The lady sings the blues, the men sing before battle, and many love to sing in the rain. Whatever the case, Chico's Karaoke Television has a catalog of more than 50,000 songs and an excellent time for those willing.
Located in the heart of downtown at 124 West Second St., owners Janessa Caldwell-Garcia and Rich Hirsch opened Chico's new karaoke spot this past December.
"When I think about it now, maybe not the best time to have opened, with it raining and the holidays," Caldwell-Garcia said. "So nobody had too much extra money. But we did well. We're doing great."
Their hopes of bringing one of their favorite weekend activities when they lived in Taiwan to Chico are paying off.
"The inspiration was there from living there and being able to travel around Southeast Asia," Caldwell-Garcia said. "And really just being inspired by that and how much fun it was and then that plus opportunity, the availability of this perfect location."
Since the venue's opening, many are discovering the location is a great place to host a work event, birthday party, or just let loose after a few cocktails. Caldwell-Garcia said the reservations have been filling up.
"Half of the people that come in are like, oh, we'll be back, we'll be back. Because they're just walking to and from dinner and the bars or something." Caldwell-Garcia said.
Decked around the reception desk is the cover art of some of the most popular albums of the past decade. From Lana del Rey's "Born To Die" and Tyler The Creator's "Cherry Bomb" to Frank Ocean's "Blonde."
"My go-to is ‘Como La Flor’ (Like a flower) by Selena. That's one I sing every time, and my poor husband ..." Caldwell-Garcia said jokingly.
Selena was never afraid of a microphone, and one shouldn't be when booking one of their three private rooms. As you make your way inside, you'll notice the neon lights and dangling colorful paper lamps.
Each of the private rooms has a theme. The first room is decorated with anime images. As you enter the second room, you'll see small posters from classic horror movies like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Psycho.” The final room's wall is covered with various pieces of pop art.
Caldwell-Garcia hopes Karaoke Television's atmosphere brings something different to the area. She also hopes she can share the fun memories she made along the way with others.
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