Karaoke can be a mixture of liberating and terrifying fun for everyone. It can also be a pretty popular pastime for college students. If you’re interested in Karaoke, Tucson luckily has a lot of opportunities for you to try it out.
In Tucson, you can find a karaoke night at almost any bar and even some restaurants. The Hideout Saloon has karaoke nights every Tuesday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. They also run a special on their karaoke nights providing $2 tacos and $1 off of tequila.
Paulina Kervran, better known as DJ Kali-Ma, runs the karaoke nights at the Hideout Saloon. Participating is easy; simply scan the QR code posted on tables to pick from 49,000 songs and add yourself to the queue. There are plenty of songs to choose from, and you can sing on your own or with others.
College is full of stress, deadlines, exams, midterms, projects, essays, student loans, jobs — the list is endless and it’s necessary to let loose from time to time.
“People don’t realize how many kids have stress, so it’s great to have an outlet and get out there and sing,” Kervran said.
Karaoke has even brought people out of their shells, and she has seen it.
“Karaoke makes a difference. I’ve seen people come in shy and not knowing who they are. A year later, they’re a completely different person,” Kervran said.
There are quite a few regulars during karaoke nights. Chip Cook was one of them.
“People don’t realize how healthy karaoke is for you,” Cook said.
Jamar, the stage name of another regular, summed up the best part about karaoke.
“You get to be a star for five minutes,” Jamar said.
He also provided some advice for newcomers.
“You realize that none of us are pros; we’re all amateurs. We’ve all had our first time,” Jamar said.
Kervran also works as a DJ over at the Silver Room on Wednesday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
If a public place with tons of others watching is too much for you, not to worry. Eddie Lau owns his own karaoke business called Voice Karaoke KTV. In his establishment, there are private karaoke rooms for RSVP only with different themes for each room.
The private rooms vary in size. The medium rooms run at $48 per hour and can hold one to six people. The large rooms run at $68 per hour and hold seven to ten people. The VIP room runs at $88 per hour and holds 11 to 20 people.
There are themes ranging from the pink room with a flower wall, to the all golden VIP room, to a well-decorated music room with records and pictures hanging on the wall.
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There are many benefits to this private karaoke experience. For one, it’s much cheaper than a nightclub. You are allowed to bring your own food or drink with an additional 30% service charge, but Lau has a liquor license and sells there as well.
Also, according to Lau, there are lots of benefits to having your own personal karaoke room.
“It’s more fun because some people are afraid to sing. You also get more of a chance to sing because it’s your personal room,” Lau said.
If you’re afraid of how your voice will sound, you are able to turn on vocals with the song.
These rooms also have different strobe lights to give it the feeling of your own personal nightclub.
Looking for somewhere closer to campus? Right on University Boulevard, Frog & Firkin has their own karaoke nights on Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and No Anchovies also has karaoke called Chovieoke on Thursday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
IBT’s Bar + Food on Fourth Avenue has karaoke nights from Saturdays to Mondays.
One place with a twist on karaoke night is Mr. Head’s Art Gallery and Bar on Fourth Avenue. On Thursdays at 10 p.m., they have their Gong Karaoke. If you choose to participate in their Gong Karaoke nights, be prepared. The con is if you get booed by the crowd enough, you will get the gong. However, if you sing a song without getting the gong, the next drink you purchase is a dollar off.
Much like the song lists, the possibilities are endless on karaoke nights.
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