Karaoke 8-12:00 PM Tuesdays 
                          The Wits End
                      420 Robinson Ave
                   San Diego, CA 92103
                  Phone: (619) 646-2191

                  

                               Like Being at Home
             with 25 Well-Behaved, Good-Singing Friends

           Wednesday night, I drove up 5th Ave and easily found a parking place
            at 8:45 PM between Robinson and University Avenues.  Walking over to Robinson,
            I saw that the Wits End's strip mall parking area was quite full.  Then I heard a
            singer.    Next I saw the foot high words, "Karaoke Tonight."  I peeked in and
            was immediately waved in by Carol and her friend J-----.  Nice to know
           someone nice, I thought.  Carol shares my enthusiasm for Fleetwood Mac, which
           she did quite well. 

                    My first impression was that the bar was just the right size and
             shape for a neighborhood bar, where everyone knows everyone else and likes
             sitting close, very close  together. The dimensions?.  Maybe 25' by 45".  This
             made me think of large trailer homes I've been in.  I counted 25 laughing, singing,
             talking people.   There really wasn't room for any many more people.  That always
             gives a place the right sense of importance and drama. . 

                  If you like beer, they probably have it.  Picture how most bars display fancy wines
              and expensive liquors.  Not The Wit's End.  Lined up behind the bar were two long shelves
              or 30 feet of various varieties of beers.  As I like Guinness a lot, I  made a note to
              call them and ask what else they have along those lines.  It was too crowded this night
              ask about this or Baltika, my favorite Eastern European beer.  I noticed another pleasant
              side effect of offering quality beers - no loud drunks!  That's a nice side effect!

                   The KJ, Laura Jane, was ever-enthusiastic and very funny.  A Karaoke contest was just
             ending.  Using her microphone to cause maximum feigned embarrassment for the
             Humanists' Meetup host, Jason,  she scolded him.  Waving her fingers and making
             her voice sound like a school teacher,  she chided him that he could only vote for
             himself once. He seemed ready for her good natured kidding. He smiled broadly and
             put his big hands up in the air in the manner of a boxing champ.  The crowd loved it.

                   As the singers, came up,  the KJ smiled and made them all  feel welcome.
             This was nice and set the tone for the reception each singer got after singing.  All the
             other singers were good, very good.  She called on me only 15 minutes after I arrived. 
             I guess that's a courtesy extended newcomers.   My rendering (and sometimes
             I don't choose my words carefully, as I realize that a "rendering plant" is a euphemism
             for a slaugher house) of Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry" from around 1960
             was actually greeted with some cheers.  That was nice.   As I sang, I wondered if this would
             be the oldest song anyone would sing.  And it proved to be..  No matter.  Country music?
             No problem, there either.  The people at The Wit's End would probably have applauded
             my lamest attempt at a Hank Williams' yodel.  All type of music seemed welcome here.

                  Need a boost?  Think what these nice people's applause could do for your ego!  I
             would say, however, if you're keenly interested in the poetry and lyrics of the songs
             that are sung, then you should know that this audience does not get to see the highlighted
             words of the songs on a public monitor.  The happy crowd did not seem to mind this.
             But, I love lyrics and I always think that a monitor for the public helps keep people's attention
             and helps them learn new songs, too. Your call.  

                  In truth, it was a little hard to hear all the singers.  But, I was struck by how much in tune
              the fellow singing behind me was!  His best song was "Strawberry Fields".   Clearly, the applause
              was loudest and longest for J-----'s "My Ding-A-Ling".  Singers have an elevated dais
              to sing from.  I like that.   And the stage is so small, it helps restrain folks like me who
              get carried away with their own dancing accompaniment.  Other songs I heard and
              enjoyed - except for the words "I'm getting older" - were "Landslide" - and Tom's
              "When The Lights Go Low".  The latter was an appropriate song, I thought, as I tried
              in the half-light to read what I was scribbling for my notes.  A small pen-lighter would
              help even if you bring your own CDs.   It was too dark to easily read the KJ's book. 

                 I'm definitely going back to The Wit's End and get to know some of the nice people there.
              I'm confident this nice evening was typical.  So, when you're at your wit's end and need to
              escape into songs and suds, this is a good place to go on a Wednesday night...

                                                    5/28/2009  -- William of www.tigersoft.com   
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