In North Hollywood, a Wednesday Night Karaoke League Rewards Costumes Over Perfect Pitch

Karaoke is often a low-stakes chance to belt a favorite shower song in public. At a North Hollywood bar every Wednesday night, it is organized like a team sport. Members of the L.A. Karaoke league care less about landing every note than about staging an over-the-top production.

At a social in late September, league manager Michelle Goff launched a new season of weekly themed showdowns. The themes range from dance-floor favorites to internet memes to songs inspired by birds. Goff told performers they would see numbers that people had dreamed up years earlier. "And then they're never going to be done again," she said.

Acts can be solos or group numbers, and the audience votes for its favorites. Props and costumes are strongly encouraged. Past performances have included dark wizards from Harry Potter singing a Taylor Swift duet and a singer tossing flowers into the crowd during Seal's "Kiss From a Rose." Goff once danced as an erupting Mount Vesuvius while teammates sang Bastille's "Pompeii."

The format resembles intramural sports with microphones. Teams compete for six weeks, followed by two weeks of playoffs and then the finals. Everything takes place at the Good Nite bar on Burbank Boulevard, where a purple glow and friendly conversation fill the room.

Newcomer Carlos Mulia, a chef-turned-actor, said the league has already made him feel at home. "The city, exciting as it is, still has so many strangers," he said. He contrasted it with ordinary karaoke bars, where people can ignore the singer. "Here, everyone's contributing, everyone's cheering for each other." Mulia also described the league as a creative outlet during Hollywood's production slowdown, when he says auditions are scarce.

He quickly befriended fellow actor Jordan Delgado, who teaches art to children at a studio. The two discovered they are both half-Filipino and grew up around karaoke, a fixture of Filipino social life. "It is in our blood to do karaoke," Delgado said, adding that taking part honors their ancestors in a way. Delgado also called the league something to look forward to between part-time jobs, a regular chance to be silly without judgment.

For the league debut, Delgado chose a reliable crowd-pleaser, Lady Gaga's "You and I," and took the small stage with a confident smile and a powerful voice. Several weeks later, Delgado won best performer during Graveyard Week, when the league revives songs so overdone they are normally off-limits. The winning number was "Shallow," with Delgado singing both the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper parts, dressed as Gaga on one side and Cooper on the other.

The league began in Santa Monica in 2014, moved among venues around the region, and settled at the Good Nite in 2021. It belongs to United Karaoke, a loose national network with chapters in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago. The local leagues share a competition format, a voting app and a pledge to keep the atmosphere welcoming.

Fall registration is closed, and the next season is expected to start in late January or early February. Registration costs $65 to $80, depending on timing and discount codes. Season announcements appear on the chapter's website and on Instagram at @WeSingLA. League nights at 10721 Burbank Blvd. are open to the public with no cover charge, and anyone can vote for a favorite performance.