[Saints News] A Harmony Review

Barriss · October 1, 2019

A Harmonious Review

LS' Newest Relaxation Destination

Aska Redan

The hustle and bustle of LS often leaves many of us drained. From over-zealous celebrities trying to flaunt their ability to get out of speeding tickets, or occasional gang conflict in Davis leaves you long for a little peace and quiet. Clubs and bars are aplenty in this Inland Empire are here to sate your hunger to unwind, but not all created equal. Relaxed and chill is often what you see in many clubs, while the aspects of this exist none exemplify it. Harmony is often described as everything coming together to put you at ease, at peace.

Harmony at sunset

This lounge, not club is located in West Vinewood on Eclipse boulevard. The exterior is heavily reminiscent of Shuri Castle in Japan, but with some Vinewood flair on the outside. However, the main attraction to this slice of Nihon is what lies inside, from the classic to the modern as you enter the wooden portals. Greeted with a sleek modern interior with a rigid starfield design as you enter the lounge. The blue hue of the lights, presenting a calming aura as Japanese city-pop plays over the sound system. The atmosphere is truly harmonious as each and every aspect combine to form a beautiful melody. No walls hiding others or corralling groups of influences. A bar bathed in welcoming lights that beckon you over to mingle with your new friends, and large comfy couches to lighten the load of a stressful day. Two "private" lounges do the utter corners of the lounge unrestricted and freely available to anyone who wishes to spend a slow night alone with their partner or have a small party away from the main foyer.

A view from the balcony booths

The staff of Harmony is top-notch, extremely polite and prompt with their service. From what this writer noticed capable of handling the large influx of anxious guests. The security team provided handled a disruptive guest, snuffing out the issue and quickly getting the police on the scene. Prior to the opening of Harmony, I was invited to preview and interview Ms. Jun Kishimoto the owner and one of the designers. Below is the transcript of our interview.

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Where are you from originally and what made you come to LS?

I grew up in Portland. Went to the University of Oregon and studied finance. Spent a lot of years pencil-pushing for banks and investment firms. When I was... oh... twenty-seven? Two years ago or so, yeah. I stepped into the nightlife industry. A few friends and I ran a club back in Portland for a short time. Made some connections. Managed a few more spots. I decided to come to LS because I saw a market niche not being filled and had a unique idea for the city.

You say it is a niche market, however, there are other such lounges. What will this one, in particular, bring that the others don't?

Look around. Listen to the music. I think we're going to compete well. And I'm glad to have a competition. There should always be competition in a healthy market. But a place that's as casual, relaxing, and pleasant as here - I haven't seen it.

For our readers. What is the general concept of this club?

If we had a mission statement it'd be to provide a laid back, relaxing atmosphere for the people of LS to wind down - enjoy themselves. I think something that's lost in a lot of clubs is the opportunity for people to have genuine conversations. The vibe is important. Sticking to a vibe is important. That's what I plan to do here. A lot of spots morph to cater to an audience. Harmony is for everyone.

So an actual hangout?

It's a lounge without the pretentiousness and frills.

Are you the designer as well? From the seating to the light placement, it's all deliberate.

It's been a collaborative process between myself and my good friend.

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Ms. Kishimoto is an extremely welcoming host her words quite genuine as she could hardly contain her excitement for the grand opening. What an opening it was, once the clock struck nine the gates opened. While it started slow Harmony soon quickly filled up with dozens filling the seats and enjoying themselves at the bar. The chill vibes of Harmony were enough to even pacify some of the local motorcycle enthusiasts as they walked through the doors. Rumors of an artist displaying their works passed to me as I drank my sake with several friends at my side.

A gaggle of guests enjoying their stay

For once the city has a cozy spot that has no reservations, lists, and unlike some competitors stock a full supply of various spirits and booze to sate our thirst. Events are capable of being hosted within Harmony, Ms. Kishimoto expressed interested in allowing groups to rent out the place to suit their needs. Sadly, there is no kitchen in the lounge so food must be catered, or you can seek out Sakana. A lovely sushi house not too far from Harmony.

With as crazy of an opening, Bloodhound might need to offer additional security. As well as Harmony hire more bartenders to keep up with demand, otherwise, as queues were only likely to continue growing with the crowd that was present in the venue. In addition, there was no door-staff, nor did we see any ID'ing occurring.

In summary, Harmony is truly the place where it all comes together in a beautiful symphony of relaxation. I highly recommend the readers to pick out their best outfits and stop by Harmony soon. Bring your friends or a date, you won't regret it.

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