The incomparable Virginia Ashby and Star Machine’s live band karaoke takes the stage every Thursday night at PJ Pockets Casino in Federal Way.

PJ Pockets provides a close-up, intimate layout featuring one of the area’s most popular karaoke bands. Of course the always fantastic and gorgeous Virginia Ashby, a star in her own rite, heads up the show. Just her presence will bring out handfuls of great people and singers. Those of you who have not tried live band karaoke yet, really ought to get over to PJ Pockets next Thursday for a karaoke experience like none other. Pete and the rest of the band will play any of nearly 300 song selections available, while you take center stage as lead singer for your very own live band performance. Virginia is right along side you to provide any backup vocals if and when necessary.

Star Machine has vowed to add new songs to their list every week to keep it fresh. True to their word, they’ve added over fifty songs to their repertoire since January, including one of my favorites, Boom Boom Pow from the Black Eyed Peas and plenty more.

PJ Pockets is an excellent room for live entertainment. They’ve got the open interior concept, without walls, except for the 12-table casino area, which is isolated from the rest of the sportsbar. They’ve got a humongous pool room and darts.

The stage is in the lounge area, on a raised level of its own, packed with tables and chairs, a dance floor, and it’s even wheelchair accessible. The acoustics are great! You can enjoy the live music from anywhere in the building, and Star Machine’s biggest fans are anxious to fill the place with their own sounds.

The lights bring the stage to life for Jessica, who says, “This is the only place we feel comfortable enough to sing whatever we want”. No judges here, just fellow singers with a shared love of music. Bill, Lisa, Gary, Jim and Dan each got up for a song of their own. Even Peaches and her friend Donna were in the house to see Virginia!

Virginia’s experience in the industry is incredibly vast and diverse. She’s certainly one of the busiest artists we know. Not only does she serve as lead vocals for the band NiteCrew and Star Machine, she’s always working on her own solo work, putting out several albums of her own. Her latest, Strongest Weakness, just hit the shelves. She’s awfully smooth people. See her Web site at www.virginiaashby.com.

Federal Way’s Vince’s Italian Restaurant hosts Virginia for a night of jazz and blues every Sunday and Thursday from 6pm-9pm. Star Machine invites you to come sing live band karaoke with them at PJ Pockets every Thursday from 9pm-close, and then on Wednesdays at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn at 8:30pm.

For more information from her Promoter, Hit Connections Entertainment, check out www.hitconnectionsentertainment.com.

PJ Pockets is expected to roll out a huge karaoke contest in April, where they will reportedly be giving away big cash money every week, plus a huge cash added finals event! So, keep your eyes on the Karaoke & Live Entertainment Guide for details forthcoming. Meanwhile, get on over to PJ Pockets every Thursday and join in the fun with all your karaoke-loving friends. You can feel comfortable here.

PJ Pockets Casino; 1320 South 324th St., Federal Way, WA 98003  (253) 529-9298 www.pjpockets.com.

Spice up your Sundays with a visit to Sluggers in Kirkland. All your Sunday needs is a lively little number like Drunken Lullaby from your Craig, Slugger’s host. That will surely have you dancing the jig, like everyone else in the bar! And POOF! Your Sunday has already turned out better than most of the others.

Labatt’s pitchers are just nine bucks on Sundays, and U-Call-Its are only $5.50! Besides, they get a real fun group of regulars out for some stress release through song. Remember last year, we met Charles and Alicia who had met at a karaoke show in Fremont. Well, they’re still singing at Sluggers with Craig on Sundays, and they have a big announcement, they’re engaged and getting married this June! Woot-woot! Congrats you two!

Charles got up and started singing “True” by Spandau Ballet (I think), and I half thought he was joking. I’m used to hearing him sing hard and fast songs. Of course there’s Aaron, his wailing counterpart right close by. He chimed in with some Pearl Jam. Alicia sings the Cranberries, Gabby laid down the Family Tradition, Andrew and Derek sing Unbreak My Heart after CJ and Soup’s Livin’ On A Prayer. Those guys over there hangin’ out with Soup were gettin’ all crazy, hoopin’ and hollerin’, climbin’ all over each other.

Heath was dancing in the aisles bigtime. This girl had the best jig of anyone – she was lovin’ Craig’s Folkin’ Irish song choice – everyone was! Check out the short video on our Facebook fan page; “Karaoke & Entertainment Guide”. Tons of pictures and more video on our FB page – check it out!

This place gets rockin’. Sluggers’ karaoke definitely has a faithful following. Chase and Megs are new to the scene, but they fit right in and now they’re completely hooked. She sang These Boots after Chase had done a job with Float On. Excellent!

The whole bar gets into the action, except for those way on the other side of the bar shooting pool or darts. Mariah and Minda join forces for I’m A Bitch. And then, outta nowhere comes Trista with the very most potty-mouthed song, just a whole lotta effing going on, but hilarious! Again, the whole bar jumps in on the song, singing out loud.

Sluggers has great food too, most people don’t know this. Their tap beers are forever flowing and you’re more than invited to partake! Come out and see Craig’s karaoke show every Sunday night at Sluggers Sportsbar in Kirkland! The fun starts at 8:00pm. You’ll make some new friends, promise.

Sluggers Bar and Grill (www.sluggerskirkland.com) 12506 NE 144th Street, Kirkland (425) 821-6453.

Rose at the Lakewood is the hottest karaoke host in the Southend guaranteed! Sorry everyone else, you are loved, but Rose is hot and the boys love, love, love her show. So much in fact, that they’re expanding the karaoke. Rose is now hosting her karaoke four nights a week, Wednesday through Saturday from 9pm to 1am. Plus, she still tends the bar three nights a week! She described her outfit planned for the coming SuperBowl party and it was sexay! And, by the way, in an earlier article I said that Rose grew up in California, when in fact she grew up in Chicago. My bad. I don’t know why that really matters here, but there ya go.

So, all by herself, Rose has taken karaoke to amazing heights at the Lakewood Bar & Grill. Her little corner operation has become quite the draw out in Lakewood. They’ve got the crackling fire, the light pine interior siding, you get that cozy-mountain-lodge feeling in here. And the singing audience continues to grow. Like I said, Wednesday thru Saturday karaoke.

Rose does a perfect job of balancing her involvement. Usually, she puts herself quietly in the background, giving the spotlight to her singers, which is how it oughta be. Karaoke is all about the singer’s experience, and Rose will maximize your experience at the Lakewood. She’s excited about her newly computerized system with over 18,000 songs to choose from. Rose’s karaoke show is bringing in all the young studs and their friends, filling the bar. Brent sang Lookin’ Out My Backdoor, Mike the military man sang Cumbersome, Max did the We Were Merely Freshman song, and Todd sang 16 Tons, great song. Todd’s typical 25-man entourage of song-sampling friends were on leave tonight, except for Heidi, Anessa, and Kat, who each got to sing for us too. Ken, Mike and Leo worked together on Sweet Caroline.

They have tons of TV monitors, some with the lyrics, some with sports and shows. Full menu is available until closing time, that’s huge! Stop in and pay Rose a visit. She’s adorable, you’ll hit it off right away. Sing some, stick around awhile. You’ll fit right in.

Lakewood Bar & Grill; 7505 Steilacoom Blvd Sw, Lakewood, WA (253) 582-9195.

La Palma Mexican Restaurant in Lakewood is still going strong with karaoke after all these years. Randy and Darlene have built quite an impressive following, and everyone is WAY into karaoke here.

Randy comes in on Wednesdays from 8pm to closing. He brings his own flair to La Palma along with oodles of experience as a performer. Darlene finishes off the week Fridays and Saturdays 9pm to close. She’s a lady with style. Darlene is great about getting all dressed up for the night. She’s very professional on the equipment, and will often lend a helping voice to add to her singer’s experience.

I think it was Big John on the mic when Darlene picked up the tambourine and added a great new dimension to the entertainment. Big John sounded awesome. These old guys love Darlene’s show. Jack, Russ, Bobby, and Domingo – these guys really let loose up there and they sound great. Whether it’s a duet with Bobby and Domingo singing God Bless You, or Jack belting out Music Of The Night, anybody would be blown away (see videos on Facebook: “Karaoke & Entertainment Guide”). Great talent in this room, and they all come with their own pretty girlfriends too. You’re gonna hear some of those beloved classics here.

Finally met Mr. John Stiver. An accomplished photographer, John’s body of work is vast and diverse, but he specializes in weddings and boudoirs – which really intrigued my girlfriend for some reason. Hit him up for a quote sometime. See some of his stuff online at www.fantaziastudios.com.

La Palma karaoke typically runs a rotation of 10-15 singers, so there’s just the right amount of time between turns. The stage is sort of isolated by a half wall and support beams, but it overlooks the rest of the bar and makes the singer feel special. Speakers are well-placed throughout the bar to maximize the audio, and the singers can hear themselves easily too.

Bobby Cedeno, who mixed it up with Domingo, sings lead with his brother for a ten-piece band called the High Rollers. Check ‘em out at www.thehighrollersband.com.

Marty, the bar’s manager, is a charming guy with a whole bunch of experience. He likes what karaoke brings to La Palma. Darlene rounds out the rotation with her own version of Breathe, so nice.

Good times at La Palma! Come in and sing your heart out every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. You’ll love the people, and the food, of course. Amazing Mexican food!

Find your way to La Palma this week. They’re at 5701 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA (253) 582-8349.

Also, qualified and invited talent will represent America at the World Championships of performing arts, cited as the only official talent olympics becoming members of Team USA.

Talent and models will be eligible to go to Hollywood, the entertainment capital of the world, to meet agents, managers, casting directors, producers and record label executives!

Call now to participate; 360-463-6416.

The Butler Bar in Des Moines features a unique blend of antique character and contemporary design. From the street, the Butler Bar attracts the casual passerby by virtue of a fully-windowed façade and bay doors offering a wide view into the warmly lit interior and bustling bar.

It’s got a real vintage quality about it. The exterior architecture and design make it hard to ignore, so inviting. Drivers trudge by on Marine View Drive S, yearning to be inside, enjoying a tall cool one with good friends.

Josh, with Absolute Karaoke hosts the singing fun every Friday night here and the locals absolutely love the opportunity to get up and shed those inhibitions. You can always tell when the show has caught on when you see more than one in the audience with their own CD collections. Joe is one of Butler Bar’s favorites, he’ll get up and sing Cry Me A River like nobody else, this guy. It’s amazing.

The interior of the Butler Bar is just what you’d expect from the outside. Great vintage posters of the Rat Pack, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Betty Grable, Bing Crosby and so many more line the walls. Up high in the rafters hangs a neon “Gas” rocket about twelve feet long, and along the eves they’ve got an incredible collection of actual old-fashioned marquis signage, all neons, dating back decades. What a cool sight!

The building was actually built in the early 1900s and was originally a firehouse training center. They used those bay doors to drive trucks right into the, uh, bar. Later, it was a Texaco and then the Butler’s Auto Garage took over until now ’cause it’s a… bar. And a cool bar at that. Des Moines is better for the Butler Bar. I used to live there – cool waterfront town.

The funny thing is the dichotomy of antique memorabilia complimented by huge, beautiful flat screen televisions full of rich color. The Butler Bar brings you their Happy Hour everyday from 3:30pm to 6pm, featuring domestic draft beers for just $2.50 and house wines just $3.00.

The appetizer menu will put a smile on your face. How does a plate of Personal Nachos sound, or Sliders, Skins, Egg rolls, Potstickers, all for $3 to $5 each!

The bar is shrouded in a nicely-carved, heavy wooden, barback structure, dominating the room as it should. What are those called anyway? Every kind of liquor lines the mirrored wall. Songbooks are strewn around the bar, people sidled up. The karaoke is a focus and the audience is appreciative here.

Over along the wall are a couple of table booths in the cubby. Josh’s karaoke station is set up in front of the eight-foot glass bay doors, streetside. The only problem I saw was that incoming patrons were directed by the layout of tables, right through the karaoke stage area, even splitting up duets during their performance. Maybe they’re just not standing in the right spot.

Anyway, Josh brings his experience and sound system to Butler Bar and wants to see your shining face out there singin’ next Friday night!

Jason the Bartender sang 500 Miles, Joe B. sings Mack The Knife, Erin does Maybe This Time, Al sings Fools Rush In, Kelly did a little Patsy Kline action, Laurie totally killed (that’s good) Broken Wing! Mike and Rick kept up the pace behind the bar. Servers roamed the tables. Really neat place to visit. Bring your appetite for dinner and song on a Friday and join Josh for some singin’ and drinkin’, or drinkin’ and singin’, whichever suits ya.

Butler Bar opens at 3:30pm at 22341 Marine View Dr. S., Des Moines, WA 98198 (206) 429-3709  www.butlerbar.com.

Spot Off Main is “A casual neighborhood bar. You can feel comfortable in jeans here”, according to General Manager Chris Green. And he wasn’t kidding. Bellevue’s Spot Off Main is the perfect concept for its neighborhood.

Cathedral ceilings and brick walls house one very unique and stylish bar. The atmosphere is very casual indeed, leather couches and club chairs scattered throughout are perfect for kickin’ back Bellevue-style. The place is virtually split in two, one room holds like five or six pool tables all dressed up in pretty red felt. There’s a cool little dart cubbyhole decked out with all the necessities; leather lounge chair, flatscreen TV, just like home. They’ve got a little sidewalk deli table set up along the interior wall that separates the two rooms from a little game room and the entrance.

The guys are all total studs here. If I were a single woman looking for a good man, this is where I’d start. Most of these guys come from Microsoft and they’re all decked out in their sport jackets. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see somebody smoking a pipe or cigar. It’s almost like a man-cave, so perfect. When the girls did finally show up, they were definitely hot.

They’ve just started Industry Night every Monday, plus they’ve got Trivia Night on Tuesday at 8pm, Karaoke on Wednesday and Beer Pong tournaments on Thursdays. These Beer Pong tourneys are apparently pretty crazy. The place fills to capacity and they get four tables going – it’s quite the party I’m told. Then on Saturdays, they roll out DJThump at 10pm and the party kicks into high gear.

On the other side of the bar in the other room, guess who’s running karaoke every Wednesday from 9pm-1am? Who else but the hardest working girl in the biz – Aury Moore with Karr Productions (www.karrproductions.com). It was weird seeing her in such a small place after just watching her perform on the big stage over the weekend. She brings her amazing voice even to these venues when she hosts her karaoke shows. I don’t think most of the guys sprawled out on the leather couches surrounding the microphone even realized who they had right in front of them. She’s currently working on an opportunity to open for a national superstar, by the way. We’ll keep you posted. Anyway, I had to laugh when I saw her. With all she’s got going on, I keep seeing her everywhere I go. I told her we’d have to rename the newspaper to the Aury Moore Times or something.

The karaoke room, rich in color with black walls and another red-felted pool table, filled up late with a huge group of Microsoft conference guys, many from out of town. Kathi was the only female in the group. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where she says karaoke is very popular. She had no fear, sitting right up front and enjoying several turns on the mic.

The service is awesome, no need to even get up out of your slouch in that couch. A dressed up Aury operates her equipment beneath an eight-foot projection screen showing the Olympics. Her regulars are all Microsoft folks too. Cat and her friends like the karaoke here with Aury. I caught Allen singing and dancing openly while singing his song. He wasn’t the least bit shy. Whitney lost her bet at pool and had to sing a song to everyone. Michelle, one of Aury’s number one fans, also came out for some fun.

Come and find out why the Spot Off Main is attracting the locals and even some famous personalities reportedly. Yakup Trana, Seattle’s own national recording artist, will be playing at Spot Off Main from time to time. “He just likes it here”, says Chris. House band, Super Bison perform on the last Friday of each month too. And don’t forget, Wednesday night karaoke with Aury Moore, Karr Productions. Karr Productions will host your private parties with quality Karaoke/DJ services. Check them out online at www.karrproductions.com.

Spot Off Main; 20 103rd Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 646-6434  www.thespotoffmain.com.

Well, it looks like Ohana in Seattle’s historic Belltown neighborhood is at it again! Last year the contest unlike any other contest was such a hit, Ohana of Belltown has decided to do it again! Only this time, believe it or not, it will be even bigger and better than last year!

This is the contest that reminds us as to why we all started doing karaoke in the first place, for the fun of it. To meet some great people and to just go out and have an evening of fun, without taking ourselves too seriously. Last year hands down, the contest brought the fun back into karaoke by having a contest based not necessarily on talent but on showmanship. The crazier and sillier you are, the better your chances of winning!

Here is an idea as to how the contest works, just like on American Idol, every week there is a category be it Top Hits, the 70’s British Invasion, the Six Degree’s of Seattle etc.  Just like on American Idol, we have two judges of the Ohana staff, one of them playing the character of Randy or Paula, this year even Ellen, and of course we have to have the Legendary Simon. It really isn’t Idol without him. Then we have a celebrity guest judge. So far we’ve confirmed Robert, the Vern Fonk guy in the commercials as a judge, as well as Alan White, legendary rock drummer for Yes and John Lennon fame, plus one of the band members from Yellowcard… you get the point. Some of our local celebrities are eager to take part in this year’s contest.

The contestants need to be registered for the contest by 9:30pm. We have only allotted ten entries per night. The contest will start around 10pm and will go for roughly an hour. Each contestant will draw a number to determine order of performance and it is game on!

When a contestant is called to the stage they will be able to draw three songs from the Pineapple Jug. Then they will have to decide which of the three songs they will choose to perform. It is called Ohana Idol – Luck of the Draw, after all!

After each contestant’s performance, the judges will throw out their comments (often Simon gets booed). The night of the finals, the winner is decided by the audience vote.

Last year we had the best time and it ended up that our grand prizewinner and newlywed, took home a trip to Hawaii with his staggering performance of Cher’s Believe!

Just like last year, the prizes this year will be stellar! Each week we will be giving away handmade Ohana Idol T-Shirts to all that participate in the contest. The winner of each week receives an iPod Shuffle and they are able to move to Finals Week for the Grand Prize: 5 Free Nights stay in Yosh’s, Ohana’s fearless leader, Maui condo in Napili Shores! “We just want to keep the spirit of karaoke alive… It really is all about having a good time!”

To qualify for the trip to Maui you must participate in the weekly contest starting on Sunday, March 21, 2010 through Sunday, May 9, 2010. Grand Finals will be May 16, 2010.

Ohana is thrilled to feature specials on Budweiser and Stoli, not to mention a killer happy hour menu!

We hope to see some of you come down and participate in the craziest krackin’ karaoke contest ever!

Ohana is located at 2207 1st Ave,
Seattle, WA (206) 956-9329.

Club Motor in Seattle’s SODO District was the scene of one hell of a night of music, famous musicians, and off-the-hook talent that really lived up to Seattle’s reputation.

Saturday, February 13 seemed like every other Saturday until Aury Moore and friends bombarded the Motor with back-to-back-to-back bands and high profile musicians performing for an intimate audience of around 300.

Rocktheblues.com hosted a fantastic event, and the Aury Moore Band was the main act scheduled for later, so in the meantime we had to make due with Randy Hansen himself, unplugged and up-close. Dude is amazing on that there guitar. He perfected, solidified, and man-handled a whole set of Jimi classics, finishing up with a few licks, guitar licks that is, with his tongue! The crowd goes crazy. Extremely rare to see Randy Hansen in this capacity, a real treat for everyone.

Following Randy Hansen was Heartless fronted by Brenda Kashmir and Darlene Tyler, who made such a huge impression on the audience that night. Their chemistry on stage is undeniable and contagious as they roll out high-energy Heart hits one after another. They really stirred up the crowd, who seemed to be loosening up. Everybody was singing along, dancing proud and out loud.

Club Motor was crawling with highly respected musicians who eventually took the stage at some point. Somar and her band by the same name had a surprise in store when Steve Fossen, Heart’s Bassist from ’72-’83, stepped in and started galloping his fingers over his bass during Barracuda. Standing there, not ten feet from Steve as he played Barracuda (practically a childhood anthem) on the bass, was one of those awestruck moments for me. The weight of it all did not go unnoticed by anyone else either. The cheers were long and loud.

Soul Solarium played a couple songs with their newest band member, David T. Hall on bass. And finally, it was time for Aury Moore’s Band to play. Everyone was completely amped up. Fans crowded around the foot of the stage, cell phones poised. Press photographers clambered for the shot of the century. Aury and her guys killed it! Eddie Mendoza on drums, Manuel on lead guitar (AMAZING!), Joel Gamble on Keys, Dominique Stone on Bass and even Pamela Moore, Aury’s sister who sings with Queensryche, stepped up and threw around her hair some with lil’ sis. Just an incredible night of jams and amazing vocal displays all the way around.

For like, fifteen bucks, this crowd got a $150 experience at the Club Motor that night. Congratulations to Aury on such a great event and thanks to all the musicians who made the evening a smashing success. Oh yeah, we can’t forget about the guy in the straight-jacket! Jonathan holds the World Record for fastest straight-jacket escape; 19 seconds. Awesome!

The very next night, everyone gathered uptown for Roger Fisher’s (lead guitarist for Heart) Valentine Birthday celebration with even more amazing acts and loads of rock and roll hits, and the party poured on through the entire weekend.

I’m betting Monday morning brought more than a few live music hangovers. They’d probably love to do it all over again next weekend too.

Thanks Aury, you’re beautiful!

The Skagit Casino Resort consistently delivers great entertainment, and 2010 has much more in store than ever before!

The Skagit Rocks featuring “Magic Bus” and presented by KZOK 102.5fm, will rock the Pacific Showroom on March 5th, with retro tunes from the late 60’s and early 70’s including The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and more.  Get your tickets early, this event will sell out quickly!

Phil Vassar will be gracing the Pacific Showroom stage on March 26th with his amazing country music songs.  Phil is outstanding in concert and usually likes to greet fans after his shows, take photos and sign autographs too.  He’s worth the drive, especially if you love country music.

Featured in the Winners Lounge the same weekend will be Marlin James and Mo’ Trouble.  Recently this band was featured in the Pacific Showroom for Country Night at The Skagit presented by KMPS 94.1fm radio to a sold out room.  This gives you the opportunity to see them without charge and enjoy this excellent country band.

The Skagit also showcased karaoke with Rocky and Kristine on Thursday nights and is currently running their iKaraoke Promotion, with prizes worth $5,500.00!  Last month in February, four iPod packs were given away by random drawing from the song slips of those who came and sang in the Winners Lounge.  Even more iPod packs will be given away on March 25th and on April 29th.  Come see what you’ve been missing if you’ve never been to The Skagit for karaoke.  The show is on Thursday nights from 8pm-Midnight.

You never know who will show up at The Skagit during karaoke either.  In February, the original winner of Last Comic Standing, came and hung out during karaoke and enjoyed the great singers and atmosphere. Dat Phan put on a funnier than funny show the next evening along with Henry Cho, who played the role of Steve Toyota in Revenge of the Nerds III and has been in other funny movies, made appearances on television and stage all over the country.

Other acts coming up this year at The Skagit, include, but are not limited to, The Manhattans, Debby Boone, Blue Oyster Cult, Craig Morgan and Darryl Worley.  Appearing in the Winners Lounge in 2010 Bullet Creek, Oncore, Marlin James and Mo’ Trouble, The Goods, That 80’s Show, one of our personal favorites; The Spazmatics, and many many more!

For a complete listing of artists, comedians, and show listings go to theskagit.com and mark your calendars for all the special upcoming shows.  The Skagit delivers great entertainment.  Come see for yourself! Buy your tickets at The Skagit to avoid service fees, or go to ticketmaster.com to buy them online.