From mobile to online, and from bars to cars karaoke has managed to slither into every aspect of our daily lives. Invented in the early 1970’s by musician Daisuke Inove, the karaoke machine was created as a means for Inove’s fans to sing along to his music. But after 30 years of technological advances, the karaoke machine now serves many purposes and is accessible in more ways than one. Although the traditional karaoke box is still in high demand, the karaoke bar has also become a popular evening affair. For some aspiring singers karaoke can quite possibly be the only five minutes of fame they’ll ever get, while for a drunken fool- amateur night can be yet another reason to get completely hammered.

Karaoke on the Go!

But no need to go to a karaoke bar to belch out your favorite tune. If you’re one of the proud owners of the Chinese made Geely “Beauty Leopard” sports car, then you can American Idol yourself on your way to work! The car was built with a karaoke machine as a standard piece of equipment- meaning that it’s just as important as I don’t know…anti lock brakes! Although the Gelly BL has yet to cruise on over to our side of town, it’s rumored that we will soon see it hit our streets sometime later this year.

Karaoke Communities

Meanwhile, you can karaoke from the comfort of your own home with your very own karaoke box or you can even join a karaoke community (think MySpace). Singsnap.com and thesimsonstage.ea.com allow you to upload videos of your karaoke performances. Singsnap. com allows for you to follow the lyrics from your computer screen and record yourself through a web cam.

Karaoke Mobile

If you’re on the run with no Internet access and are no distinguished owner of the Geely BL but do however have in your possession a reliable cell phone, then you can subscribe to mobile karaoke providers such as Karaokini. The service is compatible with over 80 cell phone models and allows you to read the song lyrics directly off your cell phone screen. Perhaps a flaw to this service is the polyphonic melody in which the tunes are played- other than that, whether you’re on the road, at home, on your cell phone or out on the town…karaoke is only a clear throat away.

Karaoke Havens

If you prefer the common karaoke bar, you’d be glad to know that L.A. has hundreds of bars to choose from. Whether you like pop, country, ‘rancheras’ or oldies but goodies, L.A. has a karaoke spot just for you. The popular Caffé Brass Monkey located in L.A. offers daily karaoke nights beginning at 9 p.m. with the exception of the 4 p.m. karaoke on Friday’s, and as an added bonus, Brass Monkey serves beer food to feed your drinking munchies. This placeis good for people who don’t mind hearing a rendition of Alanis Morrissette’s “Irronic” three times in one night.

If Mary Wells and Brenton Wood are more up your alley, then the Venice Room in Monterey Park can easily become your secret spot. The place is usually full of locals and is the polar opposite of the Caffe Brass Monkey in that it doesn’t serve drinking food. Here on the menu is a steak dinner that includes a salad, baked potato and garlic bread and -get this- you cook your own steak! The Venice Room has an indoor barbeque pit where you cook your own meat and a salad “bar” where you prepare your own salad. This is definitely a place for meat eaters and oldies-but-goodies lovers.

But if Paquita la del Barrio, Jenny Rivera and some good old Ramon Ayala fire you up, then La Perla del Mar seafood restaurant located in the city of South Gate is the place for you. The family restaurant by day and after-the-club pig out joint by night has a separate room where you can get rid of your suppressed “men have done me wrong” issues. If you visit La Perla del Mar on a weekend night, you will more than likely bump into a couple of drunks fresh out of the nightclub located down the street. This place is good for people who don’t mind the brightly lit restaurant atmosphere as long as they can hear some good old ‘rancheras’. Ayayay!!

Interesting and Useless Karaoke Facts

• China holds the record for longest karaoke event that lasted 214 hours, 20 minutes and 8 seconds.
• “Karaoke” derives from two Japanese words- “karappo” and “oke”. “Karappo” means ‘empty’ and “oke” means ‘orchestra’.
• Most requested karaoke tracks are “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Love Shack” from the B-52’s, “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Queen, “Fallin’” from Alicia Keys and almost anything from the “Grease” soundtrack.