There's no denying it -- karaoke is a strange and wondrous thing. It is practiced both by joking friends who are only looking for a few laughs, as well as aspiring vocalists who are seeking the serious attention that actual working musicians get. Whatever the intention, this sing-a-long phenomenon is becoming ever more popular as one of the main attractions here in Bloomington.\nAnd with so many venues in town, it is not difficult to find a crowd to hone your vocal stylings in front of. Here are some places where you can get your 15-minute rock star status: \nBear's Place\nLocated at 1316 E. Third St., Bear's is probably the most well known of all karaoke venues in B-town. Kevin Holladay sets up and breaks down the karaoke night every Thursday. \n"I think it has gotten more popular, but also there is that anomaly that exists since we are within walking distance from the fraternities and sororities," Holladay says. "Because of that, it's been big here for a long time anyway." \nHolladay says getting up in front of a crowd is a great way to loosen up early on when out painting the town. "It tends to be a good launching point for the evening," he explains.\nAs far as what is actually performed every Thursday, Holladay says that at Bear's certain sing-a-long anthems never die. "I've been doing it for four years, so I've seen many people come through here and sing a lot of songs. Depending on where you're at, you'll hear all kinds of songs. We have a lot of people doing stuff from the '80s, as well as those 'I Will Survive's from the '70s." Perhaps Gloria Gaynor was trying to tell us something when she sang those famous chorus lyrics.\nThe Office Lounge\nThe Office Lounge has hosted karaoke for nearly 10 years and has also seen a consistently high number of participants in recent months. Shannon Stanger, who has been associated with the establishment for about seven of those years and is currently the organizer of the karaoke nights, seems to know why. \n"A lot of places have tried to do karaoke and not seen good turnouts, and I'd say that the reason for that is that they didn't keep up with the music. We constantly keep up with what's new on the radio, and I'd say that's really important," Stanger says.\n"A lot of serious singers come in here. There are a bunch of folks out there that don't want to go out and do what it takes to really play in clubs, so they come out and do the karaoke thing," he adds. \nThe Office Lounge also sees staple songs belted out regularly.\n"There certainly are favorites, like the Patsy Cline song 'Walking After Midnight,'" Stanger says.\nScotty's Brewhouse\nNot all karaoke spots in Bloomington have been around for a long time. Scotty's Brewhouse is somewhat of a newcomer to the karaoke scene but is already growing quickly, organizer Brian Fee says. \nFor nearly a month and a half, Scotty's has been hosting karaoke every Saturday. Fee says increased publicity is helping out immensely, allowing the nights to wear on into the early hours of 2 a.m. Fee leaves the handling of the actual music to other co-organizers, but says that it generally "caters to college students." Each Saturday, the karaoke participant that gains the most applause is awarded a $20 gift certificate. Currently, Scotty's is also holding an "industry night" exclusively for representatives from different restaurants in the Bloomington area. The business with the most employees singing is awarded $50.\nSenior Brent Borg, who enjoys attending and performing karaoke at Bear's and the Office Lounge, says he feels he knows where the hot spots are these days. \n"The Office Lounge is a really good time, and Bear's has pretty much become a Thursday night tradition," he says. Through repeated appearances at Bear's, Borg has crafted a few crowd favorites, such as "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits and Pure Prairie League's "Aimee." \nWith the tried and true favorites such as Bear's as well as new venues such as Scotty's sprouting up all the time, karaoke in Bloomington is proving to be a bigger vehicle than ever before for having a good time on the weekend and even week days, should the mood strike.\nHere are a few additional spots for your serious, silly or simply spectating sing-a-long satisfaction:\n
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- Bear's Place, 1316 E. Third St., 9 p.m. Thursdays\n \n
- Bullwinkle's, 201 S. College Ave., 9 p.m. Thursdays \n \n
- Kilroy's Sports Bar, 319 North Walnut, beginning between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays\n \n
- Office Lounge, 3900 E. Third St., 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, 9 p.m. to midnight Saturdays and 9 p.m. to midnight Sundays \n \n
- Scotty's, 302 North Walnut, 11:30 p.m. Saturdays\n \n
