Karaoke
While rockin’ out to Bob Dylan & the Band on the way home from acupuncture this evening, I thought about how much I love karaoke. I wish I could karaoke while driving, but that somehow seems unsafe.
See, I met Matt at a karaoke bar in San Francisco called The Mint. The first time he saw me, I was singing “Truckin’” with my friend Adam. We quickly became regulars at The Mint, which is ironic because it’s in the Castro so except for Fridays and Saturdays, the crowd was 90% gay men. We’d go, we’d sing duets, and the bartender and DJ knew us by name.
After we moved here, we decided we needed to find our new karaoke home.
The first place we tried was T’s Pub in Allston. Thumbs down. The place was crawling with scantily clad college girls who would sing obnoxious, drunken renditions of “Baby Got Back”. There would also be skeevy older men trying to pick up on said college girls. Gross. We never went back. The only real plus about that night was that Matt sang “Play That Funky Music” there.
Then we went to Rendezvous on Moody St. in Waltham. It was mostly old people…like really old, like way older than my dad old. But nevertheless, it was a good crowd, especially because they liked Matt and I singing “Bell Bottom Blues”. I do a lot of classic rock at karaoke. For some reason, however, Rendezvous allowed their patrons to smoke in there. I was taken aback, because as far as I know, that’s not legal. We never went back for that reason.
Next stop: John Brewer’s Tavern. We only went there once because we didn’t care for the crowd. While T’s Pub had drunk college girls, John Brewer’s had drunken “cougars” aka 45 year old women looking for men. One woman followed Matt up to the stage area and pressed her um, cleavage, against Matt’s back. Matt ignored her, so she got bored and left. We’re lucky there wasn’t a cat fight! ;-) Cougars love Matt because they think he looks like Johnny Damon.
Then we stumbled upon Tin Alley Grill aka the Ground Round by the Fresh Pond Rotaries in Cambridge. We love that place! We like the people who work there, the DJs are nice, the crowd is decent (albeit a little small on some nights), and the song selection is pretty good. We went there weekly (they have it every Wednesday) for about 2 months until moving began occupying much of our time. I like to sing Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” with Matt there.
Another great place is Legends Hall of Fame Grill in Waltham. Wow, is Waltham the karaoke capitol or what?! Anyway, some nights there’s not enough of a crowd and their beer selection is pretty pathetic…but they have a FANTASTIC song selection and the DJs are really nice too. They have karaoke on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I recommend this place.
I hear that The Milky Way in JP has good karaoke, but it’s on Tuesdays and Matt typically has band practice that night. One day I hope to try it out…but for now, Legends and Tin Alley float my boat just fine!
Singing is fun!
Filed under Greater Boston (General), Music, Things to do in the Boston Area, Uncategorized |10 Responses to “Karaoke”
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Krissy:
Kool blog. You have damn good taste in music for a 23-year-old. How did YOU discover Garland Jeffreys?
I came upon your little site in a trawl of blogs about Van Morrison’s 60th b-day today. Funny, I always loved “Autumn Song” (one of his most under-rated songs, in my book…maybe because it’s on a rather lousy album) and I used to love a girl named Krissy, who came from Boston, but now lives in NYC…but that’s another story entirely.
Best of luck to you and your beau in Boston. And keep on blogging - you’ll never know who or what might connect with what you’re writing about!
Hey there! Thanks for your compliment on my blog. I discovered Garland Jeffreys from my dad…I was named Kristine after his song Christine. So I love Garland :-) “Autumn Song” IS a fantastic song (but you’re right about it being on a lousy album)…I love it. That’s cool how you stumbled on my blog!
[...] Matt and I are karaoke veterans. We’ve been to a handful of karaoke places in the Boston area, but never did we have an experience like this. Yes, there were the obligatory past-their-prime women singing “I Touch Myself” whilst donning revealing outfits and dancing in a way that made me feel ashamed of my gender. Yes, there were the drunken cougars on the prowl for 20-something year old boys. These things are often part of the karaoke experience, and a given. [...]
[...] At one point, fairly early on, he had informed the audience that people were singing for the second and third time of the evening, yet we had yet to perform. Upon questioning the devious fellow, he informed me that I should have “gotten there earlier”. I was in the fucking bar for 2 and a half hours! I saw people sing twice! WTF??? I don’t care if the people who sang twice or three times were his best friends. This man has a professional responsibility, and that responsibility was not observed. As a KJ, he should be ashamed of his actions. I can safely say that I will never appear at that bar again. Not only did I waste my time there, but I spent good money on beer that I could have had for free at home (I make my own, which is a cheap way to be intoxicated ). To summarize, if you’re looking for a respectable karaoke venue, look beyond the Courtside. They cannot be serious with the KJs that they hire and trust to entertain a good crowd. They have failed miserably. Instead of having a great time tonight, this guy has thrust me into a deep depression. Thanks for your consideration. Quality karaoke venues include: The Mint in San Francisco, Legends Bar and Grill in Waltham, MA, The Tin Alley Grill by the Fresh Pond Mall in MA, John Brewer’s in Waltham, and Rendezvous in Waltham. See Krissy’s post for more venues. [...]
I linked over from teh person above me…
Sorry about your bad experience, but it made for an interesting read.
Too bad about Tuesdays. A friend of mine just started a gig in Somerville about a month ago doing karaoke, but its on Tuesdays. :(
He is VERY fair and has a great selection….always adding stuff too!!
Matt doesn’t have band practice on Tuesdays anymore, so we’d love to find a new place to karaoke! Where is it?
Hi!
I’m one of the ‘regulars’ at the tin alley grill ( i call it the tin can ) and I remember you and matt singing regularly. You guys were definitely great!
They’ve since replaced karaoke night with trivia night which is ok fun except for the fact that people can sometime sing better with a buzzz but unfortunately, most can not think better…
I have a date with someone Friday and am desperately seeking another karaoke bar. He’s in a band and a GREAT singer and is driving for a bit to get here. I want to find a really decent place. Any suggestions??
Thanks!
Hey Krissy,
Thanks for the kind words about the karaoke at Legends in Waltham. I have been hosting there on Friday and Saturday for almost 4 years and have had a blast. If you are serious about your karaoke (serious and karaoke in the same sentence?!) this is the place: laid back atmosphere; great sound; attentive, supportive, and enthusiastic crowd. When it is slow, there is still a friendly and supportive crowd, and you get to sing more!!
Next time you come is on a Friday or Saturday make sure you say “hello.”
Patrick
ps. Keep up the good work reviewing karaoke places!
You should try karaoke at The Wave - the DJ is awesome.
I’ve been there and I really like it!!