Gretel Y.
Yelp
I love Metalsome! A good friend introduced me to Metalsome four years ago and I have been hooked ever since! Metalsome is a live band karaoke that plays every Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 10 HIGH Club in the basement of Dark Horse Tavern in Virginia Highlands. There is no cover charge. None. It's accessible through Dark Horse, but there's a separate entrance from the street.
Doors open at 9 and music starts at 10:30pm. The place gets packed after 11. The band is amazing and engaging. They play for the first 20 minutes or so while waiting for customers to sign up for karaoke. Your first time is free. After that, it's $20 per song. As the name implies, a lot of the songs are metal but not majority of the songs. They also have a good variety of pop rock, punk, alternative, garage, etc. They do not allow men to sing women's songs.
There are multiple monitors with lyrics displayed as the song plays. The lead singer of the band, "English Nick" plays backup and will help you if you struggle. It's very interactive. Because the lyrics are displayed on the monitors, the crowd can and will sing along. It always feel like I am at an actual rock concert, minus the moshing and surfing. There is a small, full bar in the back. The bartenders are pleasant and friendly. The drinks are reasonably priced. They usually have a server take orders at the front of the stage and bring the drinks.
I love introducing Metalsome to people who have never experienced or heard of it before, especially out-of-town guests. When my sister got married in 2016, I suggested Metalsome to some of our guests and they loved it! Maybe one day I'll muster up the courage to sing on stage. . .