Three Top Karaoke Bars in Los Angeles

Whether you're an aspiring American Idol contestantor just want to blow off steam after work by belting out a few Metallica songs, there's a karaoke bar in L.A. to fit your personality. Some attract young, creative types while others have a more eclectic crowd. Here are three examples of L.A.'s diverse selection of karaoke bars.

Ground Control Karaoke@ Jewel's Catch One
4067 W. Pico
Los Angeles, 90019
Phone: 323 - NEW EDGE
http://groundcontrolkaraoke.com/

Ground Control Karaoke takes place every Monday night from 9 pm to 2 am at Jewel's Catch One in Mid-City. It attracts a friendly, young and down-to-earth crowd. There's a full bar and DJ for the 18+ crowd. Browse the Net between songs on Internet terminals. (It's free.). Special events are featured from time to time. Past ones included fundraisers, "Zombieoke" and pajama parties. Ground Control's 143-page songbook is available online, so you know you won't have to resort to singing Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Miley Cyrus songs all night. Instead, you can sing offbeat songs like Tarzan Boy by Baltimora and lots of TV themes, including F Troop and the Addams Family. The night's karaoke performances are divided into "rounds", so you may have to wait awhile between songs. Get to Ground Control early to get your song requests in and get more vocalizing done.

Rosen Music Studio
3488 W 8th St
Los Angeles, CA90005
Phone: 213-387-0467
www.rosenla.com/index2.php#/home/

The largest karaoke venue in Koreatown, Rosen Music Studio has 30 private rooms for rent, including equipment .As of March 2011, their rooms can fit between 15 and 50 people. Prices range between $50 and $80 per hour depending on room size. The rooms have cordless mics, large LCD televisions, amplifiers and speakers. Advance reservation deposits must be made with a credit card over the phone, but an online form is available for initial contact. The music selection is big on Korean karaoke and Jpop. English pop songs are available, but aren't as up to date. Food and drinks are served by waiters, and the menu features Korean BBQ, fried whole chicken and even Spicy Korean Sausage with intestine. (That last one probably isn't healthy for your singing voice.) You can drink and sing at the bar to avoid paying room rates. Patrons must be 21 and over to enter and no outside alcohol is permitted. Open 12 pm to 2 am seven days a week.

Backstage Bar and Grill
10400 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA90232
Phone: 310-839-3892
http://www.backstageculvercity.com/karaoke.html

The Backstage Bar and Grill in Culver City bills itself as the "Best Dive Bar in the World" It has a retro 1970s feeling, with wood-panel walls and a roaring fireplace Karaoke starts at 8 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and attracts a large and diverse crowd. Everyone gets into the singing at Backstage, even the waitresses have been known to warble a few tunes. Drinks are inexpensive and the bar food (burgers, mac and cheese, garlic fries, etc.) draws raves from patrons. The Backstage Bar and Grill is across from Sony Studios. Open 365 days a year from 11 am to 2 am.