Milpitas’ The Note Lounge serves up sweet tunes

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If you’re looking for the greatest Japanese-born bluesman at any time to occur out of the clubs of Chicago to play in Milpitas, you’ll find Yoshi Senzaki playing guitar at The Notice Lounge, a reduced-vital bar with a distinctive character and excellent are living songs.

“When The Be aware reopened soon after the COVID constraints were being lifted, our band in some cases outnumbered the consumers,” Senzaki told San José Highlight. “But now, this is where real blues enthusiasts are starting off to assemble since this bar is acknowledged for currently being so friendly and accepting.”

The Yoshi Senzaki Blues Band is a typical act at The Observe Lounge, which also attributes karaoke nights, a nicely-curated jukebox and massive-display TVs for sporting activities gatherings. It is an all-reason, all-tastes bar that prides by itself on welcoming newcomers and pouring buyers an straightforward drink.

“We could not have the environment of a Santana Row bar,” claimed manager Michele Jackson. “But we have the coldest beer in Silicon Valley and our drinks are far improved and significantly cheaper. We really do not overflow our drinks with juice or regardless of what the secondary components are, and we pour an ounce and a half—not just an ounce like most bars. We are devoted to mixing drinks ideal and our prospects appreciate it.”

Michele has been functioning for her father, bar operator Steve Jackson, for 31 years. Steve opened The Notice Lounge in 2003 soon after managing a further bar, The Three Plus One Club, for 18 many years. In accordance to Michele, The Note’s location was considerably less than promising.

“This spot utilized to be a biker bar,” she claimed. “Dad called me down just one day to see it and I reported, ‘No way,’ since this put was so small and I could not imagine it as remaining something unique. But it was a fantastic price in a first rate place and he understood what he needed to do with it.”

As a single of two Black-owned bars in the region, The Be aware Lounge swiftly cultivated a adhering to among the locals and in March 2020, Steve been given the Organization & Entrepreneur Award from the Silicon Valley Black Legends Corridor of Fame.

“We had a significant social gathering for him,” Michele stated. “Then the pandemic hit the 7 days following. We had been shut down for pretty much two decades and we were being not positive we were being heading to make it.”

After the bar opened up once more, Michele said The Note Lounge kept stringent wellbeing and safety protocols. Masks ended up needed and on “Vaccinated Sundays,” buyers experienced to clearly show their COVID-19 vaccination cards to get in.

“At periods, we do have an more mature group, which is aspect of my dad’s subsequent,” she told San José Highlight. “We wished people today to know that they would be harmless coming right here.”

Even with the precautions, a lot of of the aged clients had been hesitant to return to such a general public environment.

“Business was slow when we 1st reopened,” Michele reported. “So we started scheduling more bands and executing a ton of social media, making an attempt to access a much larger group of customers. Given that then, we have experienced additional varieties of people making an attempt us out. So we now have a definitely diverse crowd, and the place is considerably better due to the fact of it.”

Buyer Rita Ramirez has been coming to the bar for 11 several years. A musician herself, she loves the are living bands and the atmosphere.

“The very first time I arrived, my impression was that this is a household-oriented location with good client support,” she explained. “I am so self-confident in how they choose care of you that I will have parties at this place and invite anywhere from 5 to 30 individuals to appear with me. And my pals usually close up telling me they will be coming back.”

The effective transformation from a biker bar to a jazz lounge is underlined by the decor—walls lined with photographs of Black musicians and sports heroes, as perfectly as cultural and political figures—and the relaxed, welcoming vibe that greets you as you enter the put.

“I have been coming below since Thanksgiving—it was the only spot open,” shopper AJ Torres explained to San José Highlight. “We arrived listed here and all people was cool. I was going as a result of a rough patch, but absolutely everyone right here dealt with me like family members. I have been coming here ever considering that. They know my title, they know what I drink, and when I arrive below, everyone reaches out to me. This is not like any other bar I have been to ahead of. It is extra like becoming with relatives.”

Speak to Robert Eliason at [email protected]