The [definitive] Karaoke quiz

Find out where you can express yourself appropriately

By: JULIE LEUNG

Posted: 3/20/08

Before warming up those rusty vocal chords for a round of Spice Girls' Greatest Hits, take this quiz to see which karaoke scene is right for you.

1. My most likely mode of transportation is:

a. Toyota Prius
b. a sibling hand-me-down
c. University bus system
d. carpooling with co-workers
e. a bike
f. Ford Ranger

2. On a typical weekend night I am:

a. playing the Wii
b. driving home to my parents
c. prowling downtown
d. working overtime
e. at a concert
f. hunting

3. My biggest male role model is:

a. Goku from Dragon Ball Z
b. My dad
c. John Belushi
d. Bruce Springsteen
e. Che Guevara
f. Garth Brooks

4. I learned to dance from:

a. DDR
b. Uncle Larry at a family reunion in 1995
c. MTV
d. Bruce Springsteen
e. The '60s
f. Line dancing lessons at the Y

5. The song that best describes me is:

a. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
b. "We are Family" by Sister Sledge
c. "Another Brick in the Wall Part II" by Pink Floyd
d. "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey
e. "I am the Walrus" by The Beatles
f. "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Your Results

Find out where to best use your vocal talents

Mostly A's:
Asian Persuasion
Shokitini (all day)

Shokitini provides a karaoke scene truest to its Asian roots, offering private rooms for groups to wail to their heart's content. This Clayton Street sushi restaurant and bar is the best option for the bashful type. However, privacy comes at a price: $30 to $50 per hour to be exact. The rooms come with fun amenities such as a revolving disco ball, cushy couches, and a personal favorite: a tambourine. Together with completely random clips on the TV, a large assortment of Korean songs and occasionally misspelled lyrics, the atmosphere is very similar to actual karaoke bars in Asia. Song quality and selection lack a bit mostly because all the music seems to have been re-mastered using synthesizers. But with the sushi and snazzy drink menu, Shokitini is the classiest but by far the most expensive karaoke venue.

Mostly B's:
Family Fun
Buffalo's Southwest Cafe (Monday @ 7)

Leave the expletives at home, boys and girls. With children as young as 7 stepping to "The Electric Slide," Buffalo's karaoke night is a family affair. Located in the back room of the Alps Road restaurant, the space is reminiscent of a high school gym, complete with a high ceiling, cafeteria-style seating and large plasma TVs broadcasting the lyrics. Compounded with a loud sound system, Buffalo's scene isn't for the shy. Be prepared to hear one's voice reverberate. The songs are provided by Stan's Almost Famous Karaoke, which also caters to Foxz Tavern and Alibi Lounge. With nearly 30,000 songs in the electronic database, there is no shortage in selection or music genre at Buffalo's, though patrons seemed to choose mostly country and family-friendly tunes.

Mostly C's:
Classic College
Walker's Pub & Coffee (Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 10)

Located on College Avenue, Walker's is the ideal locale for careless crooners and downtown divas. It also offers the best balance between song selection and sound quality. The pub and coffee shop confines its karaoke crowd to an intimate downstairs area, a dimly lit bar bedecked in Christmas lights and wood furnishings. Singers are provided a small stage for their vocal hijinks and a large TV faces the audience to facilitate sing alongs. And sing along they did on Tuesday night, boisterously to Taco's "Puttin' on the Ritz" which was being sung by Raymond Wiley, a senior majoring in history. "I like to sing, but I don't have the time to try and be in a band. You'd have to dedicate everything whereas here you can just have fun with your friends and keep it under control," he said.

Mostly D's:
Working Class Karaoke
Foxz Tavern (Wednesdays @ 9)

Do you work hard for the money? So hard for it honey? Located on the far end of Prince Avenue near the loop, this historic bar is situated in a rather abandoned looking shopping center. But don't let appearances fool you. Inside houses a substantial, albeit older, crowd. The spacious venue boasts pool and Foos Ball tables for non-karaoke entertainment. The atmosphere is gritty and smoky, with the songs mostly revolving around '80s classic rock, metal and country. One almost expects Jon Bon Jovi to emerge from the bathroom. The karaoke is provided by Stan's Almost Famous Karaoke so the full 30,000 selection is there - should someone dare to shake it up with a Jewel song or two. Foxz also offers drink specials to help relax those performance nerves: $1.25 PBRs, $3.25 well drinks and $1.25 shots.

Mostly E's:
Indie Institution
Go Bar (Thursday @ 10)

Nestled next to The Grit on Prince Avenue, Go Bar's karaoke night marches to the beat of a different drum. With only about 5,000 songs in the database, what Go Bar lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality quirkiness. According to Dr. Fred, the maitre d' karaoke there, Go Bar features a more indie music selection with an extensive catalogue of David Bowie, The Smiths and Placebo tunes. And if that doesn't validate Go Bar's indie hipness, the bar's karaoke night is also a favorite haunt of Misfortune 500, a local alternative rock band. "I get to pretend to be Bowie," said Chisolm Thompson, the lead singer. Out of all the venues, Go Bar is also the smallest and darkest, perfect for obscuring one's identity when failing to reach those falsetto notes on "Under Pressure."

Mostly F's:
Honky Tonk Times
Alibi Lounge (Thursday & Saturday @ 9)

Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock 'n' roll? Well, which ever you are, you'll find what you're looking for at Alibi Lounge. Well-lit and inundated with Budweiser paraphernalia, the bar was recently renovated, seemingly with a good ol' country feel in mind. Alibi also features two pool tables and a collection of corner video games. With transitions like Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" to Fuel's "Hemorrhage," Alibi is a place where popular country and rock mesh. The crowd was also the most diverse age-wise, ranging from early 20s to late 60s. Hosted by karaoke matrons Lynn Carson and Vickie Smith of Stan's Almost Famous Karaoke, the women attested to the "great blend" of people and music genres.