There's no shortage of options when it comes to seeing live music in New Orleans, but if you're looking to give your own vocal skills a test, you can stop by a number of bars across the city for an evening of karaoke. Here are a few of the karaoke nights hosted at venues around New Orleans.
Kajun's Pub
2256 St. Claude Ave.
This 24-hour Marigny bar offers karaoke each night from 5 p.m. until the early hours of the morning, attracting an eclectic mix of locals and tourists. With an extensive songbook to choose from, no one style of music tends to dominate, and the bar often attracts talented singers, including the occasional touring musician fresh from playing a show at one of the area's many music venues. If you're willing to start singing early, you can also take advantage of Happy Hour drink specials that run daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Portside Lounge
3000 Dryades St.
Tuesday night is karaoke night at this venue that features tiki-influenced cocktails in Central City. While all genres of music are welcome, the music chosen by customers typically includes a heavy assortment of soul and R&B. While you're waiting for your song, check out the ever-changing assortment of work by local artists that lines the walls of the bar. If you're feeling hungry, check the online schedule for pop-up restaurant events at Portside.
Oz
800 Bourbon St.
This famed Bourbon Street gay club hosts karaoke each Monday night, starting at 9 p.m., with a revolving assortment of drag queen karaoke hostesses. Monday night at Oz is also service industry night, so bring proof of employment to the bar if you work in the industry to claim your discounted beer and well cocktails.
Saturn Bar
3067 St. Claude Ave.
If you've ever seen one of your favorite bands take the stage at Saturn Bar and wonder what it would be like to be up there yourself, come by on the third Saturday of every month, from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., for karaoke night. Musical selections from many genres are typically performed, although the DJ is personally a fan of 80s tunes. Make sure to check out the bar's eclectic decor when you visit.
Banks Street Bar
4401 Banks St.
Monday night is Gay Goth Karaoke at this Mid-City neighborhood haunt, although DJ Bride emphasizes that you don't need to be gay or goth to participate. Music from the 80s and 90s is often on steady rotation, and there are plenty of songs in Spanish available if that's your karaoke language of choice. If you can't make it to Mid-City on a Monday, Bride also DJs karaoke at St. Roch Tavern (1200 St. Roch Ave.) on Tuesdays, when haircuts are also available in a barber chair just steps from the karaoke stage.
The Cat's Meow
701 Bourbon St.
This Bourbon Street institution offers karaoke nightly, from open until close, to a raucous crowd of tourists and locals out for an evening in the French Quarter. Drinks are three-for-the-price-of-one until 8 p.m., but the scene usually gets more interesting later in the evening, as aspiring singers start to trickle in from other bars. The Cat's Meow is known for its energetic karaoke DJs, who often join in with customers who prove too shy (or too inebriated) to perform alone.
