Will Z.
Yelp
I love Austin Karaoke, and have been here well over a hundred times. In fact, whenever I hear the words "last call", I instinctively round up everyone in the near vicinity and attempt to organize a field trip to AK.
WHY? Because the point of going out is to cut loose... and there's no better way to accomplish this than singing crappy backup vocals to a song you'd otherwise never listen to (but somehow know the words), with friends who are singing just as bad (if not worse).
As an AK veteran, I can say that the entire experience hinges on 2 things. A) Who you're with and B) how wasted you are. I will assume that we're all grownups here and can adequately address B with no problems so I will expound on A based upon years of karaoke wisdom.
Tip #1) Bring chicks. Nothing sucks more than a roomful of dudes serenading each other. It's gay. Especially when some assclown violates every man law by putting in a cheesy love ballad like "Right Here Waiting"... If you need added imagery, look up "whack" in the dictionary.
Tip #2) Hide the Remote from the Mic Hog*. There's always one in every group... the one that thinks their voice is the bomb and has to sing every one of their greatest hits before the night ends. Yes, karaoke's about showin' off, but allowing the mic hog to hold a private concert breeds boredom. Giving autonomy of the remote to this person is even worse, because the song queue will fill up faster than you can say "Hotel California" and no one else will get to sing.
Tip #3) Don' t be shy. There are no good or bad singers at karaoke, just people that don't sing and people that sing too damn much. Nobody's gonna care if you butcher Green Day if it means postponing the Mic Hog's third rendition of Celine Dion. And when you DO sing, put some heart into it and let loose. I'll take a spirited performance complete with screams and falsettos any day over someone that just drones in a lower octave but hits every note...
Tip #4) Leave the Room once in awhile. One of the coolest things about AK is the diversity of people that frequent the place. Get out of your room and talk to some ppl. You might end up singing in a room full of strangers, you might even get some digits, but you will definitely have fun.
That's about all I've got for Austin Karaoke. I still don't know what anything costs there because usually by the time we check out, I've blacked out. But I will say that there are certain "benefits" for people that the staff recognize. If you haven't been, make an effort to stop by after your next night out on the town. And if you hear someone doing the Axl Rose "ay-eeeeeay-eeeeeaaaayyyyy" thing too much when you're in the hallway, well... come in and say hello, I could always use another backup...
* disclaimer: The author is a repeated offender, guilty of several mic hogging sessions.