18 essential L.A. karaoke spots for every kind of singer
THERE’S NO BETTER CITY for karaoke lovers than Los Angeles, where anyone from nervous newbies to wannabe American Idols can find a stage, down liquid courage and make magic on the mic seven days a week. ¶ Only in L.A. can you stumble upon karaoke overlooking the Pacific on the Venice pier, hitch a ride on a roving karaoke RV, channel your inner diva at drag queen karaoke and sing live with punk rock legends backing you up. ¶ Whether your idea of karaoke heaven is a friendly dive bar, a private room with all the perks, the perfect group spot for your next birthday bash or something more adventurous and unexpected, we’ve got you covered with 18 essential L.A. karaoke spots.
BACKSTAGE
On karaoke nights at Backstage bar and grill, across the street from the Sony lot, you may find a couple of patrons warming up their vocal cords outside the entrance. Inside, performers may lead the audience in a giant sing-along, or patrons might hype up a singer’s duet with the KJ. Rick James’ “You and I” can get people up and dancing throughout its more-than-8-minute runtime.
Requesting a song is simple. Scan the QR code at the KJ’s table to join the KaraFun session. Then sign in with your name and pick whatever song calls to you. Backstage drink favorites include a Vermont (Rosaluna Mezcal, maple syrup and fresh lemon, $11) or a Pickle Back (shot of Buffalo Trace Whiskey and house-made pickle juice, $9).
Song requests pile up quickly. One bartender recommended 9 to 9:30 p.m. as the sign-up sweet spot. After that, the list fills up fast. — P.D.
Parking: Street parking on Culver Boulevard. Do not park in the residential neighborhood; those are permit-only spaces.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Karaoke Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Cost:
Free.
Pro tip: Instead of waiting until you feel ready to sing, put your name on the list as soon as you find your song — you may end up waiting about an hour to get onstage.
10400 Culver Blvd., Culver City, back stageculvercity.com
BIGFOOT LODGE (EAST)
Stroll into this cozy Atwater Village watering hole, past the animatronic critters and sasquatch-themed decor, and immerse yourself among the energetic Angelenos who flock to the weekly Monday karaoke nights.
The low-key mountain lodge vibes here are like nowhere else in the city and stay fairly chill throughout the night: On a recent evening, a lone drinker sat immersed in a book at the long wooden bar and couples on dates leaned in close as singing rang out from the elevated corner stage, where enthusiastic warblers belted out everything from Tom Jones classics to Spice Girls to “That Thing You Do” beneath a chandelier made of antlers.
Scan a QR code to pull up Hi Ho Karaoke’s easily navigable online song list and add your name to the queue. Then cozy up in a comfy leather booth as you sip a Bigfoot Negroni ($12), a Lemmy (Jack Daniels and Mexican Coke, $12) or a $10 Bigfoot classic (a shot of bourbon and PBR tallboy) and wait for your name to appear onscreen. By the end of the evening the whole place might be singing along to any number of millennial classics, like the jovial 20- and 30-somethings who erupted in unison to Phantom Planet’s “California” one balmy night in October. — J.Y.
Parking: Street parking. Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Karaoke 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday.
Cost: Pro tip:
Free.
Save your tears for the themed first “Blue” Monday of each month, when sad songs are on tap — bring your weepiest game and you might even earn a free shot.
3172 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 2872200, bigfootlodge.com
CAFE BRASS MONKEY
Cafe Brass Monkey is as old-fashioned a karaoke bar as it gets. Open since 1971, the lodge-style bar on the ground floor of an office building in Koreatown makes you feel like you’re at an after-party during summer camp. The place is not big, hip or swanky but it’s charming nonetheless — photos of celebrities from John Mayer to Manny Pacquiao decorate the wall, but so does a Teamsters Local 911 union T-shirt.
The karaoke’s selection feels dated: There do not appear to be any Lizzo or Bad Bunny songs, for instance. Still, the place has all the classics. It also has pretty good and affordable drink and food selections. What makes this place the place to be, most of all, is the instant camaraderie one feels singing along with everyone.
“This is L.A.,” one patron said, after screaming Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” with dozens of complete strangers. It is, indeed.
Parking: Free after 5 p.m. in the lot behind the bar on Mariposa Avenue. Make sure to get a validation card from the doorman. — J.P.
Hours: Karaoke 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday; 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday; 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The bar is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekends.
Cost: Free to enter. It’s about $5 to $15 for a plate of food or a drink.
Pro tip: Request your song early. During a visit on Halloween, the karaoke waitlist ran about 20 songs long.
3440 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 381-7047, cafebrassmonkey.com
CASUAL ENCOUNTERS KARAOKE BAND
Live band karaoke: the final frontier. When you’ve hit up all the other bar nights and private rooms in town and you’re hungry for new thrills, step up to the mic and bring your rock-star fantasies to life with Casual Encounters.
Formed in 2009 after founder and bassist Graeme Hinde put out a call on Craigslist, the band plays regular shows just about every day of the week across L.A. and Orange County, attracting courageous firsttimers and returning fans for the chance to sing anything from ABBA to AC/DC to Adele.
An impressive catalog of more than 300 genrespanning songs runs the gamut from Johnny Cash classics to Ginuwine’s “Pony.” On a Friday evening at one of their regular shows on the patio at El Tepeyac in Industry — one of the only places in the Greater Los Angeles area you can karaoke outdoors, and where the lackluster Mexican dishes won’t entice you as much as the $12 margaritas and $5 daily sangria specials will — Hinde, drummer Rich Smith and guitarist Chris Miranda expertly jammed out Dion’s “Runaround Sue,” Britney Spears’ “…One More Time” and “Alone” by Heart without missing a beat.
Yes, singing with a live band is more challenging than regular old karaoke. It’s also a huge adrenaline rush. But Casual Encounters’ rotating lineup of talented musicians is extraordinarily generous to anxious crooners and will skillfully guide you if you lose track of the lyrics.
It’s no wonder fans follow the band across county lines like they’re the Grateful Dead of karaoke. Catch their regular residencies from Glendale’s Jewel City Bowl on Sundays to Hollywood’s Hard Rock
Cafe on Friday nights, with stops in Eagle Rock, Koreatown, Westwood, Anaheim, Brea and Lincoln Heights in between, or book them for private parties, weddings and birthdays and front the band all night with your friends.
“I think it’s a lot better than regular karaoke,” Smith said with a grin after a singer with bright pink hair, a faux leopardprint coat and confident swagger put her own spin on Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” and a Casual Encounters follower from Orange County sang a haunting rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.” “It makes you feel like you’re the lead singer of a band, and a lot of people don’t get that experience.” — J.Y.
Parking: Varies by venue. Hours: Varies by day; check website for schedule.
Cost: Free to sing; reservation requirements may vary depending on host venue.
Pro tip: Can’t find your dream song on the band’s exhaustive list? For a fee, you can request to add a title, and the maestros of Casual Encounters most likely will have it ready to rock within a week.
6801 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 105, Los Angeles, casualencounters karaoke.com
ENERGY BISTRO & KARAOKE
At Energy Karaoke, which has locations in Hacienda Heights and Alhambra, you can karaoke in Sanriothemed rooms. Reserve in advance online for your choice of the Hello Kitty Classic Room, Gudetama
Lazy Room, Aggretsuko Heavy Metal Room, Hello Kitty Starry Night Room, My Melody Balloons Room and Little Twin Stars Omoiyari Room.
There’s a giant touchscreen in the corner, which is fun to play around with. In addition to searching by artist and song title, you can scroll through lists of trending songs in English pop, Mandopop, Cantopop, J-pop, K-pop, Latin pop and Minnan. You’ll be singing along to the lyrics on top of the official music videos — or sometimes live performances.
It’s an adorable place to bring kids, who get in free if they’re under 6. There’s a tambourine for those who can’t read the lyrics but can join in when “Frozen” songs pop up. No outside food allowed, but there’s a menu of appetizers (crispy garlic wings, deep-fried oysters, salted egg yolk French fries, takoyaki, egg rolls) and various noodle dishes.
— A.T.
Parking: Ample free parking. Hours: 6 p.m to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Cost: Rooms from $70 to $220 for two hours. There’s a minimum of two hours, and the price is calculated based on room and number of people. Pro tip: If you’re having a big party, splurge for the Hello Kitty Starry Night Room, which can fit up to 35 people. Also, during the pandemic, Energy is short-staffed and not serving the Sanriothemed food menu, but here’s hoping it comes back soon.
2020 S. Hacienda Blvd., Unit K, Hacienda Heights, (626) 968-2988, energykaraokeus.com
THE GASLITE
One Angeleno’s dive is another’s treasure, which is what makes this longtime Santa Monica spot one of the city’s most enduring go-to gems for getting sloshed and singing the night away.
With its iconic red and white sign lighting up an otherwise dead stretch of Wilshire Boulevard, the Gaslite beckons any and all for karaoke and cheap drinks every day of the week. Not much has changed for decades inside this cramped hole-in-the-wall, where Jewel famously sang her own hits while disguised as a homely businesswoman in a viral 2010 Funny or Die stunt, and where it’s easy to rack up a tab on $12 well drinks — don’t expect anything fancier — with nothing to soak up the booze but the free popcorn at the end of the bar and that McDonald’s cheeseburger you slipped into your purse on the way there.
On weekends, the electric chaos of the Gaslite ratchets up, as the KJs manning the stage take their own turns on the mic and bump up regulars who come just as ready to hype up the eager crowd. It’s casual and gets messier as the night goes on — but that’s what you came to the Gaslite for, right?
Just down the hallway, a door opens to the spacious back patio, where you can catch your breath after getting sweaty on the dance floor with the motley assortment of flip-flop-wearing Westside weirdos and friendly partiers mixing it up inside to ’80s pop and ’90s rap. If you’re lucky, someone will step up in the name of Tupac when a gaggle of buzzed coeds mangle the lyrics to “California Love” before a tattooed maniac in a metal shirt starts a swirling mosh pit that brings the room together with a spirited rendition of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff.”
— J.Y.
Parking: Free street parking.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Karaoke 8 p.m. to close Monday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; 6 p.m. to close Friday.
Cost: Free.
Pro tip: The bar opens at 4 p.m., and happy hour goes till 9 so you can be properly lubricated by the time you jump onstage.
2030 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 8292382, thegaslite.com
GOOD NITE BAR
On a good night at Good Nite Bar, “The group vibe is everything,” says regular Martin Lopez. “The audience is very supportive and you feel like a rock star.”
At the neighborhood spot that has karaoke nightly starting at 9 p.m., you’ll see performers who are skilled at showmanship or hitting all the notes, as well as nervous newcomers on the small stage. All will get whoops from the crowd.
Locals come throughout the week, while Fridays and Saturdays fetch a mix of new and old faces, says Blue Perez, who is the karaoke jockey on Tuesday nights under the banner Kiki Karaoke. Tuesdays can be just as busy as Fridays, and Wednesdays are busier than Saturdays, Perez says. Lopez notes that Thursdays seem to be the chillest. On a Saturday in October, there were about 35 people in the small bar by 9:30 p.m. It felt lively but not crowded. I put in my request at 9:07 p.m. and was called up 50 minutes later to give my best Meredith Brooks. You can only request one song at a time and are supposed to buy a drink to perform. If you don’t drink alcohol, soda’s fine, Perez says.
Most nights you’ll request a song from the KaraFun website, which has a wide selection, by writing your name and the song/artist on a scrap of paper and handing it to the KJ. On Tuesdays, Perez says he organizes requests by Instagram direct messages. Perez says KJs will tweak the key, tempo or vocal guide if you ask.
Disney’s “Part of Your World” and “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes are popular at Good Nite, as are ’90s songs, Perez says. When I went, the night started with songs by Michelle Branch, No Doubt and Eminem.
— B.L.B.
Parking: Free street parking; read the signs. Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. nightly; karaoke 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Cost: Buy a drink to perform ($8 to $10 beers; $13 cocktails).
Pro tip: Spicy chicken nuggets are available at Humble Bird next door, and sometimes your order can be delivered to the bar.
10721 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, instagram.com /thegoodnite
MAX KARAOKE
Max Karaoke has been the go-to place for many private-room karaoke aficionados, who consider the hangout unparalleled when it comes to song selection. Sure, you could do John Legend’s “All of Me,” but what about “Conversations in the Dark”? Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” is way popular, but what if your favorite is actually “Fast as You Can”? Are you coming with a group of folks who want to sing in five different languages? No problem: Max has songs in 15 languages. And if you can’t find your song, you can request it.
Max Karaoke used to diligently update its songbooks, but now patrons can enter their songs through the Healsonic app. Everyone in your group should download the app; once you get there, join the studio’s Wi-Fi, enter a code on the monitor, then start selecting tunes.
It’s not fancy. Even the VIP rooms don’t have much flair. There are simple drinks and snacks available for purchase, but you can bring your own food and alcohol for a fee of $1 per person. Cleanliness can be a battle, as evidenced by signs at the check-in counter warning about the $100 to $300 fines for smoking, vomiting and worse. There’s also a reminder that beer and wine are OK, but nothing more than 20% ABV is allowed. We all know karaoke and too much alcohol can be a messy affair.
But Max is where you go with your friends who don’t require frills. The ones you’re so comfortable with that all you need is a mic and a TV screen to have a memorable night. You don’t need to dress up. You don’t need to pay a lot of money. You can make a fool of yourself and mess up. You’ll be back again to redeem yourself.
The beloved Sawtelle and Torrance locations closed during the pandemic, but the location in Little Tokyo is back in business, and a Fountain Valley location opened in 2020. — A.T.
Parking: Two hours validated in the attached lot. Downtown street or lot parking otherwise. Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. to midnight Sunday.
Cost: $38 to $190 an hour, with happy hour specials. Pro tip: It can get packed during popular times, so call ahead if you’re going on a busy night. Also, sign up for a Healsonic account before you go if you want to give yourself a fun name — otherwise the defaults are monikers like “King of Blues” or “Queen of Soul.”
333 S. Alameda St., Suite 216, Los Angeles, (310) 421-2550, max karaokestudio.com/home
NEW WAVE RESTAURANT & BAR
This neighborhood hangout is part ’80s dance club, part ’80s karaoke bar. The decor itself is worth the trip: the Pac Man entrance, the black lights, the record covers on the walls and the movie posters. Even the bathrooms welcome you with Madonna and Michael Jackson artwork on the doors and framed posters of Adam Ant and Duran Duran inside.
The main area has the stage, bar and dance floor, while the karaoke takes place in the side room. The vibe is respectful, welcoming and nonintimidating for newbies, and the crowd is multigenerational. You can choose songs from New Wave’s specialized selection at Songbookslive .com, but you’re not limited to ’80s music. Performers on a recent visit sang Black Sabbath, Alanis Morrisette and Radiohead.
The mixed drinks — with names such as Purple Rain, Pretty in Pink, Richard Blade Rum Runner and Dramarama — are brightly colored, and start at $11 ($25 for fishbowl glasses). Menu items include $3 tacos, $9 cheesy tater tots and $13 buffalo
wings. New Wave also hosts tribute bands and dance party theme nights, including rock en español, gothic/ industrial and Saved by the ’90s. — A.T.
Parking: Free street parking and limited parking in the lot.
Hours: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Cost: $10 cover.
Pro tip: Feel free to hang out on the dance floor while you’re waiting for your turn to sing. There’s a TV screen above the bar, with the same lyrics that are playing in the karaoke room, so you can come back if there’s a song you like — or when you see on the scrolling bar on the bottom of the screen that you’re next.
17847 Lakewood Blvd., Bellflower, (562) 790-8274, newwaverestaurant.com
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