Behind the scenes at the House of Blues

Style, class and a little bit of swank - Houston's House of Blues has it all.

Cowboy Mouth kicked off the concert house's opening week celebrations with what I've been told was a rocking party. This was followed by other great bands like Ghostland Observatory. I didn't have a chance to check out any of them, but what I did get to check out is the venue - and I mean all of it.

My tour started in the restaurant, and considering the place had only been open for a few days, it was packed with a lunchtime crowd. Some of them were there because they were craving the restaurant's sweet potato fries and fried catfish nuggets, but most of them were like me: They were there to get a good look at the place.

SATISFYING MY CURIOUSITY

If you've been to the House of Blues in some other city, let me just tell you that you haven't been to this one. First of all, it's big. And secondly, the design team worked with local artists and planners to come up with a look that is distinctly Houston.

"Everything you see here was designed specifically to reflect the local community. Even the art on the walls is original," said Brian Distefano, House of Blues Marketing Manager. "House of Blues owns one of the largest collections of folk art in the world."

The colorful art sets the tone for the restaurant, which is casual and comfortable. In the evening, local bands will play on the small stage at the front of the restaurant. The prices are reasonable, and on the menu, you'll find Southern classics ranging from pulled pork sandwiches to blackened catfish.

"Even the menu has been tweaked for the Houston customer. A jambalaya in Chicago is different from what a Houston customer expects in a jambalaya," said Distefano.

GIVE ME SOME BLUES

But I wasn't there for the food. I wanted to see what else was in the building, and I was about to get the five star tour.

Next stop was the infamous House of Blues Music Hall where bands like BB King, Willie Nelson and the Blue Brothers will play. When I got there, they were setting up for Jay Z's concert for that night.

"The team started this morning, but they'll be done in a few hours," said Distefano.

The concert area almost looks like a theater. The setup was created for intimacy and there is not a bad seat in the house. In other words, you'll actually be seeing the band and not watching it on a big television screen with 20,000 fans. Instead, there are only 500 seats in the balcony area.

But if you want to be even closer, you can go downstairs to the stage level and watch it from the floors.

"There's room for a 1000 people to stand in the stage area, and we have three bars down there," said Distefano.

Of course, there is also a VIP room right beside the stage where the artist's friends can watch the band.

THE SECRET ROOMS

"Now I'm going to show you the good stuff," said Distefano.

What? There's more? I don't know about you, but I just thought the House of Blues was a concert hall and a restaurant. That's it.

But when Distefano took me to the third floor of the building, I was overwhelmed.

"This is our member's only Foundation Room," said Distefano.

All I can say is WOW!

The Foundation Room is for VIP entertaining and those who are members of the House of Blues. I'm not sure how much membership costs, but I was tempted to get one just for the chance to sit here.

It was like being in an Indian palace combined with an elegant southern-style parlor. There was a crackling fireplace, plush velvet sofas and chairs, and chandeliers. The attention to detail is apparent in everything from the dark wood moldings around the doors to the walls, which were covered with fabric.

"The wall are covered with pieces of embroidered Indian wedding dresses that were quilted together," said Distefano.

But the Foundation Room is not just a room. It's got a little bit of everything. There's the five-star dining area with a special menu that has been created Executive Chef Brett Sparman. There's a lounge area for hanging out before and after concerts or dinners. And then there's the prayer rooms.

"If someone wants even more privacy, they can rent one of these rooms," said Distefano.

The rooms are decorated in the same lavish style as the rest of the Foundation Room and can fit 6 to 8 people. Guests can lounge, eat or even watch the concert from a flat screen TV.

Like I said, WOW!