Aja S.
Yelp
I've been going to karaoke bars all over the country (and some other countries) for over 20 years, and this is hands down my favorite one of all time. It's also my favorite bar in the East Village. Very few other places around here have managed to retain that gritty yet communal island of misfit toys vibe over the years that first made me fall in love with this neighborhood. I hope PR remains a bastion of that piece of lower Manhattan, forever. The cross cultural diversity and 'be yourself, everyone's welcome so long as they're not a d*ick' attitude exuded by both the staff and the other patrons represents everything that drew me to the city.
Every time I go in there, not only is the karaoke itself a good time, but I also get to chat with super interesting folx in the kind of hyped up atmosphere that can only be created by a bunch of people all in a great f*cking mood because they're somewhere they love doing something they love to do. I've met artists, actors, entrepreneurs, local R&B powerhouses, retired ministers, career gutterpunks, Mexican lgbtqia TikTok celebs, music theater goths, rap sensations, corporate phishheads, and woo girl bachelorettes with cold feet and a crush on their maid of honor. I could go on forever...
Despite the super eclectic crowd, I never feel judged for what I pick to sing. Everyone's there to have a good time. No one's there to yuck your yum. If they don't like your selection or your voice is off that night, they don't give a sh*t. In fact, a lot of them will still sing along, clap and cheer at the end, knowing when it's time for them to grab the mic, they'll get the same kind of support while they let their own freak flag fly. That kind of an environment doesn't just 'happen.' This tone is actively set, led, and fostered by the fantastic owner and staff (and a small troupe of rotating regulars who've obviously been going there for years and love helping new people feel welcome in their home away from home). I feel so weird calling them the "owner and staff," like it's f*cking upstairs / downstairs at Downton Abbey or some sh*it, but I can't just call out just one person or two, because they are ALL f*cking rad and they ALL create this environment.
It's so entertaining to read the negative reviews of PR, because I've been there and watched people come in who write those types of reviews. They barge in with nasty or standoffish attitudes and treat the staff and other patrons like they're beneath them. They argue about showing ID, like entitled children. Sure, Chad, the bar should definitely risk their license to break the law for *you.* They expect to be served right away, just because there's no visible "line." So sorry, bro, this staff is experienced and tuned in enough that they remember who ordered what drink and in what order, so no one has to anxiously hover by them while they make anything like you have to do at the amateur hour places you frequent. They assume that just because there are 'only 20 people' in there that night, they're somehow magically going to be 5th to sing. Nope. While you were off elsewhere, these 20 people have been here for four hours buying drinks and supporting the bar. They have multiple song requests in and are patiently awaiting their upcoming turns. Again, the vibe is 'everyone's welcome so long as they're not a d*ick.' If you don't feel welcome, and all the other *obviously separate and very diverse* groups of people having a blast look like one giant 'clique' to you, then maybe you're the problem, Chad. Go find a place that will treat you like the special, special flower you are.