5 To Try: Kool Eastside Karaoke Bars
By John Colletti, Citysearch Contributor
Admit it--you actually enjoy singing karaoke. Now what? Forget about going to all those tired joints that tend to be overcrowded--you want to sing, not wait all night for your shot at “Sister Christian.” Here are some of my well-kept favorites to encourage your budding karaoke addiction and "American Idol" complex.
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Bar Ohjah
328 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
This is polite Japanese karaoke. If you are just making the transition from the scream-alongs to your solo career, you will be applauded during each vocal break, no matter how bad you are. And the songbook is excellent. It gets crowded on the weekends, but during the week it's like your own private booth. The hidden second floor lounge is cozy with mostly regulars, but always friendly. You can make it an all-nighter with the full bar, food and 2am closing time. There's a $6 cover, but that includes unlimited karaoke. -
Max Karaoke Studio
333 S Alameda Ave Ste 216, Los Angeles, CA
Max has the best book of the private booth spots. It has just about everything you could sing, but there are tradeoffs. For starters, you sign a pledge that among other things, you won't be bringing in your own booze (they don't sell any either) and you will not be fornicating. Evidently, this was a problem, and now you can't even dim the lights. But they are open till 4am, so presumably you are already juiced up and ready to go. -
Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
You'll find lots of regulars at this Monday night fete. If you're new, they'll wait to see how you perform before chatting you up. But do a decent job, and you'll soon be greeted into the fold. The last Monday of the month is Kamikaze Karaoke night where you dig into a bag of numbers, jump on stage and then find out what song you're singing. I did Motorhead one night--yikes. The $3 special Kamikaze shots really help. Greasing goes a long way here to get more of your songs up, and I don't mean that John Travolta and Olivia Newton John duet you've been doing since college. -
Zip
3855 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
More elegant and cheaper than Orchid, its over-hyped neighbor two blocks east, this is plush karaoke. On the western edge of K-Town, the street level is the restaurant, patio and bar; the upstairs is all booths. The only drawback is the songbook--and all the Korean places use this same one. It will keep you busy for awhile, and you'll leave wanting more, but it's great in a pinch. This is the place to bring out-of-towners, and there's a full bar and food service. -
Rosen Music Studio
3488 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA
This is another K-Town option, but here, the big room features the Soundchoice system, the same thing they have at more popular places like Brass Monkey. Before 2am, they serve beer, wine, soju and food. But they are open till 4am if you find yourself needing that late night private booth or "KTV" fix.
