I like my childrens books like I like my hip-hop: classic.
The Hip Hop Karaoke NYC series hosts occasional rap competitions, and San Jose’s Treatbot, a "Karaoke Ice Cream Truck from the Future,” rewards any singers with free ice cream. Yes K-Dot, and right behind 'The B Book', methinks I spy 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', always a favorite of mine. The first stateside karaoke bar opened in Los Angeles in 1982, and the rise of boy bands and karaoke references in pop culture-notably Scarlett Johansson’s scene in the film Lost in Translation-helped popularize the habit and spawn all-American variations. Karaoke (“empty orchestra” in Japanese) dates back to the 1970s, when a Kobe-based drummer merged an eight-track player with a microphone. Good Luck Karaoke in Dallas gets creative with downright weird theme nights like American folklore (“Carnie-oke”) and revenge of the nerds, while Palm Tree LA takes the nightclub approach to karaoke, with private rooms complete with bottle service and red leather couches. In Nashville, serious aspiring country singers come to show off their chops over karaoke at the Nashville dive bar Lonnie’s.
Our favorite karaoke bars guarantee a memorable night and, for travelers, the chance to sample a local scene while trying out that new song in a place you won’t be back any time too soon. Whatever the motivation, it’s easier than ever to find a karaoke bar, whether you prefer to front a live band at rock-n-roll karaoke nights or holler with friends in your own traditional Korean-style room. “You get two shots of whiskey in me and the promise of Kris Kross's 'Jump,' and I'm happy,” says Sara Nachlis, a video researcher from Long Beach, CA. “It gives me an excuse to scream at the top of my lungs, jump up and down, and laugh at my friends.” Others need a little liquid courage to embrace their inner exhibitionist. “I love karaoke not for the singing but for the performance,” says Joe Fairless, a New York City career coach. For example, P169MP102M means that the program, P169M, is a District 75 program in Manhattan, and it is held at P.S. You can tell where a District 75 class is held by the name of the program.
Some devotees brave public humiliation for the opportunity to blow off steam. District 75 classes are held in community schools and in self-contained school buildings throughout the city. Yet across the country, karaoke is booming. As if taking the mic at a karaoke bar isn’t a form of torture in itself for many of us. The new reality-television show Killer Karaoke challenges contestants to sing while enduring physical challenges.