Who doesn't love a karaoke bar? No matter your age, your musical tastes or the grim outcome of your experience auditioning for "American Idol," there are few better and more intimate human bonding experiences than the act of witnessing a complete stranger living out his or her greatest musical fantasy.
We all have our reasons for participating in the singalong. Maybe you're a regular, also known as a junkie, and you pound out "Hotel California" with flawless inflection every Tuesday night at 8, if only to quell your burning desire for self-expression for another seven days.
Or perhaps you're the type who vicariously lives out your greatest self-deprecating fantasies through the cracking voice of the nervous guy who rushes into the chorus of "YMCA" five beats too early, causing the crowd to stir their drinks and look away with pity.
And as with any nuanced social situation, there are also the bottom-feeders: those who brave the mike once or twice a year to scream "Livin' on a Prayer" at the top of their lungs. These types of performances are preferable only to slow jams, Celine Dion songs being the worst offenders.
But such is the beauty of the karaoke bar. You can be whomever you want to be for three to five minutes, and for better or for worse, your captive audience has no choice but to listen. During this dreary rainy season, bring some sunshine back into your life by attending one of Sacramento's many karaoke establishments, loved and revered not only by those about to rock but also by the less-audacious rock star inside us all.
ON THE Y
670 Fulton Ave., Sacramento
(916) 487-3731
Thursday and Sunday nights (check schedule for specific dates)
Free admission
The quintessential heavy-metal neighborhood dive bar; don't let On the Y's regulars fool you. On the Y's customer base ranges from rough-and-tumble diehards to Sac State students, but during Thursday karaoke nights, no musical genre is scoffed at. Cue up the Kenny Rogers hits and enjoy cheap drinks, a nifty sunken stage and plenty of strategically placed monitors, a high-tech setup that indicates this joint isn't for rookies.
PINE COVE TAVERN
509 29th St., Sacramento
(916) 446-3624
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights
Free admission
In some circles, the Pine Cove Tavern isn't just a good place to sing karaoke in midtown – it's the only place. Thursdays are, by far, the most popular nights at this neighborhood bar, whose crowd tends to be younger and, thus, sometimes aggravatingly predictable in song selections. My favorite performance as of late: a cheerful blond woman rapping the angry Limp Bizkit anthem "Break Stuff." Pine Cove's "stage" area is intimate and the bar is always packed, so if you must, bring a friend onstage with you and make it a duet – just realize this maneuver won't earn you any street cred with the regulars.
SWISS BUDA
2342 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento
(916) 421-6947
Friday and Saturday nights
Free admission
This charming Sacramento dive bar is somewhat off the beaten path, and its low-key atmosphere, coupled with an extensive selection of songs, has positioned it as a ritual weekend watering hole for karaoke aficionados old and new. If you're battling stage fright hot flashes, the Swiss Buda may be the perfect spot for your "Heat Wave" karaoke debut. The bar tends not to be as packed as other local nightclubs, and its biggest selling point (especially for the clumsy) is the cordless microphone.
FREEPORT BAR & GRILL
8259 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento
(916) 665-1169
Friday nights
If you're looking for a karaoke bar with a little more ambience and a little less kitsch appeal, you probably shouldn't be going to a place that bills itself as a "karaoke bar" to begin with. Stray from the beaten, beer-drenched path and you will discover that Freeport Bar & Grill's Friday night karaoke entertainment accompanies great food and delectable libations. The crowd here – a mix of young, mature, regulars and rookies – appreciates the finer things in the world of singalong music, as opposed to the oft-rowdy throngs that frequent Sacramento's more notorious karaoke strongholds.
MARILYN'S ON K
908 K St., Sacramento
(916) 449-4361
Tuesday nights (live band karaoke)
Free admission
Once you've cut your teeth perfecting your favorite Hall & Oates song at the rest of Sacramento's karaoke joints, test your prowess at Marilyn's on K's Live Band Karaoke. That's right, on Tuesday nights, you can score some legitimate performance time on a stage that regularly hosts "real" musicians (no offense), and a real backup band will bring your song selection to life. In case you're wondering, yes, they do have a fairly extensive repertoire. Even the bravest of karaoke kings may be intimidated by the idea of singing with a live band, but take note – Marilyn's acoustics will work in your favor, and no matter how wretched your singing voice, chances are good that the audience has heard worse.
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