I heard a rumor that Chicago doesn’t know how to rock,” Ed Burmila says into the microphone. A moment later, the Chicago resident jumps into full Johnny Rotten mode, belching out the memorable opening cackle of “Anarchy in the U.K.”
“I am an anti-christ! I am an anarchist!” Burmila sings as he rolls around on the stage floor.
The crowd rocks, pushing each other around, vying for the chance to scream along into the tightly gripped microphone as if the Sex Pistols themselves were in front of them. Fists pump, bodies fly, throats screech. The crowd of 150 or so huddles tightly in front of the stage, reciting in unison the familiar verses. Halfway into the song, four friends of Burmila’s jump up and start singing along into the other microphones scattered across the stage.
Three minutes and thirty seconds later, Burmila collapses on the stage in an exhausted heap. The crowd goes crazy with enthusiastic applause, and Burmila raises a single fist in the air in recognition before hobbling away.
Burmila is just one of the dozens of regulars who converge at Wrigleyville’s Underground Lounge every Wednesday night for Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke, where the traditional karaoke machine is tossed aside for the intensity and raw energy of a live band.
“It’s fun to see your friends go up and sing,” Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke organizer Scotch Hell says. “But the fact that it’s on a stage in front of a live band makes the experience even more exciting than regular old karaoke.”
The idea is simple: Patrons take turns playing lead singer for a cover band obsessed with hair metal, new wave and punk’s catchiest songs. One minute it’s Devo, the next it’s Twisted Sister.
As the regulars explain, any given Wednesday brings an almost identical crowd. The same diehard Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke regulars come every week. Even if they didn’t know each other before, they have gotten to the point that a sort of subculture has emerged from the depths of the Underground Lounge.
“I’ve met lots of cool people that I never would have met otherwise,” Hell says.
Although Hell first brought Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke to the Underground Lounge in February, he took the concept from a New York bar that has been putting on a similar event for years.
The source? “Punk and Heavy Metal Karaoke night at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC every Monday night,” Hell says. “I admit to theft of an idea, but I like to think that I’m just borrowing the idea.”
When Hell brought the idea to Chicago, he was determined to give it a much wider appeal — to free it from being pigeonholed as “Punk and Heavy Metal.” By expanding on the very limited song repertoire of his East Coast counterpart, Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke was born.
Two bands alternate Wednesdays: The Karaoke Dokies (featuring Hell on bass) and the Hootenaners. Each band has a different selection of songs to choose from, and the variety helps to keep the weekly event fresh. Between the bands, patrons have a choice of more than 200 songs, with more added by the week.
The bands are more than competent, and have to be to compensate for inexperienced singers who don’t quite know how a song goes. But part of Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke’s appeal is watching old favorites performed in ways that you’d never see Bono or Axl sing in public — rough, raw, and less-than-perfect.
After all, there is something charming about the middle-aged guy who enters “Blister in the Sun” three meters too early, or the 20-something girl who forgets that the intro to “Just Like Heaven” runs longer than a minute. It is harder to sing songs when you have to read the lyrics off a sheet of paper in a dimly lit bar with no bouncing ball telling you what to sing and when.
But those brave souls who complete a tune without error are sure to go down as karaoke kings in the minds and hearts of those who witness the spectacle. It may be more difficult, but it is also more rewarding.
In addition to Wednesdays, Underground Lounge hosts the event on the occasional weekend night, usually around holidays. Upcoming nights of interest include “Halloween Scarioke” on Oct. 30, complete with a costume contest. The bands have also begun offering the service of Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke to weddings, office parties, and other private events as an alternative to the traditional cornball DJ.
Now, with a popularity based almost entirely on word of mouth, everyone from the aging hipster to the college kid who just turned 21 can be seen belting out the likes of the Pixies, Blondie, Quiet Riot, and the Ramones on a regular basis.
“It’s rocking good fun!” Evanston resident and Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke regular Brian Meyer says. “It’s so great to be able to rock out with your friends to songs you love.” nyou
