ADVENTURES IN KARAOKE: Downey's Irish Pub

I witnessed a few personal karaoke firsts Tuesday night at Downey's, despite the fact that it was one of the smallest karaoke crowds yet. But since there wasn't any place to hide, everyone paid attention and just about all singers were given ample praise.

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ADVENTURES IN KARAOKE: Downey's Irish Pub

POSTED: Friday, July 29, 2011, 12:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass

(philadelphia.foobooz.com)

CP's Brian Wilensky is on a mission to hit up every karaoke haunt in town — and then share all the mellifluous details.

I witnessed a few personal karaoke firsts Tuesday night at Downey’s, despite the fact that it was one of the smallest karaoke crowds yet. But since there wasn’t any place to hide, everyone paid attention and just about all singers were given ample praise.

The range of songs chosen by the singers was surprising — ranging from Rihanna and Sinatra to Green Day and Billy Idol. And then some guy dropped some hints when he sang a song about “having an enormous penis.” But maybe he sang that for the same reason people drive Hummers. And if that wasn't uncomfortable enough, he later sang “Hakuna Matata” with his buddy. Yeah, the song from the Lion King.

It also isn’t too often that the KJ gets up to sing a song of his own, but when it does happen, you’d think they'd pick something that’d get a rise out of the crowd. Well, the Downey guy picked “Baby Got Back,” and not even the original version. He picked the cover by lounge-lizard comedian, Richard Cheese.

Hearing Tenacious D’s “Wonder Boy,” was like a breath of fresh air: the aforementioned karaoke first. And then you wouldn’t believe what happened next. Suddenly there was a conga line of about six people going back and forth through the bar: another karaoke first.

Nitty Gritty for Performers: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m., free, Downey’s Irish Pub, 526 S. Front St., 215-625-9500, downeysrestaurant.com.

(brian.wilensky@citypaper.net)

See Also:

City Paper's Karaoke listings

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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