Can't wait until January to watch “American Idol”? Thanks to the Pit Road Lounge, 388 Loudon Road, you don't have to! Okay, so Simon and Randy aren't exactly hanging out in Concord, but there is a karaoke contest going on at the Loudon Road lounge, Wednesday nights at 9.
Much like “American Idol,” contestants have to pick a song each week from the genre the DJ specifies. Then, three judges determine who stays and who goes based on the brave soul's signing talent, stage presence and audience participation. Someone says “buh-bye” each week, and whoever makes it through the entire contest with the most points (most cycles run 5 to 6 weeks but the competition length really depends on the number of participants) wins moola.
Right now, the lounge is smack-dab in the middle of a contest, but if you missed the signups you can still stop by and watch the contenders belt their little hearts out and decide whether you've got the guts to partake in the next round of competitions. Or, according to Pit Road's Stacy Hamel, people can jump into the competition now but would be at a disadvantage because they've missed out on points from the first few weeks.
If you're not ready for the competitive heat but still want to sing a little Bon Jovi, regular karaoke hosted by Mark Chown from the local band Day Janeiro is held Tuesday and Thursdays at 9 p.m. Sorry, no cash prizes for the Tuesday and Thursday karaoke – just the chance to feel like a rock star.
But we must warn you, karaoke gods and goddesses, according to the staff at Pit Road Lounge, one of their bartenders can sing Janis Joplin's “Me and Bobby McGee” in such a way that it gives them all chills. We recommend you skip that one unless you really feel confident about it or else you may be put to shame. And we all know that to survive karaoke, you have to have no shame.
If you really want to butter the staff up, they claim that Frankie Valli's “Sherry” and The Tokens' “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” are among their favorites to hear – for now, anyway. We're sure that if they hear those two songs too many times, they may be singing a different tune, if you catch our drift.
We know we just threw a lot of karaoke information out at you, so let's recap – the karaoke competition is Wednesday nights at 9 and regular karaoke hosted by Mark from Day Janeiro is held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. For more information, call 226-0533 or visit myspace.com/ pitroadllounge.
