15 4 / 2009
Too Cool For Karaoke?
Last night, I finally went to the weekly Too Cool For Karaoke at the Ruby Room on University in Hillcrest. The idea has been intriguing to me for months now, because themed karaoke sounds awesome. Plus they have other crazy things like “banned” lists of songs that are simply not allowed, period, and the ability to vote for those songs.
The theme last night was “Pre-Coachella Party” which meant that it was free to sing any song by an artist who played or is playing at Coachella, but it cost you $1 per minute to sing anything else. I was blown away by their song selection. I sang Muse and Gnarls Barkley, both Coachella acts from previous years.
Here’s the lowdown.
Good:
- Really relaxed atmosphere, the kind of place you don’t feel weird going to alone.
- The song selection = hands down the best. They don’t have hundreds of thousands of songs, but shit - Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, MGMT, etc.? I’m sold.
- Lots of room in there, doesn’t seem to hard to get a seat.
- I like that some songs are banned. I do not want to hear Paradise by the Dashboard Lights ever again.
- Themes are great, because people try new things.
- No cover.
- Great KJ running the show who was hilarious.
- Awesome grungy dive bar atmosphere.
Not so good:
- The crowd was freaking WEIRD. I’m talking people who are ALL social misfits.
- The beer = meh. Mediocre selection IMO.
- Parking of course, is always an issue in Hillcrest. Not so bad on Tues nights though.
- It’s not a place for “good singers”. They really really like bad singers there, and if you’re decent - you’re not really even listened to.
Not Sure:
- They let you pay to skip singers in line. It’s $1 per singer you want to skip. While it was great for me when I wanted to leave, I could see being annoyed by constantly being skipped by people with cash.
Will I go back? Sure, because I like their song choices. Do I think I’m going to meet new friends there? Probably not…
