Bobby McKey's Dueling Piano Bar

What's a 'dueling piano bar,' you ask? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. At Bobby McKey's (172 Fleet St.National Harbor, MD 20745), two to four piano players take your song requests and turn them into some of the best live entertainment you'll find. And I'm not just talking about moderately okay singing. I was seriously wowed at how talented these guys were. They turned Eminem's 'Forgot About Dre' into a classic show tune. If that's not talent, I don't know what is.

I recently visited Bobby McKey's and had a wonderful girl's night with my friend, Candice. We arrived a little late (and by late I mean by 15 minutes), and the place was already packed to capacity. However, because we made reservations, our seats were saved and we sat next to one group celebrating a birthday on one side and a group of friends enjoying a night out on the other. We quickly made friends with our neighbors and they showed us the ropes for surviving a night at Bobby McKey's.

In order to hear a song we liked, we were to write our request on a piece of paper, walk up to and place it on the piano and include a tip (which increases the likelihood your song is played). There's also a way for you to let your waiter/waitress know when you're ready for another drink, which is always a plus in my book. Seating was a little tight so it's best not to get up unless you really need to.

I'm not Sarah J.

After one of the piano players hit on a girl celebrating her 21st birthday with her parents AND grandparents in tow, I knew I was in the right place.

I didn't have cash to tip so my request - Back That Ass Up by Juvenile - wasn't honored (but would have been hilarious to hear). But that didn't mean I didn't enjoy the variety of songs played. From Whitney Houston to Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift to Eminem, there was something sang for everyone's musical taste. And when crass jokes are made between songs (in a good way), it makes the night that much more enjoyable.

I had a hilariously good time at Bobby McKey's, which is why I'm giving away a $200 gift card for you and your friends! Enter to win by following two simple steps:

1. Subscribe to Will Drink For Travel's YouTube channel; and
2. Follow Bobby McKey's on Instagram.

That's it! Are you celebrating a birthday? St. Patrick's Day? Bachelorette party? Or just want to do something fun with your friends? This is the perfect gift to do just that. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Tips for having fun at Bobby McKey's:

1. Make reservations and be on time.
2. Become fast friends with your neighbors.
3. Take advantage of the drink specials.
4. Come with cash so you can tip to hear your favorite songs.
5. Have a sense of humor.

The giveaway will end next Thursday, March 16th, at 5 p.m. EST, just in time for St. Patricks Day. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Why Every Traveler Should See 'Get Out'

In case you've been living under a rock, Jordan Peele (of Comedy Central's Key and Peele fame) has written and directed the newest thriller to hit theaters, Get Out. The movie is centered around a black man (Chris) in America visiting his white girlfriend's (Rose) family for the weekend. And everything that can possibly go wrong, does, and in the worst way possible. 

*SPOILER ALERT* 

This post contains several spoilers. But you've made it this far, so keep reading.

Rose's neurosurgeon father, Dean, and hypnotherapist mother, Missy, try to first establish themselves as anti-racist but as the movie continues, it becomes very clear this isn't the case. Missy offers to cure Chris of his smoking habit but he declines. As Chris goes out to sneak a smoke late at night, he ends up being hypnotized anyway by Missy, which we don't find out until it's too late.

Ultimately, we learn that the Armitrage family lures and kidnaps black people to their home in order to auction them off to the highest white (or Asian) bidder. They are then lobotomized and the white person's brain is inserted into their black bodies so they can continue living their lives. The black person is aware of what's happening, but because they've been hypnotized, it feels like they are looking up at their own lives while falling into a deep abyss. 

While there are several great think-pieces (here, here and here) about how this movie is the most modern take on American slavery, that's not my lane. I know my lane and that's not it. I'm here to tell you how I walked away thinking about what travel lessons I was reminded of while watching the movie. I'm serious. I think about travel all the time, even during a movie about crazy white people. Stay with me.

1. Keep your phone charged at all times.

If Chris hadn't tried to keep charging his phone, he wouldn't have been able to send the photo to his best friend, Rod, who figured out that it was indeed their neighborhood friend, Andrew, who was missing (and now married to an elderly white woman). 

When traveling, you just never know when you're going to need your phone to look up directions, communicate with a friend, or in the case of an emergency. I always carry a spare battery with me, especially while traveling. My phone is literally my lifeline. Trust me, I've had my fair share of travel emergencies and a phone has always come in handy.

2. If you have a bad feeling about something, speak up. Go with your gut.

There were several times throughout the movie that Chris was apprehensive about what someone said or did in response to his blackness, but he failed to speak up because of his relationship with Rose. Once he decided to speak out, it was already too late and the family had him cornered. 

When you travel, always make sure that you go with your intuition. I can't stress that enough. If something doesn't feel right, it most likely isn't. It's always better to be safe than sorry. (Side note: Apparently, I'm turning into my mother with all this 'better safe than sorry' advice. *Shrugs* I guess it happens to the best of us.)

3. Know your travel companions. 

Chris' first mistake was going on a trip with someone he had only known for four months. Did he really know Rose? Before they even left the city, he learned that she didn't tell her parents he was black. This should have been red flag #1. I know we live in a post-racial society and all (Ha!), but the fact that he was black is definitely something she should have shared with her parents, even through casual conversation. This goes back to lesson #2: go with your gut. The entire movie plot could have been avoided if he just said to Rose, "Nah, bruh. Let them know I'm black and then we can see what's up."

I'm not going to stand on my soapbox and say I've always made the best decisions, but this was a lesson I learned long ago. Know who you're traveling with, how they handle sensitive situations and be comfortable knowing that in the case of an emergency, they're the ones who will have your back.

4. Always tell someone where you're going. And make sure that person is reliable.

This was the most apparent and important lesson I gleamed from Get Out. Chris was able to 'get out' on his own, but he was able to 'stay out' was because Rod didn't give up and went searching for his homie. Even when Rod tried telling the police that his best friend was missing and they laughed him out of the building, he kept pursuing Chris' whereabouts because he knew something was wrong.

This is the benefit of letting someone know where and with whom you're going. In the case that something unfortunate does happen, someone will know where you said you were the last time you were seen or heard from. I will text friends - even when I'm in a foreign country and they aren't - to let them know what I'm up to. It's just the prudent thing to do (There I go sounding like mom again.). 

5. Say no to hypnosis.

I'm naturally a curious person, so I'd give hypnosis a try. That was before I saw this movie. Ain't no way in hell I'd try it now. You won't catch me falling into the 'sunken place.'

I applaud Jordan Peele for his vision for Get Out. The subtleties, nuances, and symbolism displayed throughout the movie were thought-provoking and completely wrapped in the fabric of America. Yes, Get Out is about racism in America, but I also believe lessons can be learned for people of any race. If you think this movie is just about a black person going rogue and killing his girlfriend's crazy white family, you're completely misguided (That's for you, Armond White). Read those think-pieces I mentioned above and then get back to me.