Fox & Hounds Brings Back its Old Jukebox
Beloved Dupont neighborhood watering hole Fox & Hounds returned to its roots this month, permanently bringing back its old, standard jukebox almost three years after the machine was replaced with a newfangled digital version.
The old machine, with its painstakingly curated selection of compact discs, reappeared in the dark interior room of the bar about two weeks ago, much to the delight of regular patrons, and, perhaps especially, the bar's employees. It seems the advent of the digital Touchtunes jukebox, which connected to the Internet, was driving away the Fox & Hounds faithful by providing a little too much of a good thing: endless musical choices.
"People could come in and play country music all night," explained longtime Fox & Hounds server Lauren Scott. "That's just not what my regulars want."
Fox & Hounds owner George Mallios, who has been running the bar, along with companion restaurant Trio, since taking over the business from his father in the late 1960s, only got rid of the newly reinstated jukebox in 2006 after getting a lecture from his salesman at D.C. Vending.
"The jukebox company said I should get with the program," Mallios said. But after several years with the new machine, the bar kept hearing complaints. Patrons were using the digital machine to indulge in singalongs of the same Journey song three times in one hour. Or they were programming three-hour blocks of Britney Spears songs. Or they were taking advantage of Touchtunes's option to pay extra to push their choices to the head of the line, much to the irritation of other customers.
Eventually, Mallios asked his two night bartenders if they would be up for once again programming a CD-based jukebox. They enthusiastically agreed.
The album choices currently in the jukebox, which include artists ranging form The Silver Jews to Led Zeppelin to Toots and the Maytals, aren't identical to the previous iteration. For one thing, bartender Brian Jones conceded, there aren't quite as many Frank Zappa albums as there were before. But a couple of mix CDs compiled by customers (one titled "There's No Dancing at the Fox" really embodies the spirit of the entire collection) are still there. So is that Kinks album you love. And Neutral Milk Hotel. And the obscure solo album by early 1970s glam rocker Mick Ronson.
The decision to return to the old machine was not about the money, Mallios said. The Touchtones jukebox arguably brought in more cash, since it charged almost three times as much. Instead, he said, just wants his employees and customers to be happy, especially once the bar's spacious outdoor seating area becomes less popular as it grows colder.
"It'll definitely make a difference in the winter," Jones said. "At least with this, you can be sure someone's not going to play Madonna for five hours straight."