Performance art, bar-style

CASSIE HOOD
hoodc@mscd.edu

In the past weeks, I have explored a few bars that provide karaoke enjoyment. They are scattered and sometimes dead. But one thing is for sure, when your friends crap out on you, getting up on stage to sing a horrible rendition of "Oops, I Did It Again" will perk you up right away.

The best karaoke experience can be found at the Hi-Dive on Broadway. Things get started around 10:25 p.m., and right away there are people onstage. The bar offers plenty of room to dance, tables to sit at, a pool table, and a stage big enough to fit three people plus equipment. Every Monday night, Mr. Pacman is the host for what he calls "Extreme Karaoke." He provides a long list of songs from oldies to indie. The main focus is on music from the '80s, '90s and present.

It doesn't matter which song people choose to sing or how well the person sings the song. All that matters is that people have a good time. People dance, cheer, drink, and sing. The bar itself isn't a fancy place, so the people don't really need to impress anyone. Everyone goes looking to have fun.

Bender's Tavern on East 13th Avenue also offers something exciting. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the bar is home to "new wave and indie" karaoke. They offer a large area to watch karaoke, plenty of room to sit, and many pool tables. The people are often more interested in playing pool, but the ones who sing have fun. With a hefty list of songs from the new wave and indie genres, there's no lack of interesting songs to sing.

At Bender's, the audience likes it when you sing well. There are still those awkward moments when someone drank too much, then hopped on stage only to sing horribly out of tune. For the most part, though, the people at Bender's take their karaoke seriously.

On Sundays, a little bar call Charlie Brown's on Grant Street provides a more stereotypical karaoke experience: a bar with a tiny stage in the corner, and a large screen at the back of the bar for everyone to sing with. Even the DJ and servers get up on stage to sing throughout the night. Like most karaoke bars, there is a thick list of songs to choose from, but this bar offers some obscure and hard to find songs, too.

At first, the crowd appears hostile and closed-minded. After a while, though, they are friendly and welcoming. Some of the singers have amazing talent; they belt out amazing renditions of their favorite songs. Of course, being a typical karaoke experience, there is no lack of tone-deaf, drunken singers. Either way, the crowd cheers and welcomes each person who climbs up on stage.

Getting onstage takes gumption, but can be really fun. Even if the shy bug bites, it is fun to sit and watch other people perform. Karaoke adds flair to the boring bar experience. Each night of the week there's a bar somewhere hosting karaoke.

For information about other places to enjoy karaoke, go to westword.com. They have an extensive list of bars all around Colorado.