07 Jul 2016

Arts & Entertainment:

SingSing Karaoke: Dreams Do Come True

Our group singing... something. Photo via SingSing karaoke's Instagram feed.

Our group singing… something. Photo via SingSing karaoke’s Instagram feed.

Karaoke is one of those polarizing things in life: Either you LOOOOVE it and can’t get enough of singing and being a cheezball, or you run for the hills and embrace every opportunity to make fun of those cheezballs who love it so much they GO NUTS when the word alone is uttered. (~*k a r a o k e*~).

Falling into the former camp, I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the beautiful temple of cheez that is SingSing Karaoke Palace at Sticky Rice, 1224 H Street NE for some time. Yes, you can go to the suburbs and rent a private room, or you can go to Adams Morgan’s Muzette to sing in private. However, having a local option is not just exciting, but it’s also about time!

Now you can chow down on Sticky Rice fare while you belt out some sweet tuneage at SingSing in one of two private rooms: The larger room, called the Geisha (because it’s more, um, accommodating?) can hold up to 18 people ($65/hr). The smaller room, the Oni room (which may bring out your inner demon, I suppose), can hold up to 12 singing demons ($45/hr). When SingSing hosted their soft opening back in late June, Jen DeMayo and I went, along with my two crazy kiddos and my friend Beth, and tried out the private room karaoke experience. It was all kinds of amazing.

Apart from the impressive wall art –murals created by Jeff Huntington (whose other work you can check out on Instagram)– the rooms are cozy and sound-proofed (!!!), with skylights and funky lights. Our crew tried out the smaller Oni room. After a quick tutorial on how to use the iPad-based karaoke software, we were ready to go. Word to the wise: the system is a little tricky at first, but by the end of the session (we stayed almost two hours!), my 7-year old was competently looking up and selecting songs (which was a mixed bag all its own). Both rooms have a call button for service, so if you need to get another cold one into your shy friend before they bring the house down with their rendition of “Baby (One More Time)”, you can do so without poking your head out of the room.

Magical karaoke time with Jen DeMayo and friends. Photo by María Helena Carey, via instagram.

Magical karaoke time with Jen DeMayo and friends. Photo by María Helena Carey, via Instagram.

Although the catalog is impressive in its breadth, there are some serious classics missing. If you are looking to belt out Dolly Parton, you’re out of luck. If you wanted to sing your heart out to Blondie, you may only do so to “Call Me,” which we totally did, but which also left us wanting more. There was only one Go-Go’s song and only one Elvis Costello, for instance. I was unable to sing one of my all-time karaoke staples, “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but we all sang Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and Guns ‘n’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’Mine.”  The country song selection also seemed a little sparse: Very few Dolly Parton songs, for instance. (..did  I mention no Dolly?) However, they are well-equipped for Top 40 hits, so if that’s your jam, you won’t stop for hours.

Not that we are complaining: The room was very comfortable and the food we ordered from Sticky Rice was perfect and delivered with impressive speed from next door. The kids especially had a great time and the place was very welcoming toward them. (Thank yoooooou!) They danced and sang and inhaled a bucket of tots, and went to bed feeling like jukebox heroes, with stars in their eyes.

If you go:

WHAT: SingSing Karaoke Palace at Sticky Rice

WHERE: 1224 H Street NE, next door to Sticky Rice

WHEN: Open everyday at 5pm, hours vary. Check out their website for details.

WHY: You either love karaoke or you hate it. This place allows you to figure out which camp you’re in, in the privacy of a sound-proofed room. You’re welcome.

PS: SingSing has a special 50% off deal for the month of July going on. Follow them on Instagram and get the details!

 

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2 responses to “SingSing Karaoke: Dreams Do Come True”

  1. L. Desiree Summers says:

    You can also sing at Sunday Fun-Day Karaoke, 3-7pm Sundays at Shaw’s Tavern at 6th and Florida, NW. Welcoming atmosphere, great sound system, and thousands of songs

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