While you can still witness drunken sorority sisters belting out the B-52s' "Love Shack" or a middle-aged man attempting to croon to a Michael Bolton song, karaoke bars in Los Angeles are not for the faint of heart. Many regulars of the karaoke circuit are soon-to-be-discovereds, or at least hope-to-soon-be-discovereds, and they don't take their performances lightly.
Some of the more popular karaoke bars, like Dimples in Burbank, have performers waiting up to two or three hours for stage time, while more laid-back venues, such as Karaoke Bleu, don't even have a stage; you're simply handed a mic and you belt out your tune from your table. Sal Ferrero, owner and manager of Dimples, suggested tipping the hostess--from $5 to $20--to move up the line, but be prepared for some competitive voices.
While Dimples welcomes everyone, Ferrero noted that many people use their stage time as an opportunity to impress potential producers in the crowd. "This is a great location for singers," said Ferrero. "We're surrounded by Warner Bros., Atlantic Records, NBC, Universal, Disney. We're right in the heart of it. So we do have that kind of clientele. Plenty of producers, agents, and musicians come in, not just to look but to have fun. I know there are people who have gotten recording jobs after being discovered at Dimples. I don't get involved in it, but I know there was a record producer who asked a girl to sing backup for him after he heard her sing here."
There's also a significant celebrity clientele at Dimples. Britney Spears, Pink, Drew Carey, and Olivia Newton-John have been known to swing by for a song. While Ferrero's personal musical tastes date back to Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, the songs that tend to enliven the crowd are U2 favorites, Spears, and anything by Elvis Presley. Dimples also closes every night with "Lady Marmalade." "It's our traditional song," said Ferrero. "At least until something else comes along."
As an extra bonus Dimples has a small recording studio on-site and gives each new singer a free audiotape of his or her song. Said Ferrero, "I always encourage people to use it as their demo tape--send it to your agent, send it to Dick Clark, send it to Quincy Jones, send it to Nashville. You never know what might happen."
T.K. Nagano, a frequent karaoke crawler, is a fan of Dimples and of Oiwake, which claims to be the first karaoke establishment in Los Angeles (though it's a well-disputed claim). Nagano also frequents Karaoke Fantasy and Vaskia, which offer karaoke "boxes," where for around $30 an hour you can rent a small private room where you can sing by yourself or invite a few friends. "I like going there because then you can try out new material before going in front of an audience," said Nagano.
Once Nagano finds a song he likes, he tends to stick with it for awhile. "The one I always use is 'Taking Care of Business.'That always rocks the room over," said Nagano, who admitted he might be a little behind the times. "There's a whole group of songs that have gone right by me--like all the songs of the '90s."
For a greater challenge, Nagano suggested Friday nights at Quon Brothers Grand Star Restaurant in Chinatown. It features a live jazz trio with an impressive collection of sheet music that will back you up. "The one drawback with Quon's," Nagano said, "is they've started to get conceited. [Owner] Frank Quon doesn't want amateurs anymore--only serious professionals."
For a more eclectic scene Farmers Market is the place to go on Saturday night. Filled with a well-balanced mix of tourists, hipsters, and karaoke "virgins," the market is a great place for a no-pressure performance.
Though karaoke begins at 8 p.m., Farmers Market's "KJ" Danny Rae suggests getting there by 7 to put your name on the list. Pleas and gratuities are not accepted, and with a crowd of up to 400 people on any given Saturday, it's imperative to arrive early to make the cut. "If you get there by 7 you're sure to get on the show," said Rae. "After 7:30 it's by waiting list only."
Don't let the crowds scare you. Rae, an experienced KJ for the past 15 years, said of the Farmers Market scene, "We're going on our seventh year now, so people really know us and the crowd respects us. Every performer is appreciated, from professionals to karaoke groupies to families. In the beginning we had a lot of celebrities showing up--Pamela and Tommy Lee, Tori Spelling, Madonna--that's what brought the crowds. Now the scene has mellowed out a little, but we still get tons of people."
You don't have to be the best singer in town to get a spot in Rae's lineup. You just have to be in the spirit of having a good time. "Anybody can get up and do the best they can, and we appreciate that," he said. "Not everybody is great but, hey, it's karaoke."
If you're itching to step out in public and belt your favorite tune, below is a list of establishments in the Greater Los Angeles area that offer karaoke:
Acapulco Mexican Restaurant
3113 W. Olive St.
Burbank, CA
(818) 841-4433
Karaoke on Monday &
Friday nights
Barney's Beanery
8447 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(323) 654-2287
Karaoke on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
Boardwalk 11
10433 National Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 837-5245
Karaoke every night 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Brass Monkey
659 S. Mariposa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 381-7047
Karaoke every night starting at
8 p.m.
Britannia Pub
318 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 458-5350
Karaoke on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
The Casting Office
3256 W Cahuenga Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA
(323) 851-4300
Karaoke on Monday 9:30 p.m.-
2 a.m.
Cat Club
8911 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(310) 657-0888
Karaoke on Monday from
9 p.m.
Club Amagi
6114 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
(323) 464-7497
Karaoke every night
9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Del's Saloon
12238 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA
(310) 207-1978
Karaoke Wednesday and Saturday 8:30 p.m.- 2 a.m.
Dimples
3413 W. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA
(818) 842-2336
Karaoke every night
6 p.m.-2 a.m.
Dublins
8240 W. Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(323) 656-0100
Karaoke on Sunday nights
The Echo
1822 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 413-8200
Karaoke on Sunday and Thursday
Farmers Market
Fairfax Ave. and Third St.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 933-9211
Karaoke on Saturday 8-11 p.m.
The Gas Lite
2030 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 829-2383
Karaoke every night
from 8 p.m.
Karaoke Bleu
2064 Sawtelle Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA
(310) 477-4794
Karaoke every night
8 p.m.-2 a.m.
Karaoke Fantasy
333 S. Alameda St. No. 216
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 620-1030
Rent a karaoke box
6 p.m.-2 a.m.
Quon Brothers
Grand Star
943 Sun Mun Way
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 626-2285
Karaoke on Friday and
Saturday nights
Liquid Kitty
11780 W. Pico Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA
(310) 473-3707
Karaoke on Monday nights
Marina Lounge
8601 Lincoln Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 670-8111
Karaoke Friday nights
9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.
Moomba
665 N. Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(310) 652-6364
Karaoke on Monday nights
Queen Mary
12449 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA
(818) 506-5619
Karaoke on Wednesday and Thursday nights
Oiwake
No. 122 in the Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 628-2678
Karaoke every night but Monday
Rafters
7994 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(323) 654-0396
Karaoke on Wednesday and Sundays 8:30 p.m.-2 p.m.
The Red Lion
2366 Glendale Blvd.
Silverlake, CA
(323) 662-5337
Karaoke on Monday nights
Residuals
11042 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA
(818) 761-8301
Karaoke on Friday and
Saturday nights
Rusty's Surf Ranch
256 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 393-7437
Karaoke on Sunday at 4 p.m.,
Monday 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
Smog Cutter
864 N. Virgil Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 667-9832
Karaoke every night but Tuesday
Vaskia
3377 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 351-0070
Rent a karaoke box, $30 an hour. Every night
5 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Yagura Ichiban
101 Japanese Village Plaza, Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 623-4141
Karaoke Monday through Saturday 9 p.m.-2 a.m.