call 728-MOON.
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