Baby Grand Karaoke Bar

Remember that time when your bartender asked if he could floss his teeth?  Sadly, I do.  It was the only tainted drop in a bucket full of fun at  Baby Grand Karaoke Bar  the other night.

That’s right – the otherwise charming and burly bartender proceeded to floss his teeth right there behind the bar.  He did this in front of patrons, then resumed making drinks.  So what if there is a little extra flavor in my G&T?  Ummm, gross.  What if I happened to be from the Health Department?  Or a blogger?

Maybe it was his plan all along.  I certainly drank more in order to try and kill any transmittable bits that may have found their way into my glass as a result of this severe error in judgement.

Aside from this rough start to the evening, I thought the experience at Baby Grand was quite enjoyable.  It is a teeny-tiny place located near the corner of Lafayette and Grand, in Manhattan.  Oddly, most people that came in while we were there did not intend to sing, but to enjoy the (too-small) cocktails.

The song selection was fairly standard, with a fun “secret song” feature.  We were there when the place was practically empty, which was a lot less fun than I imagine it would be if more people were there AND singing.  BUT, this meant endless turns up at the mic.  Yes, you have to go UP to the mic.  It wasn’t too nerve wracking (even as someone who far prefers the sing-where-you-sit style of karaoke bar) because you are basically on the same level as the rest of the bar.  If the place were packed, I doubt you would even be seen.

I think the sound system is decent, though the person operating it was all over the map on this particular night.  We had to ask that the music or the mic be turned up a number of times. Oh, and the mic on the stand is fixed, so you cannot remove it.  This is a bummer.  The second mic, which you must request, is corded, but not fixed to a stand.

One of my favorite parts of the experience was the fun introduction each singer gets as they go up to the stage.  It was a simple thing to do, but it was done consistently.  It set the precedent for a supportive audience.

The bartender didn’t seem to be keeping track of out drinks or our song purchases, which made me nervous.  This, in turn, made me obsessively keep track so as not to be served with an astronomical bill at the end of the night.  Better to be safe than sorry?  Also, there was no clear understanding of how much drinks were, despite asking directly.  It seemed pretty up in the air, but that may just have been the impression we were given.  All was well in the end, and we were not overcharged, from what I could tell (with my attempt to over-estimate what the drinks cost).

This is the kind of place you keep coming back to because it is intimate enough that everyone will know your name if you do, and there is something to be said for that.  I would definitely like to try it again on a more popular night.  We were there on a Wednesday.  I am also hoping to attend Baby Grand’s next Acoustic Night, where the singer gets live, acoustic guitar accompaniment with a great song selection.  I consider this the necessary step before I try live music karaoke at a place like Arlene’s Grocery.