Sing City

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Author Michelle Aiello, a self-described karaoke addict, has outfitted her basement to host karaoke parties (pictured here). Photo by Lucy Jones.

I have a confession to make: I’m a karaoke addict. I’m not particularly extroverted, but there’s something so satisfying about picking up a microphone and belting out one of my most-loved songs for an audience. My husband and I actually have a permanent karaoke stage in our basement, complete with a glitter curtain, a rotating Christmas tree light from the ’50s, microphone with a reverb pedal, a laptop, speakers and an oversized monitor. We don’t use a traditional karaoke machine; instead we just cue up a song on the computer and sing over the vocals. (We use the Musixmatch app, which works with Spotify and iTunes to stream the lyrics.) I even created a Mad Libs-style game that uses popular song lyrics as the “story,” which is meant to be sung karaoke-style. 

Fortunately, I’m not alone in this obsession. While karaoke’s origins are Japanese, the pastime has become ubiquitous across the world. And with the proliferation of affordable at-home equipment, karaoke has become more of parlor game – not just an activity reserved for bars. 

The word karaoke translates to “empty orchestra” – “kara” comes from “karappo,” meaning empty, and “oke” is the abbreviation of “okesutura,” or orchestra.  While the concept of studio recordings without lead vocals has been around for nearly as long as recording itself, the most widely accepted story of karaoke’s origins dates back to Kobe, Japan, in the 1970s, where Daisuke Inoue worked as an accompanist for amateur singers in bars. Inoue told now-defunct Topic magazine in 2005, “A local businessman asked me to record a few keyboard tracks for him to sing along with at a club in another town where he had a meeting. Later, he returned, all smiles, asking for more tapes.” Shortly thereafter, Inoue developed the idea for a coin-operated machine made from a car stereo, eight-track tapes, a microphone and an amplifier: Known as the Juke 8, the world’s first karaoke machine was born. 

Half a century later, karaoke is alive and well, and Lexington has a diverse and thriving scene, with several venues passing the mic seven nights a week. One such place is Chinoe Pub. With wood-paneled walls, sports-themed decor and floor-to-ceiling mirrors, the place has a sort of “’70s basement” aesthetic, which, in my mind, makes it perfect for karaoke. 

“This place is my Cheers,” says regular Carrie Anderson. She’s been singing at the causal neighborhood bar for 10 years and often takes requests. Eric, one of the pub’s “KJs,” tries to make singers feel welcome and confident. 

“We have some amazing singers here, and it can be intimidating,” he said. “I tell [karaoke] virgins, ‘If it was supposed to sound excellent, it wouldn’t be karaoke – it would be a concert.’” 

And, yes, a KJ will play your song sooner for a tip. 

“A $10 or $20 will definitely get things moving for you,” Eric said. 

Karaoke revelers revel at the Green Lantern, a downtown neighborhood bar that hosts karaoke on Wednesday nights.

On the other side of town, the downtown venue The Green Lantern – a beloved neighborhood dive with an eclectic rock-n-roll Tiki vibe – takes a break from its regular live music bookings on Wednesdays to host karaoke nights, dubbed “Caraoke.” KJ Cara Larkin got her karaoke start while working at the local vintage boutique Street Scene. 

“It was their anniversary party, and I got the job of manning the karaoke machine,” she said. “Someone said, ‘It’s not just karaoke, it’s Caraoke!’ and it just stuck.” 

Since then, Larkin, who works with fellow KJ Jonathan Dunavant, says that singers appreciate the Green Lantern’s unpretentious environment. It’s one of the most eclectic karaoke joints in the city, with songs running the gamut from ’50s country to show tunes to ’90s alternative. 

“The stakes are low,” Larkin said. “There are people playing pool and talking, so there isn’t that ‘all eyes on you’ aspect that you get at other places.” Ashley Smith, a local singer who routinely wows audiences with her renditions of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” and The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly,” says, “This is my favorite place to sing – it’s such a fun community.” 

With the loss of so many great musicians over the past year or so, Larkin says karaoke has become a vigil of sorts. 

“When George Michael or David Bowie died, there was a big influx of their songs, and it was kind of nice for us to all grieve together,” she said. “I also love it when people shock the audience with a performance, and that happens a lot here. That’s why this never gets boring for me.” 

With over a dozen Lexington venues offering karaoke, the city offers something for everyone. You can hear hip-hop and R&B at Lane Allen Road’s long-running karaoke bar Mac’s (formerly known as Todd’s), while Survivors on Reynolds Road has more of a hard rock, biker vibe. And for the non-bar set, there’s a rather unlikely place get your song on: Hardee’s on Winchester Road. The fast food restaurant hosts all-ages karaoke night every Saturday night, with regulars donning matching T-shirts. 

But for the die-hard karaoke fiends – or for those who just don’t want to wait an hour to sing – at-home parties reign supreme. Regular Chevy Chaser contributor Donna Ison and her husband, Frank Rose, frequently host karaoke nights at their home on Harrington Lake. 

“Everybody has the inner rock star,” she said. “When you see a person up there who can really sing? I think we all want that moment – to be up there commanding the stage.”

Guide to Lexington Karaoke Venues