In the spring of 2009, I went on a road trip through Cleveland, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, New York City, Philadelphia and back here-home.

While in Cleveland, my traveling companions and I stopped at a piano bar. It was relatively quiet for a Saturday night, and we sat at the bar for a couple of hours listening to a jazz pianist play standards, take requests and improvise new songs.

The place was lit with a nice, mellow tone. The music was comfortable, the drinks affordable and the clientele appeared happily subdued by music and conversation. The place had a classy feel, but it never felt pretentious or hoity-toity. In short, it was every bit of enjoyable.

We talked about how incredible a place like that would be in downtown Florence.

The nightlife in Florence is lacking, and everyone knows it. We get to choose between three bars without going across the river: a loud, tightly cramped hall with DJs and country music; a bigger one with karaoke, sometimes, and country music; and a dark, smoke-filled house of metal, alternative metal, hardcore, DJs and country music. Copy and paste to the south side of the Tennessee.

I do exaggerate (slightly), but I’m making a point. Our area needs a place that is more than a big room to get drunk in. A bar that is still a bar but with the feel of a coffee shop, perhaps. It would be the kind of place where someone could go enjoy an evening without having to worry about yelling over a room full of people who are yelling over an acoustic jam session. Let’s imagine Swampers’ sound, Truly Cigars’ look, Sweet Magnolia’s quality, and the feel of the bar from Billy Joel’s song “Piano Man”-without the broken dreams, preferably-all in one, and on a student’s budget.

The entertainment would be readily available. We have an amazing music department filled with pianists, jazz combos, vocal ensembles, guitarists and a whole symphony of string players. Not to mention local performers like Dillon Hodges, Spencer Murphy and all the others who create legitimate music.

I’m not talking about some highbrow, shirt-and-tie kind of place either. It would need to be geared toward the entire community, students especially. This wouldn’t be a place with crystal glasses and fine linens, but it should be one of quality. A place that is classy without being pretentious and exclusive.

While I don’t know what starting a business like this would entail, I don’t think it would be a waste of time or money. I think it would provide some relief to those of us who want to see some change in this area in terms of music and culture.

It would provide a creative outlet for a demographic that is greatly untapped in this area-those wanting to have a nice, affordable night while enjoying audible conversation and creative expression.