Goodbye Jukebox, Say Hello iPod

Feb. 24, 2006 — -- Remember that one-time staple in American society, the jukebox? Have you noticed you almost never see one anymore? Do you even care?

"No, I don't miss them at all," says Jamie Lewis, a petite, spunky bartender at New York City's Mercury Bar, who dictates the music her customers hear with her pink iPod Mini. "I love being in control. I'm their host, and I know what drinks they want, what lighting they want and what music they want to hear."

The preference of customers and employees for iPods instead of the once ever-present jukebox is a trend rocking the nation from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. And that trend might lead to the death of the jukebox.

Today when you walk into Generation X bars like Mercury Bar and the House of Brews on New York's west side, the people aren't spending their money on the jukeboxes; they're thumbing their high-tech click-wheels, and picking the music from their very own iPods.

"They want to come in here and use music as an expression to enjoy the atmosphere, mingle and contribute to the scene," says Lewis, who claims to have more than 10,000 songs in her digital music library.

For these digital DJs, iPod night has become one of the favorite nights of the week at local hangouts, more enjoyed then karaoke night or ladies night.

It gives iPod users a chance to share their music with others, learn about new music, hear favorite oldies and enjoy an overall atmosphere you don't get anywhere else.

On these nights the playlist can range from the theme song to the "The A-Team" to a house remix of Kanye West's "Gold Digger."

"With so many people having iPods today and there being thousands of songs on each iPod, it's a total advantage over a jukebox that has 100 CDs," says David Freeberg, manger of Mercury Bar.

Freeberg, whom you won't see playing with a pink iPod Mini, can't grasp the fact that people who bring their iPods to his bar have 10,000 songs in their digital library, when he can name only about 100.