Eurodam piano bar?

[elycelynne]

Who's currently entertaining in the Eurodam piano bar? My cruise isn't until December and I realize that whoever is there now might not be there by then, but I was wondeirng how good he/she is in case it's the same person. Thanks!

[taxmantoo]

Got off the Eurodam in June and the Piano Bar player was Eric Fischer from Florida.

Absolutely, without a doubt, the worst Piano Bar entertainer we have ever seen and heard on land or at sea:eek: Could not play the piano and could not sing. Would only do songs from a preprinted list and would get angry if anyone requested a song not on the list or a song he played two hours before when they weren't there.

We were at the Piano Bar on most nights as we met nice people there and the staff was wonderful. We should have brought ear plugs!

[RuthC]

Absolutely, without a doubt, the worst Piano Bar entertainer we have ever seen and heard on land or at sea:eek:

I have to wonder where HAL is finding some of it's "talent" the last few years. It's enough to make a night-owl go to bed early. :rolleyes:

[taxmantoo]

I have to wonder where HAL is finding some of it's "talent" the last few years. It's enough to make a night-owl go to bed early. :rolleyes:

 

LOL ! I even wrote to HAL HQ and commented on the survey card about this one. He told us the first night he gained all his experience on Carnival and it was a much different crowd... you think?

I guess Jimmy Maddox has now spoiled us all!!! Can't wait to cruise with him again!

[elycelynne]

This isn't what I wanted to hear. Maybe his contract will be up before my sailing?????? (One can hope!) I don't want to have to go to bed early! :eek:

[mtnmommy]

Glad to hear others had the same opinion of Eric--thought maybe I was just spoiled from so many wonderful piano players on previous HAL cruises. We were on the Eurodam Baltic Cruise in early June and thought he was terrible. It was depressing because, with Club HAL's hours and our children's bedtimes, the piano bar is the best place for us to enjoy a quick drink and some evening entertainment. The bar on the Eurodam is beautiful, however, and I'd think he would be gone by December. Where are Randall and Jimmy when you need them?!

[artnak]

I don't know who is presently entertaining in the piano bar on the Eurodam.

Les Launer was the piano man last January 2 when we were on the Eurodam.

We enjoyed him very much. He was very entertaining and had a huge repertoire of songs.

I don't remember anything he couldn't or wouldn't play.

We looked forward to our evenings in the piano bar.

Hopefully he'll be back. :)

[schoolinmy3]

We went a couple times to the Piano Bar but found what we really liked was the acoustic guitarist in the Crow's Nest. We were on board end of May and he was great. His name was Aaron Tessis and my 17 yo went up to listen every evening. He also plays original music. James Cielen's shows are fantastic as well.

diane

[Oceanwench]

I guess Jimmy Maddox has now spoiled us all!!! Can't wait to cruise with him again!

 

Absolutely!!! Jimmy Maddox was BY FAR the BEST piano player I have ever encountered on a HAL ship. Saw him on the Westerdam a few years ago. We pretty much closed up the piano bar every night - had so much fun.

 

As far as the OP's question - it has been my experience that piano bar entertainers change when the ships arrive here in Florida for the fall/winter cruises. When we've cruised the first or second week of the new season, we've always had someone just starting a new contract. So I would not think the person in the piano bar now on Eurodam would be there in December.

[Destin Mom]

What a great question. Bummer on the piano bar. We, too, like to grab a quick drink before picking up the kids from Club HAL and always enjoy live music.

 

Schoolinmy3- thanks so much for the Crows Nest tip. We love acoustic music as well. Do you happen to recall the hours and whether or not Aaron played nightly? Hope you all had a wonderful trip. We leave for Copenghagen on Monday- so excited!

[mtnmommy]

Destin Mom--My programs show that Aaron Tessis played 7-10 p.m. in the Crow's Nest, with 2-for-1 drinks from 8-9 p.m! Although there is no music, we also enjoyed gazing at the sea and having a quiet drink at the Silk Den--so pretty and just one floor directly above Club HAL. The bummer about the new show times was that we had early fixed seating, so we missed the early show, and you have to get the kids before the late show. Enjoy your trip--we loved it!

[bob brown]

Where are Randall and Jimmy when you need them?!

 

Is that "Rockin' Randall" that you are referring to? I enjoyed his great personality twice....On the Noordam and the Maasdam back in '06 and '07.

I had heard that he'd left HAL for a while and now may be back.

He would play any song you requested. If he didn't know it, he'd research it and play it later. He conducted spirited team "name that tune" contests. he'd even award a prize for the team with the funniest name (decided by loudest applause). he held court to his loyal following each evening. Wonder what ship he is on now?

[RuthC]

Is that "Rockin' Randall" that you are referring to? ... Wonder what ship he is on now?

If "Rockin' Randall" is Randall Powell (never heard the moniker, but it fits), then his name has come up on fairly recent posts. I think, but am not sure, that he was reported to be on the Oosterdam.

He is still (or again?) with HAL. HALlelujah! ;)

[HALFans]

We went a couple times to the Piano Bar but found what we really liked was the acoustic guitarist in the Crow's Nest...

 

I'm a huge fan of the Piano Bar, but... it seems that the last couple of cruises we were on, the live solo entertainer in the Crow's Nest was VERY talented. Somehow we never got up there until the end of the cruise and discovered only too late that there was a truly fantastic musician on-board.

 

We're fans of light jazz and the last two; a pianist and a guitarist both seemed to have leanings that way too.

 

Somehow we've just never got up to the top of the ship until after the evening shows. Our normal evening routine is Ocean Bar, Dinner, Piano Bar (depending on when name-that-tune/sing-along is), Show, Ocean/Piano bar 'til close, Crow's Nest. We might have to change that order! ;)

[Oceanwench]

If "Rockin' Randall" is Randall Powell (never heard the moniker, but it fits), then his name has come up on fairly recent posts. I think, but am not sure, that he was reported to be on the Oosterdam.

He is still (or again?) with HAL. HALlelujah! ;)

 

Thanks for supplying the last name, Ruth. I could not think of it!

Here is his site: http://www.randallpowell.com

I need to bookmark it!

 

His schedule is not posted, but the last entry on his guest book was June 22, from someone who had sailed with him on the Oosterdam.

 

Randall is a wonderful entertainer. We saw him on the Zuiderdam and had so much fun. It was SRO in the piano bar most nights. When he did showtunes, people were standing out in the hallway singing along - overflow crowd!

[bob brown]

Yup. That's him.

I agree he needed a larger venue. Perhaps the new layout on modified ships expands the piano bar? Either that or move Randall to the Crow's Nest.

[Idahomom4]

If "Rockin' Randall" is Randall Powell (never heard the moniker, but it fits), then his name has come up on fairly recent posts. I think, but am not sure, that he was reported to be on the Oosterdam.

He is still (or again?) with HAL. HALlelujah! ;)

 

We were on the Oosterdam last week (6/20-6/27) and this has to be the Randall that was in the Piano Bar. He was awesome! We only did the Piano Bar a couple nights on teams that invited us to play with them (Spokane sisters and Steven, are you on here? :)) What a hoot! He did a great job!

[PathfinderEss]

We were on the Oosterdam last week (6/20-6/27) and this has to be the Randall that was in the Piano Bar. He was awesome! We only did the Piano Bar a couple nights on teams that invited us to play with them (Spokane sisters and Steven, are you on here? :)) What a hoot! He did a great job!

Randall was the piano player on our Oosterdam cruise in April. He was good, but I got tired of him playing around with his computer so much that he hardly played or sang.

He would cut his songs off just to tell us another story about someone he knew or some place he had been. He tends to tell way to many stories about singers, their songs and lots of jokes too, just not enough piano playing going on for my taste. My opinion.........

[Oceanwench]

Really? I don't remember his doing that when we saw him!

But I do like a piano bar entertainer who can talk to the crowd, pass along some fun facts about songs or musicians, tell a few jokes, etc.

That's why I love Jimmy Maddox!!!

 

The piano bar entertainers I don't like are the ones who are there only to sing FOR the crowd, not WITH the crowd. That kind of entertainment I can get in other venues on the ship. When I go into the piano bar, I want to sing along with everyone else! That's what makes it fun.

[RuthC]

The piano bar entertainers I don't like are the ones who are there only to sing FOR the crowd, not WITH the crowd. That kind of entertainment I can get in other venues on the ship. When I go into the piano bar, I want to sing along with everyone else! That's what makes it fun.

Exactly. They should see the function as less to entertain, and more to make a party.

One of the best-ever in the Piano Bar goes back to when I first went back to HAL. Frank Gusto couldn't sing worth a darn, but he knew every song out there, and he knew how to create a good time.

[bob brown]

The way I remember Randall, he would sometimes use his computer or a songbook to research a song he didn't know. Only to delight the person that requested it...

[bob brown]

Exactly. They should see the function as less to entertain, and more to make a party.

 

One of the best-ever in the Piano Bar goes back to when I first went back to HAL. Frank Gusto couldn't sing worth a darn, but he knew every song out there, and he knew how to create a good time.

While Randall was the best I saw on a HAL ship, there was one that was absolutely terrific on RCCL. i don't recall his name, but he was sort of like Don Ho, a Native Hawaiian, and he really had the huge Schooner piano bar rocking each evening to overflow crowds on the Mariner of the Seas back in '03 when it was new.

[PathfinderEss]

Really? I don't remember his doing that when we saw him!

But I do like a piano bar entertainer who can talk to the crowd, pass along some fun facts about songs or musicians, tell a few jokes, etc.

That's why I love Jimmy Maddox!!!

 

The piano bar entertainers I don't like are the ones who are there only to sing FOR the crowd, not WITH the crowd. That kind of entertainment I can get in other venues on the ship. When I go into the piano bar, I want to sing along with everyone else! That's what makes it fun.

I don't disagree with what your saying Oceanwench about piano bar entertainers, I like the same things too. It's just that Randall seem to take it way to far on our cruise. I know he was very impressed with himself that he had most of his music transferred over to his computer and maybe that was more the problem. He was having a hard time remembering if he had his music in his notebook or in the computer, it just got a little annoying. I really enjoyed it when he played, he just didn't do much of it. I actually got to wondering if he was having problems singing, because 7 days a week is pretty grueling for a singer. His cutting song short and telling more stories could be a way of resting his vocal cords. Don't know, just an observation.

[RuthC]

While Randall was the best I saw on a HAL ship,

I agree that Randall is one of the best HAL has had in recent years. I hope he stays a while, and that I get to enjoy his Piano Bar again.

It's only a few years since Perry Grant left HAL; Kory Simon was excellent, too. A few years ago there was a Simon Casimiro who was also a find for the line. They're all gone elsewhere.

HAL has a bad habit of driving the best ones away.

[Oceanwench]

Jimmy Maddox is supposed to be on the Nieuw Amsterdam this summer. [i have to learn to spell that!]

 

My understanding of why some of the best leave: Money. More to be made elsewhere. :(