By: Kate Howard
Posted In: Entertainment
Photo credit: Kate Howard
Brian Werner belts out Garth Brooks´ “Friends in Low Places.”
Photo credit: Kate Howard
Some friends try to have a conversation over the blare of the karaoke machine.
Photo credit: Kate Howard
Shaun Nicholson and Melissa Desingco sing Jimmy Eat World´s “Sweetness” at O´Briens Karaoke night.
If you’re looking for a dark and smoky karaoke bar to woefully sing “Heartbreak Hotel” with similarly woeful crooners, I would not suggest O’Briens’ Wednesday night karaoke. However, if you’re looking for a place to grab a couple pitchers with some friends and sing an off-tempo rendition of “Gin and Juice,” this is the place.
While the Thames Street Irish pub is not lacking in smoke, the atmosphere is always significantly more playful than your run-of-the-mill karaoke bar. Island Karaoke hosts a karaoke night each Wednesday at O’Briens, and on one particular Wednesday, I saw performances varying from Salve girls belting out an off key interpretation of Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch” to a pair of freestylers rhyming over the beat of Monica’s “So Gone.” My night at O’Briens began innocently enough, as I scoped out the other singers and flipped through the book of song selections. 80s rock, 70s disco and recent hip-hop were all represented in the mixture. I packed 11 of my closest friends into a booth just behind the speaker, under a framed Irish blessing, so we were in prime position for discreet karaoke viewing. We made our selections and acquired some affordable pitchers of Bud Light while we waited for our turn in the spotlight. A 20-something man wearing a Patriots jersey, Timberlands and Mardi Gras beads began an unexpectedly beautiful rendition of “Purple Rain” as we relaxed and enjoyed the moment. It wasn’t too long until our name was called. My roommate and I approached the microphone, slightly hesitant at our selection. The lights glared from the ceiling and I looked around at the crowd. A few faces looked expectantly at us while most went about their drinking and pool playing, the karaoke serving as mere background music. They clearly did not realize the momentousness of this occasion. The words flashed on the screen, and we braced ourselves as the bass began to bump in the speakers at our feet. “I don’t know what you heard about me…” The lyrics of 50 Cent blared in the background as we announced to the bar that we were in fact “P.I.M.P’s.” Whether they could hear us was the question; I accidentally selected the song with the vocals on it, so 50 Cent guided us through the whole song while the mic may or may not have even been on. It didn’t matter though, because we were karaoke stars, and we could relate to the people who sing no matter how badly they may sound because it’s all about the thrill of the performance. Our confidence bolstered by this potentially successful foray into the karaoke world, my friends and I threw in a couple more song requests. The singers in the meantime chose several crowd-pleasing songs, the type of songs that everyone in the low-key bar, from the pool players to the bartenders, stopped to sing along to. Billy Joel’s “Only the Good Die Young,” Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and everything in between earned a makeshift dance floor on the few open square feet, with an enthusiastic crowd dancing and adding their vocal talents. One performer used his own vocal talents to try to woo a spectator. Rashad, dressed in a baby-blue sweatshirt and big jeans, took an interactive approach to Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful” as he approached a friend at my table. “Beautiful, I just want you to know, you’re my favorite girl,” he sang skillfully as the blushing recipient of his affection got up to acknowledge him with a quick kiss on the cheek. He was satisfied, and a few songs later, it was our turn again at the microphone. It was nearing 1 a.m., closing time, so this was to be the last song. I went to the deejay and begged him to allow us to do a song we had requested late instead of the “Ice Ice Baby” that we requested first. “No,” he said sternly. “Do the song you picked or we’ll skip you.” Disappointed, I turned to my friends sadly and told them the news. Just as I began to mentally rehearse Vanilla Ice’s lyrics, “I want to shoop, baby” began to blare from the speakers. The karaoke guy, in a moment of weakness, allowed us to change songs and we went from disgruntled to ecstatic. By then, all of my friends had worked up the nerve to join in the singing, so we dispersed among the microphones and I led the way. This song helped us gain a following of our own, and several girls came up to dance with us. We closed the bar, and it was a night that won’t soon be forgotten. Karaoke night at O’Briens is not for the serious karaoke participant, but it is certainly a great time for amateurs like me who want to pretend. Kate Howard is a senior at Salve University in Newport, RI, and a skilled karaoke performer.
