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Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar Celebrates 30 Years on 6th Street

The downtown mainstay marks the occasion with a special night of festivities

Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar will celebrate 30 years of lively nights out and entertaining live music with a midnight toast and special shows from extraordinary Pete’s performers the night of Saturday, Oct. 29.

The first Pete’s location opened as Pete’s Peanut Bar on Sixth Street in 1992. Three decades later, the piano bar has expanded to locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Chicago.

Owner Corey Urbach has been a part of the business from the beginning, when he started as a door host at the original Pete’s, before moving to the role of general manager. Then 19-year-old Urbach hired Steven Green, the first main pianist at Pete’s, before coming up with the idea to transform Pete’s from a one-man show into a dueling piano bar.

“Fellow friend of Pete, Greg Sacony, took me under his wing as partner as he trusted my vision to execute the dueling piano bar concept, while he provided me with the wisdom and business knowledge to make that vision a reality,” says Urbach, who eventually became an owner in 1997.

The dueling pianist concept took off, and after 30 years, Pete’s is still an iconic mainstay on ever-changing Sixth Street.

“Over the years, I have watched this vibrant neighborhood change dramatically, from roving riots to bustling crowds of tourists and locals alike,” reflects Urbach. “Pete’s has grown along with Sixth Street, expanding its music selection and depth of talent to only the best in the country, keeping up with changing tastes and trends.”

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The bar has served as the background for epic evenings — including one night in particular, which Urbach remembers as a time the crowd was especially enthusiastic and the performers were hitting all the right notes.

“At one point in the night, Lewis Hamilton — a world-famous Formula 1 racer with an incredible voice — came up onstage to sing with the band. He sang Livin’ on a Prayer and soon he had the crowd of 400 people singing along to every word,” says Urbach. “There was so much energy in the room that it felt like everyone was one big happy family.”

That’s the beauty of Pete’s. You never know exactly what will happen during a night out at the bar, including this Saturday, when guests can look forward to dueling shows from Allen Fisher, Joe Brown, Jordan Hillman and Chris Saucedo, all longstanding Pete’s performers.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. this Saturday, and the special toast will be held at midnight. To reserve a table, visit the Pete’s website.

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