I was wondering what are the hot spots in Houston for karaoke? Any of you guys/gals do this stuff? I went to this place called Genji on Westheimer that was pretty cool, because it's a Japanese bar/club and you can sing songs in Japanese or Korean if you wish, but I'm looking for other places where I can sing goofy songs and hit on girls poorly. Also, is it ever proper karaoke 'etiqutte' to do a duet on a song with a guy? Let's say it's some rap song, nothing like "Wind Beneath my Wings". Any karaoke pointers or funny stories would definitely be appreciated in this thread.
The only place I even bother to do karaoke at is Tavern on West Gray on Tuesday nights. Decent crowd, decent singers, at times. Not horrible.
i'm pretty sure it's azteca's that has it. good food, cheap and strong drinks and karaoke. i would try it out.
I'm probably wrong, but I've never found a good karaoke place in Houston. I'm just as interested in hearing the answer to that as anyone else. That said, I do have a fair amount of karaoke experience. Here are a couple of ground rules if you want to be a hit. First off, there are basically two main categories of "good" karaoke. - Ideally, if you can really sing well, you can get the crowd on their feet blowing them away with your voice. People like to be surprised, and most people aren't used to hearing people actually sound good in karaoke. - If you can't sing, go the hammy route. Sing the Spice Girls. Find the cheesiest song you can and belt it out for all your worth. It's your only hope. You'll get pity points if you suck and you try to sing seriously, but that's probably not what you're looking for. My best friend couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but he won a karaoke contest a few months ago because he just went crazy on a song. It's all about song selection. Whether you're trying to be impressive, funny, touching, or whatever, pick the right song. Stay away from songs that everyone else sings. (If I hear "I Will Survive" one more time at a karaoke place I'm gonna hurl) As for two guys doing a song together? I've done "The Girl Is Mine" with a friend when we were out with our wives, and it was a big hit. I've also done "Nuthin' But A G Thang" and the crowd went nuts. (ever seen a white guy do Snoop?) I've also seen a bunch of dudes doing like... N'Sync and stuff just to be stupid. It's always kind of funny to see a bunch of guys who aren't afraid to embarrass themselves. Just enroll in my 6 week course for only $999, and you too can be winning karaoke contests very soon!
My dad used to sing with a big band. He sounds so much like Sinatra, it's ridiculous. Sometimes he'll go sing karaoke and he absolutely blows people away. From singing karaoke he's been asked to sing at weddings twice!
A cool place is Glitter on Wilcrest and Harwin. It is currently closed for some reason, but it is very nice inside. I'm hoping it opens by May so I can have a birthday party there. I'm going to Azteca this Friday, so I'll see if that would work instead.
Glitter? hmmm..... I'm a little suspicious. You're not trying to lure poor Red Chocolate to a gay bar are you?
Spotlight is indeed ghetto...too many near gun fights for my taste. It's like Ranbow all over again. Haven't heard of the Proletariat. Might need to check that out in case Glitter isn't open back up by mid-May. Still trying to plan a birthday party for about 8-9 gals and 3-4 guys.
I'd recommend the Tavern, and, if you like it, ask the guy who runs the show about other shows. He knows where they are.
On the weekend after my 21st b-day, a friend and I went to the karaoke bar that was behind James Coney Island on Westheimer at Bering. I have been told I sing pretty well and I really enjoy karaoke, so it was a fun evening right up until my friend got up to sing "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi. It was like he had never heard the song. He literally did not get a single word in the right place, combined with the fact that he couldn't sing for s***. I hid my head in my hands through the whole thing and once he was done, I suggested that we go dancing at the Lizard Lounge so that I wouldn't have to suffer through his rendition of "The Logical Song" by REO Speedwagon, which he had already requested. Priceless. BTW, I know a woman who does karaoke 7 days a week at various bars in the Clear Lake area. She is very good and has her own following, so karaoke nights are filled with a bunch of good singers when she plays. She does the Turtle Club along with some others. If you want to do karaoke in Clear Lake, let me know and I will get her schedule for you.
houston karaoke sucks i'll stick to my austin karaoke...with its abundance of private rooms, funny Korean owners, and BYOB policy.