With the news that Sizzler restaurants about to be rebranded as Taco Bells, we’re looking back on our final trip to Sizzler in 2016 – one that left us incredibly impressed with not just the killer dessert bar, but also the music. This article was originally published in September 2016.
If it felt like the Australian music industry was particularly lethargic a couple of Fridays ago, it’s because we were all in the midst of recovering from our collective BIGSOUND hangover, which loomed over Brisbane like the proverbial spectre of communism over Europe.
If one were to take a cruise through Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and the surrounding areas, they would’ve seen prominent members of the Australian music community sporting thick sunglasses and hunched over like the cover of Atlas Shrugged, humbly awaiting airport-bound cabs.
We’re not proud to say it, but the crew at Tone Deaf were no different. We work hard to deliver you the latest goings-on in the local and international music scenes, but we like to party just as hard… maybe even a little bit harder.
So when the harsh light of Friday finally came around and we at Team Tone Deaf herded our tenderised carcasses into the lounge of a Fortitude Valley hotel, there was very little on our minds besides getting out our daily newsletter and chowing down on endless piles of food.
The restorative properties of greasy food in great abundance when one is in the midst of what the Germans refer to as a ‘katzenjammer’ are well documented, and before anyone could say “Kill me please” we were in a GoGet bound for Sizzler.
For those not old enough to remember, Sizzler was a chain of family-friendly buffet restaurants popular in the ’90s, famous for their all you can eat salad bar option, which allowed patrons to take as many trips as their stomachs would allow to the buffet area.
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Whilst Sizzler restaurants, along with equally notable rival Smorgies, have largely disappeared from most Australian cities, they remain quite popular (or at the very least in business) in Queensland.
Their Gold Coast location in particular commands nightclub-like queues (we know, we saw them after last year’s BIGSOUND). According to the Sizzler website, there are 21 Sizzler restaurants in Australia.
After arriving at the Annerley Sizzler and taking a few photos for social media cred, we huddled into the near-empty restaurant and set up camp at a window adjacent settling of tables, taking a moment to enjoy the atmosphere before we grabbed our plates.
Pictured: Our editor Brandon and intern Steph outside the Annerley Sizzler
After two trips to the buffet and a dozen trips to the self-serve desert bar (give or take a couple), Team Tone Deaf was well on its way to recovery and in the midst of digesting some six or seven thousand calories per staff member.
Believe it or not, the food was actually great. The buffet was restocked regularly during our stay, the cheesy bread was a revelation, and the dessert bar turned into an altar at which we all worshipped the wonder of chocolate mousse and soft-serve ice cream… with sprinkles.
But as satisfying as the meal was, what we were really taken by was the music. You may not believe us about the food, but trust us when we say that Sizzler has excellent taste in music. No, really. We’re talking as good as your favourite local community radio station.
It was during an indigestion-induced lull in a conversation about the highlights of BIGSOUND that we first noticed that we were listening to the dulcet sounds of DIIV’s ‘Under The Sun’, which was inexplicably followed by the equally sonorous tones of Day Wave’s ‘You’.
“Is this triple j or something?” one staffer queried. “Must be somebody’s iPod,” another opined. But as a subsequent Tone Deaf investigation revealed, Sizzler’s incredible taste in music wasn’t due to our national youth broadcaster or a line cook’s Spotify account.
“When we are approached by a client we provide a consultancy service that involves a lot of questions to ensure that they play the right music for their environment,” Ray from Mood Media, who provide custom music playlists for businesses, told Tone Deaf.
“What do they want the music to do? Is it to create a certain atmosphere? What kind of energy do they want? Who are the people listening to the music? What kind of experience are you trying to create for your customer?”
“Sometimes the client may not know what they want and we use our vast experience in the field of retail to advise them. Acoustic Chill is contemporary and modern with a lot of newer artists, but isn’t going to annoy anyone by being too in your face.”
Pictured: Spoils of the famous dessert bar
‘Acoustic Chill’ is the name of the particular playlist that graced our throbbing eardrums at Sizzler that afternoon. The 20-hour jumbo list of tracks includes cuts from the likes of Riley Pearce, Falls, Hein Cooper, Melody Pool, Halfway, Daughter, Stillwater Giants, Dope Lemon, First Aid Kit, Cub Sport, and more.
You may have heard it whilst out shopping or buying health insurance. “Currently the Acoustic Chill playlist is used as part of extended curated programs for Harris Farm Markets, Rip Curl stores, BUPA outlets, and even some Sheraton hotels to name a few,” Ray told us.
So how do Mood Media decide what goes in the Acoustic Chill playlist? “We listen to lots of music and sort through it to find tracks that are appropriate for the playlist and that are going to work in the environment it is going to play in.”
“Acoustic Chill kind of says what it is in the name, so we look for tracks that fit the description. It’s relaxed but not too laid back and has a contemporary edge. When curating any play list a certain amount of objectivity is always required.”
“Our personal preferences — likes and dislikes — must be set aside to ensure that the right tracks are selected to create a play list that is right for the environment and engages the audience.”
In 2016, playlisting is an art unto itself and increasingly important revenue source for labels and their artists. Some obscure bands and artists have even received considerable paydays as a result of being featured on Spotify’s popular playlists.
Just a taste of Sizzler’s perfectly-curated dining playlist
In the case of Sizzler, they would’ve come to Mood Media in need of a playlist for their restaurants and would’ve worked with the agency’s sales team to nail down a playlist that suited their needs. In this case, the result was Acoustic Chill, and it’s up to Sizzler to pay the royalties for all that music.
“The creative team who curate our playlists have an extensive history of working in the music industry and obviously have a strong passion for music across all genres,” Ray explained.
“They are always listening out for up and coming artists and use the great relationships with the major record labels, independent artists and promoters to ensure that they are always one of the first to hear something new.”
“These relationships are essential in contributing to new artists achieving as much exposure as possible in the digital world. Mood Media receives countless press releases and read many of the online music sites, including Tone Deaf, to see who and what is being talked about.”
“Of course it is also fun to be able to attend shows and festivals that help keep our finger on the pulse. We are pretty much immersed in music.” We were immersed in a hangover, but thanks to Sizzler’s pairing of the perfect food with the perfect music, we survived.
