Open Piano hits all the right notes on U Street

In the dimly lit second floor of The Saloon, twinkling lights illuminate a single wooden Yamaha piano.  

One by one, the piano bench fills with jazz enthusiasts, Bach reinterpreters, and amateur performers taking turns as the crowd cheers and calls for encores. 

Open Piano night takes over The Saloon on U Street every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m., offering a no-cost space for pianists from every corner of the musical spectrum. 

Kevin Lambert, the event’s founder and emcee, said he started Open Piano after growing frustrated with intrusive background music in bars. He said he wanted a space centered on live acoustic piano and genuine social connection. 

“No amplifiers, none of that,” Lambert said. 

Lambert said his longing for authentic, acoustic musical experiences grew out of memories such as an accordionist in a Viennese bar, where people gathered for “conversation and possibly a piano.” 

In D.C., he turned that vision into reality with help from Robert James, a computer programmer he met through community choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. James, who often finds homes for unwanted pianos, helped place one at the event’s original venue, the Purple Patch restaurant, giving Lambert the launching pad for Open Piano in 2018. 

The group later upgraded to a refurbished Yamaha upright piano, now the centerpiece of the event. 

“Every time I see people getting together and enjoying themselves around a piano, I feel like I’ve really done a good thing,” Lambert said. 

The event encourages participation and attentive listening, with audience engagement built into its foundation — people shout song requests and occasionally clear space for an impromptu dance floor. 

The Saloon’s owner, Kamal “Commy” Jahanbein, runs the Kamal Foundation, which uses proceeds from the bar to fund schools and clinics abroad. 

Lambert said he often encourages attendees to order an extra snack or drink, knowing “it goes to a good cause.” 

Hosting Open Piano every Wednesday night on the second floor of his bar makes perfect sense to Jahanbein: “The piano is the mother of all instruments.” 

Bach, reinterpreted 

The Yamaha piano became an outlet for Sam Post — a pianist, composer, and longtime Open Piano regular — who found in it a place to share his work.  

After discovering the event at its original venue, The Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, Post said he was hooked. He said he returned week after week, making friends and performing for nearly a decade. 

Although raising two young children has limited his recent appearances, Post said each visit still means a lot to him. 

“This is a special night out for me,” he said. 

Post released his latest album, Well-“Tampered” Clavier, with Ralitza Patcheva, associate chair of chamber music at the Levine School of Music, on Oct. 17. The project reimagines a collection of Johann Sebastian Bach pieces with fresh rhythms and bright syncopation. 

“It gives them a more modern feel and works much better on the piano,” Post said. 

For Post, performing and handing out physical copies of his work at Open Piano builds a rare sense of connection. 

“To feel the energy of the physical space is really great,” he said. “That’s always true of live music.” 

Self-taught 

Tio Brown, a self-taught composer and pianist, said he started attending Open Piano five years ago. 

The D.C. native’s path to the Saloon’s Yamaha includes collaborations with Lambert, Open Piano’s founder, and his cousin, a percussionist.  

The trio recorded four or five original tracks together, all arranged and written by Lambert. 

After Brown’s band, 100 Years Time, broke up, he said he reunited with Lambert and became a regular performer at the U Street event. 

“I feel great because I’m doing my own stuff,” Brown said. 

As a child, Brown said he wanted to learn piano but faced an unexpected barrier. Born with two fingers missing from his right hand, he wasn’t allowed to take piano lessons at school.  

Undeterred, Brown said his mother encouraged him to find his own way into music. 

On the second floor of The Saloon, Brown now captivates the crowd with his simultaneous vocals and piano playing. 

A farewell tune 

After more than 70 years in Washington, pianist Ed Rejuney is preparing to leave the District and start a new chapter. 

Rejuney said he first met Lambert during choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. Together, they built a community that now feels like family. 

He describes his upcoming move as both exciting and bittersweet. 

“You get comfortable in your life, and then suddenly something kicks you, and it’s like throwing a bomb into the middle of everything,” he said. 

Rejuney said he started playing piano at age seven and has since logged more than 10,000 hours at the keys.  

His dedication shows in the way he mentors others and remembers moments that shaped the group — like the day Kristen Clark, a shy but gifted singer, first performed. The two soon became a performing duo. 

Clark, he said, represents Open Piano’s mission: creating a space where anyone who loves the piano can belong. 

A loyal crowd 

After moving back to Washington in 2021, Blake Vieira said he discovered Open Piano by accident. A simple flyer taped to an electrical box invited passersby to “Open Piano at The Saloon every Wednesday, 7 to 10 p.m.” Intrigued, he decided to stop by. 

Since that night, he said he has rarely missed a week. 

Vieira said he is now on a first-name basis with many of the pianists, and friendships that began at the piano have extended far beyond The Saloon’s walls. 

“It’s always a magical experience,” he said, noting that each week brings new faces and unforgettable moments — from late-night dancing to performances that bring the house down. 

Although Vieira isn’t a musician, his appreciation for the talent runs deep. 

“I’ve described myself to my friends here like an art dealer. I know the value of it and can appreciate it,” Vieira said.  “Just don’t ask me to actually do it.” 

 

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