Goodbye Whiskey River

I have a note from my good buddy Sven...

To the Karaoke Crowd,

First off, I want to thank all of you for your continued patronage to Whiskey River Saloon for karaoke on Mondays.  Because of you guys, we have one of the best groups of karaoke singers in the city.  You guys made Bootleggers and Whiskey River the place to sing.  That is why this is hard for me to announce to you all.  Whiskey River is closing down effective immediately and with it, our karaoke Mondays.  This wasn’t because of you guys.  If anything, it was because of you that Whiskey River was open as long as it was.  I remember being told on multiple occasions that Mondays was one of their best nights of the week for the bar.  Personally, it was the best day of my week.

Hosting karaoke at Whiskey River and Bootleggers was one of the major highlights of my life and it saddens me to see it end like this.  I’m going to missing handing over the stage to you guys every Monday for great songs, great laughs, and unforgettable memories.  I will be looking for a new weekly gig to call home but this karaoke night was special and I will miss it dearly.  I will keep you all up to date on when a new karaoke night is found and again, thank you so much.  You guys are the best karaoke crowd anyone could ever hope for.

Love and Music,
Anthony ‘Sven’ Chojnacki
Sven's Karaoke

Changes in Venues, May 29, 2011

Updates to Milwaukee karaoke scene ---

Thanks to all the people who gave me tips - Elena, Karn, Lee of Moonlight Karaoke, Rosario of Serenity Now Karaoke, and Radar.  Please do no hesitate to send me an email when you find a karaoke spot that's not on my list, or when a spot on my list stops doing karaoke.

Check out my website for the complete listing of Milwaukee Karaoke.

Places not doing karaoke

Monday	Broadway Baby
Tuesday	Lucky's Irish Pub & Grill
Tuesday	Nice Ash
Wednesday	Arizona Grill
Thursday	Cheese Bar
Thursday	Club Brady
Thursday	Vitucci's
Friday	Quaker State & Lube

New listings

Monday	BTW Lounge	231 E Buffalo	Greenfield
Tuesday	Historic Red Mill	1005 S. Elm Grove Rd	Brookfield
Tuesday	Hybrid Lounge	707 E Brady	Milwaukee
Tuesday	Scott E's Pub	3800 s 108th	Greenfield
Wednesday	Newsroom Pub & Grill	137 E. Wells St	Milwaukee
Wednesday	Safe House	779 N. Front St	Milwaukee
Wednesday	Three Lions	4515 N Oakland	Shorewood
Wednesday	Triangle Bar	135 E National	Milwaukee
Thursday	Critic's Corner Pub	350 East 7 Hills Rd (Country Inn)	Port Washington
Thursday	Jersey's	4024 S Howell	Milwaukee
Thursday	Milwaukee Ale House	233 N. Water St	Milwaukee
Thursday	Milwaukee Brat House	1013 Old World 3rd	Milwaukee
Thursday	Miss Katie's Diner	1900 W Clybourn	Milwaukee
Thursday	Mona's Out and About	1407 S. First	Milwaukee
Friday	Aviator Sports Bar & Grill	5105 S Howell	Milwaukee
Friday	Critic's Corner Pub	350 East 7 Hills Rd (Country Inn)	Port Washington
Friday	Ugly Mug	604 S 64th	Milwaukee
Saturday	China Inn	10539 Forest Home	Hales Corners
Saturday	Dicken's Grill & Lounge	9646 W Greenfield	Milwaukee
1st and 3rd Sat	Frank's Power Plant	2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave	Milwaukee
Saturday	Sandbar Sports Pub	W278-N2315 Prospect	Pewaukee
Sunday	Hi Hat Garage	1709 N Arlington	Milwaukee
Sunday	Irish Knot	2479 N Fratney	Milwaukee

Changes in Venues, May1, 2011

I have a summary below of the changes in karaoke venues for the Milwaukee area. For complete listing of karaoke spots, along with addresses and phone numbers, visit the Milwaukee Karaoke Scene website.

Here are new places to go sing karaoke in the Milwaukee area:

Tuesday and Friday, Gridiron, Cudahy
Wednesday, Next Bar, Oconomowoc
Thursday, Curly's Waterfront, Pewaukee Lake
Friday, Lakerz Sportzbar, Oconomowoc
Friday, Pier 6, Port Washington
Saturday, Jackson Pub, Jackson
Saturday, Joker's 5, West Bend
Saturday, Wegner's, Hartford
Saturday, Winger's Tap, Oconomowoc

The following places no longer have karaoke on the nights listed:

Wednesday, Champ's, Brookfield
Wednesday, Jakob's Pub, Milwaukee
Wednesday, Paulie's West Allis
Wednesday, TATS, Cudahy
Thursday, Magoo's, Milwaukee
Saturday, Roberts, Milwaukee

Once again, I would like to thank all the people who are helping me keep my website updated!

Best karaoke bars in Milwaukee

OnMilwaukee.com has released their list of best karaoke in Milwaukee. Once again, the Up and Under is their favorite. Also on the list were Long Wong's, Frank's Power Plant, Safe House, ... See the entire list.

And if you are looking for other places to sing, or are looking for addresses and nights for the places they list, have a look here.

Changes in venues

It's been a while since I have updated. Sorry!


The following places have been removed:

Monday	Spanky's Hideaway	Mequon
Tuesday	Donges Bay Clubhouse	Mequon
Wednesday	BarNone	Milwaukee
Wednesday	D&D Sports Bar	West Allis
Wednesday	Live on North	Milwaukee
Wednesday	Magellan's	Waukesha
Friday	Double Gee	New Berlin

New places to sing:

Tuesday	Lucky's Irish Pub & Grill	Milwaukee
Tuesday	Nice Ash	Waukesha
Tuesday	Showtyme Saloon	Allentown
Wednesday	Arizona Grill	Oak Creek
Wednesday	Liquid Hideout	South Milwaukee
Wednesday	O'Reilly's Pub	Allentown
Wednesday	Player's Bar & Grill	Trenton
Thursday	Alehouse	New Berlin
Thursday	Club Brady	Milwaukee
Friday	Chancery	Waukesha
Friday	Classic Lanes	Oak Creek
Friday	Quaker State & Lube	New Berlin
Friday	Saint Lawrence C-Way	St. Lawrence
Saturday	Alehouse	New Berlin
Saturday	Riverhorse West Bend	West Bend
Sunday	Bank Shot	Hartford

For addresses, phone numbers and starting times, visit the complete Milwaukee karaoke listings.

Karaoke contest in Sussex / Merton

I just found out about a karaoke contest starting Oct 23rd in the towns of Sussex and Merton, WI. There will be six weeks of qualifying, followed by the semi-finals and then the finals on Dec 11. The prize is $300!

Here is the schedule (sorry it's complicated.)

Qualifying ($10 entry fee)
Sat Oct 23rd at On the Rocks
Fri Oct 29th at On The Rocks
Tue Nov 2nd at Shooters Bar and Grill
Sat Nov 13th at On The Rocks
Fri Nov 19th at On The Rocks
Tue Nov 23rd at Shooters Bar and Grill

Semi-finals (top 12)
Fri Dec 3rd at Shooters Bar and Grill

Finals (featuring the top 6)
Sat Dec 11th at On the Rocks

On the Rocks is at W282 N7149 Main in Merton WI  (262) 538-9941
Shooters Bar and Grill is at W220 N6437 Town Line Rd, Sussex (262) 820-0558

Questions?  Call Music Masters Entertainment at (262) 510-6131.

Good luck to all!!!
John the Revelator

Changes in venues, Oct. 15, 2010

I have numerous updates to report today to the Milwaukee karaoke lineup:

Bay View Sports Bar and Grill no longer has karaoke on Monday nights, since it conflicts with Monday night football. What's up with that?  How about some priorities!!?!?  They still have karaoke on Wednesday. Call them at (414) 481-3969. (Thank you, Chad!)

A new spot: Milwaukee Brat House on Old World Third has karaoke on Thursday nights.  Thanks for the tip, Anonymous!

Badgerland SportZone in West Bend  (262) 353-3322 will be having karaoke on Friday night instead of Thursday.

Shooters Bar and Grill in Sussex(262) 820-0558 has karaoke on Thursday nights.

Highbury Pub on Kinnickinnic (414) 294-4400 had karaoke on Sunday nights starting at 10:00 PM.

Also... Bootleggers will be closed for a few weeks and will reopen under the name Whiskey River Saloon. Expect to see karaoke again on Monday nights. I will keep you posted about when.

For the full listing of Milwaukee area karaoke, visit my website.
John the Revelator

Changes in venues, Sept. 16, 2010

I have numerous updates to my Milwaukee Karaoke listings...

New places added
Wednesday and Friday at Bobby Rockets in Burlington
Wednesday at Remingtons with Marcus
Friday at Jamie's Place in Richfield
Saturday at Pioneer Bowl in Richfield
Sunday at Town Square in Trevor, WI (south of Burlington just north of the Illinois border)

Updated time
Pirate's Cove in Delavan, karaoke starts at 8:00.

Changes of KJ
Tuesday at Historic Red Mill, Kalani will be taking over for Kim Marie
Thursday and Friday at Roma's (East Troy) - I erroneously had Kalani as the KJ, sorry

I would like to thank all the folks who are helping me keep this up to date! Thank you Kalani and Marcus for updating your gigs. Thank you Dale of Brew City Music for letting me know where you have gigs. Thank you Ryan for pointing me to the new spots in Richfield.

Please let me know of any other changes, and keep those reviews coming in!

John the Revelator

Changes in venues, Sept. 7, 2010

Karaoke on Wednesdays at Fridays

I have added a new spot to the karaoke listings ... TGI Fridays in Greenfield (4638 S 76th) has karaoke on Wednesdays, starting at 9:30.  Shawn is the KJ. (I think this would be Shawn Everts. Not sure.)  As usual, call before you drive. (414) 281-7896.

Thanks for the tip, Adam!

Karaoke contest at Bootleggers to coincide with American Idol tryouts

Bootleggers is one short block from the Bradley Center, where tryouts for American Idol will be held on Wednesday, July 21st. What better way to welcome contestants than to have their own contest! First prize is $200.

Karaoke will be hosted by Milwaukee's premiere karaoke hosts, John the Revelator and Sven. Rumor has it that a karaoke celebrity will be making an appearance.

Review of karaoke at Final Approach

Final Approach, Milwaukee, WI
(Saturday Night)

This restaurant has a small nook just inside the entrance to the bar that houses the karaoke equipment. There is no stage, and singers are tucked away and are very difficult to see from any angle of the room. A Two-Song Set format alternates with recorded music, both of which are very loud, leaving a singer voice lost in the mix. Bar patrons sat with their backs to the show and seem uninterested in the karaoke at all. At the time of this review, smoking was permitted in this establishment. The KJs were very friendly and encouraging to newcomers. They kept the show moving along and they themselves sang a couple of songs... and they were very good, too.
This karaoke venue is more for the party crowd.

Reviewed by Hobbs (March 2010)

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Italian Idol Competition

Once again, the Italian Idol contest will be held at Festa Italiana at the Summerfest grounds. The qualifying rounds are at 8:00 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (July 15, 16, and 17). Final competition will be on Sunday the 18th, at 8:00 PM.

Review of karaoke at Olympic Lanes

Olympic Lanes, Milwaukee, WI
(Friday Night)

Olympic Lanes has a large and open venue with a small staging area which makes it easy to see the singers. The set up, however, causes those signing up to sing to walk in front of the performers, which is awkward and distracting.
Three monitors makes it easy for singers to face patrons on all sides, and roam occasionally. The Sound system is great for the audience, but the feedback monitor for the singers seemed lacking. While the program format is the alternating Single Song/Music Video variety that keeps the show moving, it also runs the risk of losing the serious karaoke patron. Music videos shown in between singers was of the current Pop variety and seemed louder than necessary for the size of the room and crowd. Audience response to performers was adequate and respectable. Drinking “Sociables” was encouraged, and at the time of this review, smoking was permitted.
This karaoke venue is for the casual karaoke singer and the 20- something crowd.

Reviewed by Hobbs (June 2010)

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Review of karaoke at Roma

Roma’s, East Troy, WI
(Saturday Night)

Roma’s quaint bar area has a central bar with seating all around. Two corner staging areas are set up, one for Friday nights, the other for Saturday nights. The stage is small and makes it easier to see the singers from across the room. Two monitors are available for the singers and patrons to follow along.

From the perspectives of both the audience and the singer, the sound system and feedback monitors are good. There is no need to bring your own cds, for this karaoke show is digital. If you don’t see a title you want to sing in the song book, don’t worry: it probably is in the extensive computer library. This program is a format for the serious karaoke patron, non-stop amateur singing with the Two-Song Set. Beverages are not allowed on stage. At the time of this review, smoking was permitted.

KJ Kalani is an interactive emcee, with a set of large hand drums and harmonica which he occasionally plays in accompaniment with some singers. If requested, he will perform The Phantom of the Opera in full cape, hat and mask. Audience response to all singers was extremely appreciative. Kalani holds singing contests throughout the year. There is plenty of talent on tap.

This karaoke venue is definitely for the serious singer and mature karaoke crowd.
Reviewed by Hobbs (June 2010)

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Review of karaoke at Frank N Stein

House of Frank N' Stein

Saturday, June 5, Gypsy Songstress

As one of the few (maybe the only) local venues that boasts karaoke 7 nights of the week (yes, that’s every single night), we decided to finally pay a visit to House of Frank N’Stein.  Already knowing the history of the building before arriving there (it was a funeral parlor in a previous “life”), we were prepared for the fact that it has a rather odd looking exterior.  But that’s only the exterior.  Inside, it is a very dark, plain (and I mean “no frills” with a small “n”) under-decorated bar/tavern.  Mostly bar with a few tables and a pool table at the back.  So if you’re looking for a place with a flashy remodel, and upscale décor, this isn’t it.  Far from it.  The restrooms could definitely benefit from a good cleaning and overhaul—and some air freshener.  Probably the rest of the place could as well, but the lights are kept so dim, it’s too hard to actually tell how clean (or dirty) things are.

As its name suggests, there are really only two items available for “refreshment” here: hot dogs (franks) and beer (stein).  Although, they were also offering some Mike’s hard lemonade the night we were there, but I don’t know if this is a regular thing.  I actually asked for some ice water (okay, I’m not exactly a big drinker), and was told they had no ice.

On the plus, side the kj who was hosting the karaoke had a very upbeat and positive attitude.  He offered singers a lot of encouragement. Another plus—being that there was such a small “crowd”—less than a dozen people including me and my husband—those of us who wanted to sing got ample opportunity.  Unfortunately, the selection of songs was more than a bit limited.  A few small books, with small print and the remains of what looked like more than a few spilled drinks, were scattered around the place.  There was only a list by artist, no list by title. And then there was the sound system—not very high quality and with a lot of crackling when people held the mike too close.  But the ultimate question was “did we have fun?”  Well, yeah, we managed to have some fun.  I mean everyone was very hospitable and it was quite helpful that the kj was so upbeat.  Did I mention that other than me and my husband, everyone else seemed to be way ahead of us in the drinking department?  Okay, so if you like to drink beer, want to get drunk, and enjoy singing or listening to karaoke, this is your kind of place.

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Review of karaoke at the Bowery

The Bowery, Franklin, WI
(Thursday Night)

This little, out-of-the-way establishment is a real neighborhood hang out. Tightly packed with it’s regular bar patrons and it’s various sponsored teams players, karaoke singers receive a friendly welcome here. Tucked in a corner at the front of the room is the KJ equipment and two monitors. There is no stage, so pool-shooting patrons have to stretch to see the singers over the other patrons from across the room. The sound level at the front of the room is uncomfortably high, and the music often seems louder than the singer’s voice. Generally speaking, the program is a Two-Song Set format, unless the individual singer prefers to perform only one song. If the title you’re looking for is not in the song book, just ask the KJ to search his vast digital library, and 9 times out of 10, he will have what you’re looking for. At the time of this review, the establishment allowed smoking.
You’ll find award-winning singers here as well as fun-loving amateurs.

This karaoke venue is for a mix of the 20- and 30-something crowd.
Reviewed by Hobbs (May 2010)

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Karaoke contest in Muskego

Join us Saturday July 24th as Pioneer Inn presents - Muskego Idol's Summer -Karaoke Series! DJ/TJ of Mainstreet Music will host and MC the first installment of this summer karaoke contest.

The karaoke qualifying dates are:
Saturday, July 24th - 7pm to 11pm - Pioneer Inn
Saturday, August 21st - 7pm to 11pm - Pioneer Inn

We will have 2 categories to judge
Best Singing Performance and
Best Overall Performance

The top 4 contestants from each qualifying date will compete in the finale showcase on September 18th at Markyfest! All are encouraged to participate, Solo's, Duets, Group singing! The more the merrier. Contestants will receive prizes for participating, drink specials and the Grand prize will be announced shortly. Mark your calendars boys and girls for MUSKEGO IDOL!!!!!!!

In the words of Randy "The Dawg" Jackson, It's gonna be a hot one yo!

Spread the Word

Marx Pioneer Inn
(262) 971-1171

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111848948845369&index=1

Review of karaoke at City Lounge

City Lounge, Cudahy, WI
(Sunday Night)

Smoke-free City Lounge has a quaint eccelectic Old Milwaukee decor. It has a roomy stage from which all singers can be seen. It has four monitors for singers and audience to follow along. The sound equipment lacks somewhat in that the music is often louder than the singer’s voice. At the time of this review, the digital equipment seemed faulty to the point where the music and words would often go out of sync, and the KJ would have to resort to cds. This doesn’t stop the patrons from having fun in this Single Song format. The show keeps moving at a steady pace, with no need for music videos between singers. Fellow singers and audience members alike show enthusiasm and appreciation. It is an upbeat, fun and friendly atmosphere.
This karaoke venue is for serious and silly singers alike.

Reviewed by Hobbs (May 2010)

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More bars listed in Google maps

Luke has posted the following on the John the Revelator and Sven's Karaoke Cult Facebook page:

Luke Zepnick Updates to the karaoke venue map are finally here! More bars in more places! Check it out!

 Milwaukee karaoke map

Karaoke World Championships!!

Here's where it starts...

Go to Badgerland SportZone (West Bend) on a Thursday night, or Noey's Pub and Grill (St. Lawrence, near Hartford) on a Friday night to qualify for the state karaoke competition. (Need addresses? Check my karaoke venues website.)

If you qualify, you will be invited to compete at the Washington County Fair in West Bend, July 24, 3:00 - 7:30.

The top male and the top female singers will be sent to the regional competition in Texas the weekend of August 24.

The next step is the national contest, and then the 2010 Karaoke World Championships in Moscow, Russia on September 22nd through 25th.


Check out the Edge Entertainment website for more information about the local competition. Jim Edgeworth is the KJ for the local competitions.