Phoenix’s West Valley area takes its karaoke very seriously, so seriously that many patrons perform for the crowd without peeking at the words. The West Valley cities with some hot karaoke joints were in Glendale, Surprise, and Peoria.
Without being too picky, the best local karaoke places were based on the crowd, applause, tight sound system, song list, available song books and the host’s personality.
Iron Works, 17233 N. 45 th Ave., Glendale, AZ
Calling itself “Glendale’s best kept secret,” Iron Works sits on the Bellair Golfcourse overlooking its lake. Karaoke singers are found in the restaurant’s lounge belting to a mix of standards, rock and country music. Friday and Saturday nights normally attract a whopping thirty plus singers. Long-time valley KJ John “Reno” Moreno and KJ Stacey Watson are true karaoke hosts, announcing the next singers three deep and engaging the crowd during and after each performance. The fat song book has a nice variety. If it’s not in the book, ask Reno for his stash of new music.
Top Shelf, 21910 N. 83 rd Ave., Peoria, AZ
The large bar area of this Mexican restaurant houses some of Peoria’s finest singers. For years, Top Shelf has hosted karaoke starting every Thursday at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 p.m. filling the bar with a diversity of singers. The karaoke screen is large, the sound is mixed well, and the song book is extensive. The KJ Annette can belt out a tune of her own and knows how to bring the crowd together. It’s one crazy crowded cantina.
Brookside II Bar and Grill, 15170 W. Bell Rd., Surprise, AZ
Walking into Brookside II Bar and Grill felt like my entire body was vibrating. Talk about a sound system! It was booming maybe a little too much, but overall it sounded great. Reading the screen was definitely not a problem, since the screen was the size of a home movie theatre, along with all the other oversized TVs. Since there were no song books, customers must yell their request to the KJ and enter in the out-of-order rotation with the other rock singers. Despite the slow service, Brookside has a good crowd, good music and great sound! You just have to wait awhile for a drink. Karaoke is held each Wednesday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Marc’s Sports Grill and Nightlife, 4494 W. Peoria Ave., Glendale, AZ
Karaoke is happening every night of the week at Marc’s Sports Grill and Nightlife, starting at 9 p.m. Marc’s has a bit of everything to please its customers. With two bars in one, customers enjoy ping pong, poker, dancing, and billiards in the main bar, while singing in the MarcTini lounge where a huge flat screen scrolls the words near the karaoke stage. For some reason, the stage makes all the singers sound better and creates an entertaining performance. One thing’s for sure, there’s plenty of seating, drink specials and fun at Marc’s.