Before I present the list, here are a few Karaoke tips to consider: 1.) We will not survive if you do “I Will Survive”. Yes it’s classic karaoke, but just please not again! 2.) Keep it under four minutes. With Don McLean’s “American Pie” clocking in at 8 minutes and 37 seconds, you’ll be wishing you picked a shorter song come the 7th verse after the novelty of your wailing rendition wears off and the crowd gets bored and starts booing. 3.) Celine is Queen in Quebec Karaoke. Do her proud.

La Boîte à Karaoké (2071 Sainte-Catherine West): This place is located amongst some of the best Asian food in city (yes, some foodies will argue even better than Chinatown proper) and let me tell you, they’ve perfected the formula for karaoke. Cheap Pitchers + Huge Music List + Rowdy Regulars = no shame, all fun karaoke experience. La Boite a Karaoke is like a happy neighbourhood jukebox. Try: Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” (The Glee Version).

Lipster @ Royal Phoenix (5788  Saint-Laurent): Hosted by the most glam duo in the Montreal Queer scene, Michael and Julie (Julie also hosts the insanely fun Bingo night at Royal Phoenix), Lipster drains all pretension out of Karaoke and just has a good time. They get you loose with their $4 Pabst tallboys or 5 shots for $10 specials and then puts a microphone in the hands of anyone who wants their Idol moment. Group sing-alongs very common.

Pang Pang (1226 Mackay): Love it, hate it, Pang Pang is a Concordia area institution and doesn’t really care what you think. Seriously, the woman at the front desk literally could not care less, but this place is fun regardless. Pang Pang is one of those “private room” karaoke places. The list is so extensive you might spend more time trying to decide what to sing than actually singing. At least you can enjoy strong drinks (available by pressing a button to call the waiter) and dance on the table because nobody is going to judge you. Some people call Pang Pang way overpriced, but some people argue it’s worth the hefty bill. Watch the 2011 Queer of the Year contestants break it down at Pang Pang!

Club Date Karaoke and Piano Bar (1218 Sainte-Catherine East): Club Date is all about balance. On one side this place is not the best looking, washrooms could use a good scrubbing, and the bartender needs an attitude adjustment. But on the other side the crowd is friendly, I made more friends in one hour than I had made all month, and the regulars who come here can actually belt out a tune and give the original artist a run for their money. People are relaxed and into the music, so if you’re killing a song, you’ll have people run up and join you on stage to be the wind beneath your wings. Even though it’s located in the heart of the Gay Village, the crowd is very mixed with straights, gays, and the odd drag queen.

Hip Hop Karaoke @ The Belmont (4483 Saint-Laurent): Maybe you want to throw down and show those haters what you’re made of, or maybe you just want a hearty giggle. Either way, Hip Hop Karaoke is returning to Montreal on November 15. This monthly event is where the stage is set and the audience is ready for some action. Have you got what it takes to reign Hip Hop’s Karaoke King? Try: Eminem’s “8 Mile”.

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Before we get into listing some great spots in Montreal that specialize in karaoke, I’ve got a couple fun alternatives for your consideration. If you’ve ever jammed out to Bob Marley and thought your “No Woman, No Cry” was on par with his, House of Reggae’s weekly reggae karaoke is clearly for you.

Another cool as dirt option is uRockaoke which does regular bar nights and special events and features a live band made up of musicians from some of the city’s best indie groups. And finally, a new kid on the block is Crowd Karaoke , whose premise is simple and kind of genius: everyone in attendance sings together, rowdy choir style. While unfortunately their latest installment just passed, make sure to practice up at some of the places below and join in the crowd next time around…

Pang Pang : By far, Montreal’s best spot for karaoke. It’s all private rooms and more expensive than most spots, but it’s totally decked out, the drinks are great and while they do have a lot of Japanese and Korean songs, don’t worry- they do have Cher.

Bar Zoe : A place that recognizes that for many students of the Karaoke arts, the accompanying drinks are a vital part of the equation. As such, they focus almost as much on their cocktail list as they do their 150,000 song list. And if you’re the type of person that likes to group your slight wacky activities together, Bar Zoe also serves up a mean fondue.

La Boîte à Karaoke : On its Facebook page, La Boîte à Karaoke asks “Have you ever wanted to be the star?” to which I answer “yes”. It then asks “Have you ever dreamed of a bar with STUDENT PRICES ALL THE TIME?” to which I was about to answer “hell, yes” but then I realized I was talking to a Facebook page.

Club Karaoke Cash Box : I have a rule with karaoke spots: the less the places name makes sense, the better it’s going to be. Club Karaoke Cash Box fits that bill to a T. It is also the city’s largest bad-singing emporium: 1 main hall, 13 private rooms and songs in Chinese, English, Spanish, Japanese and Korean.

uRockaoke from Urockaoke on Vimeo.

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