June 15, 2005

Something to Sing About

Queeraoke at Midway Cafe

What is it about karaoke in this town? It seems its venues are either Japanese restaurants or frat-boy bars where you’d rather pour cold water — not sugar — on the twelfth guy to get up and sing Def Leppard.

If ever a tradition sang out (literally) for a queer-eye-on-the-straight-guy intervention, karaoke’s it. Say hello to Queeraoke, the Midway Cafe’s reinvention of its popular Thursday-night Dyke Night — a karaoke carnival for gay and straight alike.

The mood is fun and full-on camp. A deluge of props (wigs, boas, guitars, earrings, leather) helps performers get in touch with their inner rock star. The set-up turns sing-a-longs into individually produced music videos. (The dance floor ends up littered with discarded inhibitions.) On the schedule tonight: a “Prince Extravaganza,” wherein every song pays tribute to the ultimate androgynous exhibitionist.

Just what the local karaoke scene needed. A little tune-up.

Queeraoke, Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington Street, at Williams Street, Jamaica Plain (617-524-9038 or midwaycafe.com).