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The 8 Best Karaoke Places in NYC!
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Although karaoke originated in Japan (karaoke being a Japanese word meaning “empty orchestra”), over the years New York City has helped transformed this wildly popular form of interactive entertainment into a true art form! In fact, whether you are seeking anything from a glitzy karaoke club to a real dive bar karaoke experience, you will find the ideal karaoke spot in the Big Apple to offer the world a personalized rendition of your favorite song. It doesn’t matter if you are a rock star wannabe, budding Broadway diva, Lady Gaga impersonator, Tony Bennett-style crooner, imitation Johnny Rotten, or just bumping around town looking for weird things to in NYC at night,… just get up there on an NYC karaoke stage, grab the microphone and do your own thing! Here are the 10 best karaoke places in New York City:To get more news about Karaoke CBD Melbourne, you can visit starsktv.com.au official website.
1 | Arlene’s Grocery | A former Puerto Rican bodega/grocery store and a Lower East Side landmark, Arlene’s Grocery hosts its “World Famous Rock and Roll Karaoke” every Monday night, while featuring up-and-coming live bands the rest of the week. With a live band backing you, it’s the perfect NYC karaoke locale to let your inner rock star loose with a scintillating air guitar version of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” or simply fall all over the stage like a demented Iggy Pop. Express yourself!2 | Planet Rose | This laid-back Alphabet City hangout, which features red walls, zebra couches and wireless mics, is the ideal karaoke bar “for drinkers who sing and singers who drink,” according to the official Planet Rose website. Karaoke is available all the time at Planet Rose, which offers a daily 2 for 1 Happy Hour, providing “plenty of liquid courage” for those patrons needing to overcome their karaoke stage fright.
3 | Sing Sing Karaoke | With two East Village locations (the other being at 81 Avenue A), Sing Sing Karaoke boasts a 120,000-song list and offers both a large open karaoke bar area and private karaoke rooms for those who want to hone their karaoke skills without the pressure of a live audience. According to The Village Voice, Sing Sing Karaoke is “a legendary place to practice the art of late-night drunk-singing.” By the way, this Alphabet City institution figures prominently in Rolling Stone contributing editor Rob Sheffield’s critically acclaimed 2014 book, Turn Around Bright Eyes: A Karaoke Journey of Starting Over, Falling in Love and Finding Your Voice.
4 | Baby Grand | Billed as “the first and only boutique karaoke bar in NYC,” Baby Grand offers a small and intimate but lively atmosphere (there are no private rooms), along with occasional theme nights such as Fortune Cookie-oke (aka “Karaoke Russian Roulette”), where patrons blindly choose among 30 of the most popular karaoke songs. In addition, Baby Grand features live acoustic guitar accompaniment on occasion. For “a more chill experience,” drop by on a weekday when the karaoke bar is considerably less crowded than on weekends. By the way, Grub Street, the food blog of New York Magazine, has referred to Baby Grand as “The Absolute Best Karaoke Bar in New York.”
5 | Sid Gold’s Request Room | A classy piano bar that opened in 2015, Sid Gold’s Request Room offers a relaxed, intimate environment and “live piano karaoke” every night of the week. However, don’t except to hear Frank Sinatra standards all night – you are just as likely to experience the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” or the Smiths’ “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” at this eclectic NYC karaoke joint. Sid’s is co-owned by musician Joe McGinty, who served a five-year stint as keyboardist for the Psychedelic Furs (“Love My Way”). Various celebrities such as Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Billy Crudup, Parker Posey, Rob Schneider and others have been known to drop by Sid’s on occasion. Crowd singalongs are common at Sid’s, which offers a full food and drink menu.
6 | Karaoke Boho | A veritable karaoke lover’s paradise, Karaoke Boho boasts a main karaoke bar and 17 private and spacious karaoke rooms – the perfect locale to hang out and jam to your favorite songs with family and friends (party packages are available). The extensive list of contemporary hits available at this energetic karaoke bar is second to none. If you can’t decide which song to choose, just heed the advice of actor Aaron Paul (best known for his portrayal of “Jesse Pinkman” in Breaking Bad), who once answered “anything by Journey” when asked for his go-to karaoke song: “You feel like you’re really a part of a movement when you’re singing Journey at a karaoke bar.” A second Karaoke Boho location can be found at 152 Orchard Street.
7 | Up Stairs | Yes, you will have to climb a set of stairs in a rather nondescript Chinatown apartment building to reach this immensely popular, divey karaoke bar – but it’s definitely worth the effort to enjoy “one of the most charmingly weird karaoke experiences in New York,” according to Grub Street. As you might expect, karaoke songbooks are available at Up Stairs for both English and Chinese songs.
8 | Iggy’s | Disguised as a laid-back Irish pub, Iggy’s doubles as a karaoke den with an extensive songbook and even hosts Rockband Contests every Wednesday and Sunday evening. Billed as “New York City’s Best Karaoke Bar,” Iggy’s is located on the Upper East Side and features something for everyone – including a 100-foot-long bar, dance floor, flat-screen TVs and nightly drink specials.