In the late 1890s, ragtime piano players would literally “duel” with their instruments to see who was better. When it opened in 1933, Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans decided to harness these duels as actual nightly entertainment for its patrons.

Today, the dueling piano format remains popular, though it has morphed to more of a crowd karaoke-style of entertainment. The two pianists play covers of popular songs, patrons drink and then attempt to sing along.

If you’re looking for a good dueling pianos bar when in Orlando, Florida, you’ll be happy to know there are actually four places where you can get your duel on.

Baby Grands

The daily happy hour from 5pm-7pm is good, with 2-4-1 drinks, beer and shot specials and half-off appetizers. Make it better by gathering a large group of friends and signing up for a free happy hour party, where everyone will also get free cover and $1 drink specials.

Baby Grands is located downtown at 54 W. Church Street, on the second floor. It’s open until 2am Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Howl at the Moon

Part of a national chain, Howl at the Moon caters to the college crowd with lots of nightly drink specials. It’s also been voted Orlando’s Best Bachelorette Night Out.

Sign up to win a free happy hour party on Fridays for your group that includes free cover, 2 free drinks per person and a complimentary appetizer buffet from 6pm until 9pm. Otherwise cover is usually around $10.

Howl at the Moon is open nightly from 7pm to 2am, except on Friday and Saturday when it opens at 6pm. It’s located at 8815 International Drive.

Jellyrolls

Named after the legendary ragtime jazz pianist “Jelly Roll” Morton, you’ll find this dueling pianos bar at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and it’s usually packed.

Drinks are a little overpriced and the humor is more family-orientated (this is Disney, after all), but it’s still a fun night out.

Jellyrolls is open nightly from 7pm to 2am and there is a $10 cover per person.

Pat O’Brien’s

An outpost of the original Pat O’Brien’s, this multi-room bar offers dueling pianos in the main room, along with some of the best hurricanes you’ll find in Orlando (they did invent them after all).

Pat O’Brien’s is located at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk, on the upper level (take the escalator up and turn right), and is open 5pm to 2am. Cover is $7 after 9pm, but if you want to club hop, the CityWalk Party Pass for $11.99 is a much better deal. $15 will get you a Party Pass with a movie option.

[Photo courtesy Pat O'Brien's]

The Hard Rock Cafe Guitar at Universal CityWalk Hollywood

In a city like Los Angeles, the nightlife options are endless. But if you find yourself spending the day at Universal Studios Hollywood, you might want to stay a little longer and enjoy some of its CityWalk nightlife options.

Like the Orlando version of CityWalk, most of these are restaurants with bars, so you can catch a meal and have a few drinks after the parks.

You can’t miss the signature guitar to find your way to the Hard Rock Cafe, where you can have drinks at the Pink Cadillac bar.  Howl at the Moon is a dueling, sing-along piano bar, with an interactive atmosphere. Samba Brazilian Steakhouse and Lounge breaks out the carnaval atmosphere on weekends, especially on Fridays, when admission is free before 10pm.

Beer lovers will want to stop by the Karl Strauss Brewing Company to have one of its handcrafted microwbrews along with their meal. Happy hour is everyday between 4pm and 6:30pm, and you simply must try their Beeramisu dessert, served with an ale caramel sauce.
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Sure, there are plenty of events for couples on Valentine’s Day, but what if you’re just getting out of a relationship? You’re single, ready to mingle, and you don’t want to be surrounded by lovey-dovey couples.

Howl at the Moon is coming to your rescue with their “Love Sux!” party on February 12, 2011, the Saturday before Valentine’s Day.

Mangle that Ex's Photo for Reduced Cover

For those not familiar with it, Howl at the Moon is a nationwide chain of entertainment venues that combine a dueling pianos bar with the energy of a nightclub. To date, the company has eleven locations: Baltimore; Charlotte, NC; Chicago; Hollywood; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, MO; Louisville, KY; Orlando; and San Antonio, TX.

Each of these locations will be holding a “Love Sux!” party, the fifth year Howl at the Moon has held this event. Win over $1000 in cash & prizes for playing various Love Sux games, and there will also be drink specials such as an X-Boyfriend cocktail (X-RATED Fusion Liqueur, vanilla vodka and juices) and the gigantic 86-oz Hex Your Ex Bucket of Booze (a jumbo-sized Southern Comfort Hurricane). That last one is meant to share, unless you just had a particularly messy break-up and have a designated driver for the night.

Cover is $10 but you can get in for half price if you bring in a shredded, torn or otherwise mutilated photo of an ex. Most creatively destroyed photo may also win a prize.

Howl at the Moon is a fun place anyways, so I can just imagine the mischief one can get into during a party like this.

[Image courtesy of Howl at the Moon - all embellishments courtesy of them, as well]