Gagopa Karaoke

A Karaoke Obsessive Is Ready to Sing Again

"A late-night Koreatown karaoke spot with strobing disco lights, red pleather booths and semi-soundproof private rooms decorated with framed posters of pop stars. Regulars rave about its welcoming staff (the writer names an employee, Lee), an accommodating BYO wine policy with buckets of ice, and the way the staff reserve a preferred mic stand and room for familiar guests, which helped the place become a go-to for birthdays and big-group nights of 10–25 people. Nights were ritualistic and communal — often opening with “Mr. Brightside,” featuring reliable showstoppers like the Christina Aguilera/Ricky Martin duet “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely,” and ending with “Closing Time” — and allowed for cheap, party-style food delivery from pizza to fried chicken and even homemade catering. The author describes feeling like karaoke royalty there, having formed lasting friendships through spontaneous sing-alongs and niche song choices, and remembers one final pre-pandemic night (early morning of March 6, 2020) when staff gently asked the group to leave at around 4 a.m.; she now mourns the irreproducible energy of the room despite attempts to recreate karaoke at home." - Alyse Whitney