Ask Chicagoist: Karaoke Revolution?
By Thales Exoo in Miscellaneous on Nov 27, 2006 3:00PM
hey — i actually write science/health stuff for gothamist here in new york and will be in chicago next week for a conference — my colleagues are really into karaoke and were wondering if you would be able to recommend places to go?
Hey Brother, welcome to Chicago! We hope by next week you mean this week, because if you're here on Thursday you can always join the Chicagoist staff and our readers for some happy hour libations and live band karaoke action over at Quencher's in Logan Square.
Karaoke is a serious topic of debate and discussion in the Chicagoist office, even though some of us are better at cheering on (laughing at?) the performers (no matter how much we've had to drink, thank you very much) than actually offending the ears of the world with our singing. Lucky for you though, Chicago is not devoid of places to bust out your inner rock star.
First off, you have to decide between live band and muzak-tinged karaoke. Both seem to have their merits, not to mention their staunch supporters and scoffers. Other than this Thursday (and every Thursday) at Quencher's, you can see one of the bands in the live band karaoke crew pretty much every day of the week other than Mondays and Tuesdays. Check out their schedule and become LBK groupies.
More traditional electronic karaoke pops up at many different places around the city, so depending on location and the vibe you're looking for, here are some places to check out (in no particular order):
- Hidden Cove, 5336 N. Lincoln
- Red-I, 2201B S. Wentworth
- Trader Todd's, 3216 N. Sheffield
- Piece, 1927 W. North (Thursday only, LBK on Saturday)
- Friar Tuck, 3010 N. Broadway (Wednesday and Thursday only)
- Louie's Pub, 1659 W. North (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
- Blue Frog Bar and Grill, 676 N. LaSalle (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
- The Uptown Lounge, 1136 W. Lawrence (Sunday only)
Keep in mind that every place seems to get busy, be it of the live band or electronic flavor, so you'll likely have to wait around a bit for your turn at drunken crooning.
We're sure we've left out your favorite karaoke bar, so let us know — where's your favorite place to belt out a tune?
Image via itselea
Wanna sing a duet? Need some advice? Email ask(at)chicagoist(dot)com.