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A neighborhood bar on karaoke night, a woman singing on a small corner stage while friends cheer

♪ 214 · now singing: Marisol, table 4

Grab the mic,
Columbus.

Ray’s hosted karaoke in Columbus bars since 2009. 40,000 songs, two wireless mics, zero judgment. Three nights a week in the bars, any night at your place.

Up next

  1. 1MarcoMr. Brightside
  2. 2Table 6Bohemian Rhapsody
  3. 3KeishaValerie
  4. 4You?Pick a song below

$325 · 3 hours
Private party: your basement, birthday or office

This week

  • TueThe Anchor Tap9 PM
  • ThuRosie’s on Fifth9 PM
  • SatHoffman Lanes8 PM

♪ 001 · In the bars

Three nights a week.

No cover, no sign-up sheet drama. Walk in, grab a slip, write your song. Ray gets everybody up at least once.

  • Karaoke night at The Anchor Tap

    Tonight

    Tue

    The Anchor Tap

    Clintonville · 9 PM to 1 AM

    Duet Tuesday: sing with a stranger and you both get a $2 shot.

  • Karaoke night at Rosie’s on Fifth

    Tonight

    Thu

    Rosie’s on Fifth

    Grandview · 9 PM to 1 AM

    First Thursday is 80s night. Big hair encouraged, not required.

  • Karaoke night at Hoffman Lanes

    Tonight

    Sat

    Hoffman Lanes

    the Hilltop · 8 PM to midnight

    Bowl a frame between songs. Strike during your turn, free pitcher.

♪ 002 · The song book

What are you singing?

54 songs here · 40,000 on Ray’s laptop

  1. 214Mr. Brightside2000s
  2. 12Bohemian Rhapsody70s
  3. 377Valerie2000s
  4. 41Don’t Stop Believin’80s
  5. 58Livin’ on a Prayer80s
  6. 63Total Eclipse of the Heart80s
  7. 77I Wanna Dance with Somebody80s
  8. 80Sweet Child o’ Mine80s
  9. 91Take On Me80s
  10. 95Girls Just Want to Have Fun80s
  11. 103Islands in the Stream80s · duet · country
  12. 110Jolene70s · country
  13. 1189 to 580s · country
  14. 121Friends in Low Places90s · country
  15. 126Man! I Feel Like a Woman!90s · country
  16. 133Before He Cheats2000s · country
  17. 140Wagon Wheel2000s · country
  18. 146Tennessee WhiskeyLately · country
  19. 152Fast CarLately · country
  20. 160Wannabe90s
  21. 164No Scrubs90s
  22. 171Smells Like Teen Spirit90s
  23. 175Wonderwall90s
  24. 180I Will Always Love You90s
  25. 186Baby Got Back90s
  26. 189Gangsta’s Paradise90s
  27. 193Ice Ice Baby90s
  28. 197Shoop90s · duet
  29. 203Lose Yourself2000s
  30. 207Hey Ya!2000s
  31. 219Since U Been Gone2000s
  32. 224Crazy in Love2000s
  33. 230Rolling in the Deep2000s
  34. 236Toxic2000s
  35. 241Hips Don’t Lie2000s
  36. 247Umbrella2000s
  37. 252ShallowLately · duet
  38. 258Uptown FunkLately
  39. 263Shake It OffLately
  40. 269Someone Like YouLately
  41. 275LevitatingLately
  42. 281FlowersLately
  43. 287Drivers LicenseLately
  44. 293EspressoLately
  45. 301Don’t Go Breaking My Heart70s · duet
  46. 305I Got You Babe60s · duet
  47. 309Summer Nights70s · duet
  48. 313Endless Love80s · duet
  49. 318Dancing Queen70s
  50. 322September70s
  51. 328Sweet Caroline60s
  52. 333Piano Man70s
  53. 339I Will Survive70s
  54. 344Africa80s

♪ 003 · Private parties

Ray comes to you.

Every party includes Ray hosting, two wireless mics, speakers, a lyric screen, all 40,000 songs and the setup and teardown. Within 25 miles of downtown there’s no travel fee.

  • The Basement

    $325 · 3 hours

    Birthdays, graduations, the cousins in town. Your TV or our screen, two wireless mics and Ray.

  • Most booked

    The Office

    $450 · 3 hours

    Holiday parties and team nights. A projector and two screens, clean-lyrics mode, and a host who gets the shy ones up.

  • The Big Night

    $600 · 4 hours

    Weddings, fiftieths, block parties. Stage lights, a second screen for the crowd and a duet battle at 10.

Extra hour, $90 · Kids’ parties (8 and up), $275 for 2 hours · Beyond 25 miles, $1 a mile

  1. 30 min beforeRay sets up

    Two speakers, the screen, the mics, the lights. One regular outlet is all we need.

  2. Minute oneRay goes first

    Nobody wants to go first, so Ray does. It’s usually “Friends in Low Places”. It works.

  3. All nightThe queue

    Slips on every table, or text Ray your song. The screen shows who’s up next, so nobody hogs the mic.

  4. Last songThe closer

    Everybody up, everybody singing. You choose it, or Ray picks “Don’t Stop Believin’”.

Ray, the karaoke host, with a microphone behind his rig in a bar
♪ 121 · Friends in Low Places · Ray

♪ 004 · The host

Hey, I’m Ray.

For twenty-two years I drove a forklift at a warehouse on the South Side. In 2009 I bought a $400 karaoke machine for my daughter Kayla’s sweet sixteen, and half the neighborhood came over to sing into it. The owner of the Anchor Tap was one of them. He asked if I’d do Tuesdays. I’ve done Tuesdays ever since.

When the warehouse closed in 2011, the bars became the job. Now it’s three nights a week, a couple hundred private parties a year, a laptop with 40,000 songs, and the best regulars in Ohio.

I open every night myself, so nobody has to go first. I close every night with whatever the room wants. And I have one rule I don’t bend.

House rules

  1. Nobody gets booed. Ever.
  2. One song a turn. Two if it’s your birthday.
  3. If nobody will go, Ray goes.
  4. Tip your bartender.

♪ 005 · Hall of fame

Legends, every one.

  • Thu at Rosie’s: Four friends, one Wannabe, zero rehearsal

    Thu at Rosie’sFour friends, one Wannabe, zero rehearsal

  • Tue at the Anchor: Linda, I Will Always Love You, standing ovation

    Tue at the AnchorLinda, I Will Always Love You, standing ovation

  • A basement in Westerville: Brianna’s 30th

    A basement in WestervilleBrianna’s 30th

  • An office in the Arena District: Gary from accounting. Nobody knew.

    An office in the Arena DistrictGary from accounting. Nobody knew.

  • Tue at the Anchor: Walt and Dennis, every week since 2014

    Tue at the AnchorWalt and Dennis, every week since 2014

  • The rig: 40,000 songs, two mics, one laptop

    The rig40,000 songs, two mics, one laptop

4.9 ★ from 320 singers.

  • “Ray got my 70-year-old dad to sing Shoop with my wife. I have it on video. Best birthday ever.”

    DannyBasement party, Westerville

  • “Our office party used to end at 8. It ended at 11:30 with the CFO doing Total Eclipse.”

    MichelleHoliday party, Downtown

  • “I’ve been going Tuesdays for six years. Ray remembers my song before I sit down.”

    TomásThe Anchor Tap regular

♪ 006 · Where

All over Columbus.

Three bars across town every week, and private parties anywhere within 25 miles of downtown: Clintonville, Grandview, Westerville, Dublin, Gahanna, German Village and everywhere in between.

  • TueThe Anchor TapClintonville9 PM to 1 AM
  • ThuRosie’s on FifthGrandview9 PM to 1 AM
  • SatHoffman Lanesthe Hilltop8 PM to midnight
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Columbus, Ohio No travel fee within 25 miles of downtown Open the map

♪ 007 · Questions

Before you book.

How do I hold the date?

Pick your date below and pay the $75 deposit. It comes off the total, and the rest is due on the night, cash or card.

Do you bring a screen?

Yes, a screen and a stand, or we plug into your TV. For the Office and the Big Night we bring a projector and a second screen.

What if nobody wants to sing?

Somebody always does by the third song. Ray opens, then picks a group song so nobody has to go alone. It has never failed.

Can you keep it clean?

Clean-lyrics mode is on for every office and family party. For your friends’ thirtieth, you decide.

How much room do you need?

A corner about six feet by six and one outlet. We’ve set up in garages, backyards, a pontoon boat and a laundromat.

What if my song isn’t in the book?

The book online is a taste. The laptop has 40,000 songs. Text Ray anything ahead of time and he’ll have it ready.

♪ 008 · Book a party

$75 holds the night.

Fridays and December go first. Pick yours and Ray texts you within the day to talk songs, setup and who’s going to be brave first.

  1. 1Service
  2. 2Date
  3. 3Details
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