Karaoke Review: Toby's with Jason Rolland

Monday October 5th 2009

Toby's Bar/Restaurant hosted by Jason Rolland

Upon receiving a Facebook notice from Jason, I thought a place on Monday's would be cool, seeing its not everyday a place is willing to host Karaoke the first working day of the week. Certainly people like me would be interested as would those going to school (in Japan University is a 4 year vacation anyway, according to the natives). Jason of course has the largest selection of any karaoke host I've seen in Toronto and at 35k+ that's hard to beat.


The Good: As I mentioned, Jason has the largest selection of any Karaoke DJ out there. Of course I wish the "banned" labels (which count for little indeed) on some of his songs would disappear but its mostly for the college crowd sense of humor. Equipment is top of the line and Jason even has an LCD screen with a custom stand now. A HUGE plus: I wish more people would pay attention to recommendations I've been giving on this subject. LCD Panels are WAY safer and easier to read. Well worth the investment. (They are pretty cheap as well if you know where to look). The location is quite easy to get to on College street. Parking is around if you look to the side streets (free) or College parking meters. Jason maintains his usual good college student tuned humor although I have always felt Jason could have more of it. There are intervals when he does little but announce the next singer. The food prices are quite reasonable. You can dine for between $8-$20 and not go hungry which given the recent rise of restaurant prices this year (15%-20% on average) that is saying something. There is a fair amount of space, I'd esimate 200-250 person capacity.

The Mixed: The food quality was okay but not the best I've had. Food Selection is fair: Indian, Pub food along with steak dinners. Rotation time is around 1 hour but Jason is a fair as anyone can get: following the tried/tested rule of rotating newcomers with repeat people in the rotation.


The Bad: Service here was for me the low point of Toby's: After sitting at the bar for over 15 minutes just get a menu while the bartender is having a conversation with her friend almost right next to you is a bit of a turnoff. I suggest the manager of this restaurant tell his staff that they are there to look after customers, not have long conversations with friends while a customer sitting at the bar waiting for service. Even after I got the menu (finally), taking my order took some time as well. Had the feeling the staff were university students who don't take service duties seriously. The Stage setup was not good at all but in fairness, I spoke to Jason who indicated that the owner had his hands tied: Didn't want to use the front section (which would have been the ideal location for a stage) and the back section would make the karaoke invisible to people passing by. So he's literally in the middle, in direct line with the path the wait staff have to take to carry food back and forth. Not only is this distracting, but the monitor is on one side of the lane, and you are on the other, so that when staff pass by you need to memorize your lyrics for 2-3 seconds as the wait staff have to walk between you and the monitor. A newcomer to Karaoke would be quickly put off by this.

Final Grade: C+
With Jason in the house you won't get a better selection and his equipment actually got better with his LCD panel display at the perfect height. I didn't think he could improve his equipment by much. Unfortunately the venue was not nearly as pleasing: Poor service, a stage right in the middle of wait staff traffic, and the monitor that is blocked as people walk between the front and the kitchen. Restaurant owners: If you want to make a good impression you have to choose your battles. In trying to please people who want to sit near the outside and attract karaoke lovers at the same time, the owners created one of the work karaoke stage setups I've seen yet. I stress this is no fault of Jason Rolland.(without him this place would be a solid "D") Between the staff and the setup Jason is the only good choice the owner has made. If a restaurant owner wants to truly make karaoke a success in their place, the stage setup must be at least usable. I strong recommend the front of the restaurant, or the back being the 2nd choice. The middle pleases no one in the end and only a karaoke die hard would endure the constant distraction of traffic.

Oh, one note: Sometimes Jason takes pictures for his website. If you don't want your picture on the web, tell Jason in advance. Otherwise, you may find yourself on Facebook or Jason Rolland's main website.


Score Summary:
Facilities: 5.7 (Horrible stage setup)
Equipment: 9.5 (new high standard..Adjustable LCD Monitor)
Location: 8.0 (Easy to reach by Streetcar, some free/paid parking available)
Song Selection: 9.5 (have to leave room for some to top Jason...someday)
Wait Times: 7.0 (about average)
Host: 8.0 (Good, could use more audience interaction on the stage)
Food Prices: 8.5 (Very good, especially with recent restaurant price hikes)
Food Quality: 7.3 (good, but not great)
Food Selection: 7.0 (on par, but not amazing, good prices have their "price")
Food Service: 5.5 (Social conversation with one customer while the other is waiting for a menu? This is why tips are optional)

Venue Information:
Monday's 10 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Toby's Eatery
411 College St.
Toronto, ON
M5T 1T1
(416) 925-9908

Host Information:
Jason Rolland
http://www.jasonrolland.com/
jason@jasonrolland.com
(416) 809-4311

Note: I was just informed that the bartender who gave the poor service was fired. I'll return later to see if the service has improved.

Karaoke Review: Sports Centre Café w/ Rick Marcoux, Showtime Karaoke

Reviewed: 2008-01-11

Okay, back the the world of karaoke reviews. This is another venue recommended by the Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group membership. The neighborhood is trendy enough but would it hold up to what some karaoke hosts have called an unreasonable standard. (remember I've had calls asking for "adjustments" in criteria). I have no intention of changing my criteria so let's see if we have a "home run" or "foul ball". (okay its not Hockey but its too violent/expensive for me :D)

The Good: The space of this place is HUGE although you wouldn't guess it from the entrance. When you initially enter it looks like an average sized bar. Go into the back section and it opens up, dramatically. It's almost like going through the entrance of a cottage and discovering it opens up into a palace. The Sports Bar lives up to its name so if sports (or even TV) is your thing you'll be in love. Nearly every table has an LCD television either right next to you or 3-5 feet away. One large Projector TV is in the back area great for parties and there is a game room that is truly a game room. Pool, mini-hockey, pinball. seriously, this is indeed a sports bar! The Decor lives up to its namesake, sports star photos all over the walls. Kind of mixed with an old Saloon feeling in some parts which is to say its enjoyable. Almost like an old movie in some ways.

The selection of food is very decent with cool sports names for the dishes (nice touch).

The sound of the karaoke system was second to NONE. Even Jason Rolland's equipment which I consider to be of VERY high standard, would have a run for his money here. Its almost impossible to sound bad unless you are tone deaf. Rick, the MC, is constantly monitoring for sound balance and it shows. Without a doubt the best sound balance and quality I've experienced at a karaoke venue so far. His song books are the MOST organized I've ever seen: Different versions with performers MARKED. Bravo! Karaoke hosts, this is the book standard to shoot for. Seriously. Oh, and finally we have an MC that uses an LCD TV as the song monitor. About time we got away from the fragile and energy consuming CRT screens. Kudos for that as well. With a song selection of around 13653, there are plenty of songs to choose from of nearly every variety. (Jason Rolland still holds the record for song selection with over double this number).

The Mixed: While I love this MC's equipment, song books and attention to sound I didn't really see much of HIM. Which is to say, the technical part was outstanding, but I would have liked to see more of his personality. It should be noted that it was an exceptionally busy night and he did take the time to talk with various patrons between song including myself. Still, I felt I'd really like to see more of his personality between songs. Everything else he hit's bull's-eye and perhaps for this reason it sticks out in my mind. It really is the only weakness I can find. which is high praise from me. Funny enough, there is more than enough energy from the participants at this venue that you wouldn't notice. The audience provides the non-musical (and sometime musical) entertainment, much like in the Gladstone, though Peter Styles does get personality as well, but then his sound system isn't as good as this one nor his selection as rich. Perhaps this is intentional and with different audiences he asserts himself more. Still, it would be icing on the cake to see the MC entertaining at this venue.

The stange setup is awkward but I can see the reason: The back area has a stage that would IDEAL for a karaoke setup (almost as good as the stage at Hollywood on the Queensway) but its in the back area so you could eaisly miss it coming in. Often venues like to have their karaoke events at the "front of the line" so no one misses it. But the singing/dancing area is a bit small, and getting to the "stage" in the lefthand corner can be awkward on a crowded evening (like this one). I don't know whose call it was but I'm not sure there is anyone to blame. Although I would put it to the venue owner as to would the karaoke event suffer in attendence if they used the exceptionally stage they have in the back area? With that kind of setup, there are few venues that would be able to match it in terms of ideal configuration. Plus the Projector TV would be a really cool touch. could also be because its used for private parties. But I hope the venue will at least consider it.

The rotation is difficult to fault and Rick really does make an effort to keep it fair. But the crowd this evening was nearly as numerous as the Gladstone. So its impossible to keep the rotation faster than 1 song every two hours. Now that being said, I was told its not always this crowded. Its testomony for a good venue, MC and equipment but popularity has its price as I always say.

The service was quite fast initially but much slower after order my drink. Although forgetting one of the condiments could be a one time fluke, it should be noted.

The Food quality was similar to its service.: Lackluster. It was average as were the food prices ($7.50 - $13). On the plus side, the desserts are exceptionally good. The best burgers I've had at a karaoke venue so far are at The Groundhog Pub and the best food for the price overall is funny enough at the Gladstone since they added a kitchen (although the service was poor last I was there). the burgers here were acceptable but not amazing. The Salad, actually had one or two decaying leaves in it so note to the chief, lack of attention to freshness of food shows in the Salad more than anything else at first glance. So please respect your patrons a little more in the future. Overall, the food here is a little above average (with the exception of desserts).

The Bad: There is nothing that is strictly bad.

Summary: The Sports Centre Café has a lot going for it both as a sports bar (again, truly lives up to its name) and as a karaoke venue. They have exceptional food selection (except pub food), amazing facilities (LCD TVs all round and real game room), great service and an amazing karaoke system with the best sound quality and song book organization I've ever experienced. I'd like to say one of the best karaoke MC's as Rick's attention to detail in equipment, sound and rotation are second to none. I didn't see as much of him as an entertainer as I'd like. But its hard to judge as the energy of the participants was equal to the levels I've seen at the Gladstond as was the crowd. Which lead to equally long rotation times. Its a testimony of an exceptional venue and the vast majority of the patron seemd to know the system so I strongly suspect most of them were repeat customers and I was one of the few first timers there. Its a strong quality venue and you'll love the way you sound and the wide song selection and you'll find everything easily with the quality of the song books. I will have to revisit it see if I can see more of Rick as a entertain as I already know he is a first class Karaoke technician of which I've yet to see an equal. The location is easy to reach at Yonge/St. Clair (go west about 2-3 blocks on the south side of St. Clair). Its a worthwile experience.

Final Grade: B/B+

Facilities: 8.8 (excellent layout overall, would be a 9.5 if karaoke was on stage in the back area)
Equipment: 9.5 (Best sound I've heard, LCD monitor wonderful)
Song Selection: 9.1 (Very little missing, selection 2nd only to Jason Rolland, best song book preparation ever!)
Food Selection: 8.1 (fairly wide selection, cool names)
Food Quality: 7.3 (Portions good, great desserts, Salads:fresher leafs please, fairly good entrees)
Food Service: 7.8 (Its okay but annoyingly slow after initial drink order. Watch the condiments)
Prices: 7.5 (average)
Location: 8.3 (VERY Close to subway, parking paid unless you don't mind walking a bit)
Wait Times: 7.0 (with crowds and wait times similar to the Gladstone, can't fault it but its still a wait)
Host: 8.3 (I didn't really see Rick assert himself on stage but quality of sound, sound balance, exceptional song selection, and getting one-on-one feedback from audiences give him a solid score. Will return to see if I can increase this because my gut tells me with such attention to sound quality and books, there's a first rate showman that hasn't come out to play yet.)

Venue Information
Sports Centre Café
49 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M4V 1K9
416-928-9525

Karaoke Host:
Showtime Karaoke
Rick Marcoux, Chief Entertainment Officer
Email: showtimekaraoke at rogers.com
Phone: (416) 518-9255, (705) 436-5853
Fridays, 10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: Joe Mercury's w/ Ty

Reviewed 2007-06-29

I've been hearing about this place for sometime but as my schedule has been crazy it often becomes difficult to get out the east and west ends of Toronto. This year I've made it a point venture out into new territory. Its been a positive experience so far with discoveries of exceptional karaoke talent (see review on Peel Pub on O'Conner). My hope was to find another. Its with mixed feelings I write this because while to paraphrase a song, "I've found what I'm looking for" but it may not be long for this world.

The Good: Twice in 2 weeks the big thing here is the MC. Big time! We have another amazing host who balances showmanship, audience interaction, style and humor with masterful success. He seems to interact particularly well with the younger crowd but older people still get their "kicks" on his stage. I'm presently kicking myself for not checking out this venue earlier. Even more so as this is the only gig he does at least for Karaoke. You WILL be engaged by this fellow and you'll enjoy it. Ty really pays attention to his sound and it shows. Balance is really good. The food selection here is also fairly exceptional partially because the primary food here is Greek but they have all the proper bar/pub favorites as well so even if you aren't a Greek food fan, you'll still find plenty you'll enjoy. ("Beware of Greeks wearing Sneakers" is a catchy phrase they use on their menu). The layout of seat swas also exceptional and it gave a family restaurant meets pub kind of feel which strongly reminded me of Hollywood on the Queensways, which by far has the best layout for Karaoke shows anywhere. The food is overall very good. Food prices are also better than average especially considering the portions are quite large. Location is hard to beat if you live in the Dundas West/Bloor area as this venue is nearly on top of Dundas West station and there is some free parking available. You have a decent stage, a good sized dancing area as well. If you want to play pool, 3 tables are available, all in excellent condition (some places the pool tables are quote worn). Ty's song selection is well spread, books amazingly organized (and example for other MC's as he is actually able to have both by author and song title in the same book. Few MC's are this organized or courteous so kudos for that. The song selection is overall good at 6600 songs (better than Katie Appleton or Erika) but a tad short of the ideal. Still there is enough for all tastes and styles across all the major karaoke genres. (Note there is a sweet spot for 70-90's which for me is a real pleasure)

The Mixed: There are a few spots here and there I should mention. First, while the balance in excellent, the sound on the mikes felt a little dry for some reason. You need to have the mix fairly close to you to make sure its getting your voice. This could be a minor adjust as Ty is clearly changing levels to suit individual singers which any karaoke fan will appreciate. The monitor is a bit low and you have bend your neck to see the lyrics properly. Ideally monitors should be placed so that its more like a teleprompter so you can see your audience. Since this stage actually faces the audience (a good thing) you feel the monitor's placement even more. Service is not as prompt as many places I've reviewed. Its still okay, but staff could be a little more attentive.

The Bad: Yea! There is nothing really bad here.

Summary: This is a quality venue which has a history. The big reasons I'm kicking myself on the rear end for not seeing this place sooner as its scheduled to close around July 28th, 2007 and the building demolished near the end of the summer! I spoke to Ty on this and he is looking for a gig to do after July 28th. I strongly suggest you experience this place for yourself before the venue closes down. Fortunately with karaoke running Thursdays to Saturdays, if you move quickly there is time. Ty is an MC to watch and is in strong contention for Karaoke MC of the year. It would love to think that Joe Mercury's, a place of considerable taste, food and humorous theme, would simply relocate and be able to preserve its layout and theme, but I've heard nothing of the sort so I suspect that is unlikely. I'll try to find out later. If anyone out there wants a quality MC later this summer, this is a golden opportunity to recruit one. It would be a shame for one of Toronto's best MC's to not have a gig later this summer as Karaoke Hosts like Ty are a rare find.

Final Grade: B+

Facilities: 8.3 (excellent layout overall, lots of space, a stage facing the audience with room to dance.
Equipment: 8.0 (Monitor is too low, something dry with Mike vocals for some reason but great balance and music sound)
Song Selection: 7.7 (Overall good, better than many, but not quite at the ideal of 8-9k, Still everyone should be very pleased, bonus for GREAT organization of books although in by Author section the Authors are in alphabetical order while the songs are not)
Food Selection: 8.5 (Its nice to have a change on primary food but not lose out on old Bar/Pub favorites. Great selection here)
Food Quality: 7.9 (Meet Food from the Greeks, good quality and great portions)
Food Service: 7.2 (Its okay but could be better)
Prices: 8.3 (The Greeks give good value here)
Location: 8.8 (VERY Close to subway, parking free and paid)
Wait Times: 7.0 (Ty is quite reasonable with old a new singers, but he gets a crowd so its kind of a Gladstone Hotel thing, popularity has its price)
Host: 8.8 (Wow! Two amazing hosts in two weeks. Style, Humor and interaction)

Venue Information
2345 B Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6P 1W7
416-535-1324
Ty Karaoke
Email: tytanic at hotmail.com (if you care to hire after July)
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: Hurricane's w/ Katie Appleton, Karaoke Queen

Reviewed 2007-06-27

I had heard about karaoke at Hurricane's for sometime now so I finally managed to get out this this summer. Its been a whirlwind of reviews although it may not feel like it to some. Whether this venue will blow me away or not is another story, although this is the season.

The Good: Katie's sound equipment as I've said before is first rate. If you sound bad here, that will be one for the record books. Decor is quite inviting, considerable more than many other places I've visited. Food prices are actually fairly good and the selection is nicely broad: Mexican, Greek plus traditional pub fare and all day breakfast (nice!). The setup is excellent as you are facing the whole audience unfortunately to due to space there is no dance area but at least you feel like a performer. Service is fairly fast and wait times are withing average range (40-45 minutes). The location is quite convenient just 2 blocks west of Ossington Subway station and both free and paid parking can be found.

The Mixed: The food quality unfortunately didn't match the wide selection. Its okay but I've had better, especially in the fries department. Perhaps it was a fluke but the wait staff forgot to give me anything to go with the dry (McCain?) string fries I got with my steak. There is little more bland than fries like that with nothing on them. The song selection is a bit weak although the spread of song material helps a little. Still, Katie needs more songs. Why is it that all the female Karaoke MC's I've have weak selections? I'd love to have a female Karaoke MC with strong hosting and song inventory.

The Bad: There is nothing actually bad here. The worst part of this place is weak song selection. (The absence of condiments with bland fries could have been a freak occurrence)

Summary: Hurricane's has a good deal going for it and being a decent venue in the mid-western part of Toronto isn't the least. An excellent configuration and good use of limited space and good decor help a quality MC put on an enjoyable show. The food quality could be better but its not a deal breaker. What nags me with this MC is the weak song selection. MC's, if you haven't added to or updated your collection in the last 12 months, get started. Other Karaoke Hosts are well ahead of people who are working with the premise that 5k songs is enough.

Final Grade: B-

Facilities: 8.0 (Good use of somewhat small space)
Equipment: 8.6 (Monitor is in good position here)
Song Selection: 6.9 (sorry, but we need to get more songs in here)
Food Selection: 8.4 (Quite good)
Food Service: 7.8 (Fairly good attention to detail needs to be a little better)
Food Quality: 7.0 (which the food quality could match the variety)
Prices: 8.6 (at least you aren't overpaying)
Location: 8.2 (Close to subway, parking free and paid)
Wait Times: 7.9 (Within reason, you'll probably get 2 songs in)
Host: 8.2 (Katie is very consistent, which is a good thing in her case)

Venue Information
Hurricane's Bar & Grill
963 Bloor Street West
Toronto ON
M6H 1L7
416-531-7818
Wednesdays, 10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: Peel Pub w/ Walter Henkel

Reviewed 2007-06-21

Here is an example of getting attention by asking someone who writes reviews to check out your stuff. The MC of this venue e-mailed me and let me know about his shows. While it sometimes takes me a little time to get out there (I do have a day job and it costs time and money to write these reviews) I do get out there. We have here an MC who has been in this business for about as long as the legendary Jeff Zedic. Will his experience pay off?

The Good: To my last question, yes. Wait let me say that again: YES! I had been missing Jeff Zedic with his snappy yet tasteful jokes, his musical trivia and sense of timing. With Walter I honestly felt the shades of Zedic again. A karaoke host who has mastered the mixture of musical knowledge, interacts with a crowd, has great stage presence and can tell a good joke is so rare. Walter is a prince (King yet to be determined) among karaoke hosts. His collection doesn't hurt either: 8500 songs puts is well within new standards set by karaoke hosts recently. (okay, Jason Rolland has 30k, but whose counting, oh, that would be me wouldn't it?) While Walter has a sweet spot for 70-80s (great minds think alike ;-) ) he has a wide variety for everyone and he tells me there is more coming. A lot more. The sound quality is excellent as is balance, although I felt the monitor could stand a bit higher. Apparently Walter makes his own monitor stands so if you are reading this, Walter, it would be so cool if raise the monitor (and the "bar" as it were) a bit. Service of this venue is very good so you won't want long for drink or food. Obviously I'm bit more entranced by the MC. Wait times are also quite good, especially if you arrive on time but after 11 PM you'll wait longer as the crowd is much larger by then.

The Mixed: I could go on and on about the MC but let's talk about the venue. Like the previous Peel Pub, this is really a bar. Pure and simple. People go to bars to drink more than eat, and it shows. Food selection is extremely basic (burgers, fajitas, sandwiches, basic salads. Prices are likewise quite average. no real bargains here. Decor is a bit dark. This is a LARGE venue and there is a REAL stage which on Thursdays is entirely unused. 60% of the space is closed off Thursday nights as I suspect its for live bands. (So what are karaoke participants, chop suey?) Still if there aren't as many people I could see why, but they get good crowds around 11 PM. There is a LOT of potential to make this as good a setup as Hollywood on the Queensways and with such a good MC it would make such an amazing venue. The way things are now the stage faces an exit which isn't Walter's fault. You do have dance room which helps. Since management closes off the main area of the bar on Thursdays this is all he had left which in my opinion a real shame. Food quality is passable but nothing more. People go to places like the Peel Pub (regardless of location) to drink, and food is clearly a "side dish". The location is not the worst I've seen (Fanny's is harder to get to) but the neighborhood is clear where car is king. There is most likely a bus from Victoria Park or Eglington subway (I saw a bus running infrequently but couldn't note its number) but buses here are not as frequent as other places. At least there is free parking. For those who live downtown, fastest way to get there is probably a bicycle if you are reasonable fit.

The Bad: Nothing really bad.

Summary: If it isn't obvious yet, this MC is one to watch. Walter has got the goods as a Karaoke Host and then some. I can almost guarantee anywhere he goes you'll have great karaoke experience. Which in the case of the Peel Pub is a good thing because to be honest, Walter is the best part about this venue. Besides that is a basic bar with stage for live bands. You don't really go for the food as its very basic in price in quality and karaoke fans don't want to just drink. So what you have left is a Karaoke MC. But WHAT an MC. If Walter can make a place like this a pleasure to be in, imagine what he could do in a better location. I'll be checking out his gig at the Fox & Fiddle at Eglington VERY soon. (Probably before July)

Final Grade: B

Facilities: 7.8 (This could have been a 9.3 if they could make use of that stage)
Equipment: 8.7 (Excellent sound. Raise the monitor and this becomes a 9.0)
Song Selection: 8.7 (8500 and increasing, you won't go wrong here. More to come)
Food Selection: 7.2 (Basic)
Food Quality: 7.2 (Its digestable)
Food Service: 8.3 (Exceptionally fast and cheerful)
Prices: 7.2 (ditto, nuff said)
Location: 6.7 (Not terrible convenient for those with cars, but free parking for those that do)
Wait Times: 8.0 (Wait times quite good and well managed, you should get at least 2 songs, maybe 3 if you come early)
Host: 9.0 (The Soul of Zedic is not dead in Toronto. A SERIOUS contender for top Karaoke MC of the year. Those looking to learn, here is one to watch!)

Venue Information
Peel Pub (http://www.peelpub.net)
1660 O'Connor Drive (Eglinton and Victoria Park)
Toronto, Ontario
M4A 1W4
Thursdays, 10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: Wolf & Ferkin w/ Doctor Spin

Reviewed 2007-06-15

I had mentioned this venue once before and had promised to wait until thing were ready before writing a formal review. Unfortunately karaoke ceased at the venue before things really got started. Well, its back in full force on Wednesdays in the heart of Toronto. Question is, will it capture the hearts of karaoke fans?

The Good: Location is hard to beat. Its in the heart of downtown on Elm Street. Contrary to the movie, there is lots of class in this neighborhood and I've always liked the Ferkin chain for the most part. Food selection is standard Ferkin fare which to say well above average: Pub food, seafood and sandwiches. the prices are also reasonable ($8-17 for dinner). Wait times here are exceptionally fast as karaoke is in the lower level with limited space so you won't have as many people to wait for in a rotation. Sound is quite good and well adjusted to fix the venue size. The best thing in my view is FINALLY someone gets the idea that people who go out to Karaoke on a weekday (other than Friday) are true karaoke lovers who have a day job to go to. Karaoke here starts at 9 PM. On a weekday this is PERFECT! Why don't more karaoke hosts do this on weeknights?

The Mixed: Doctor Spin is a good host when he in the groove but it takes a bit for him to get there. When I saw him at Cheers (see review) I had hoped the atmosphere was throwing him off his game. He still missed a few beats here and consequently had gaps between singers once or twice. The monitor looked like it had seen better days. The thing that gives this venue such low waits times works against in a way because space is very limited and is sometimes difficult to walk past people to get to the karaoke "stage". Forget dancing unless you do it in your head. No room here.

The bad: The sore spot that you feel more than anything else is the selection. Somewhat weak with 4800 songs after filtering out duplicates. Karaoke MCs, you really need at LEAST 5-6k songs minimum and 8-9k to get serious attention of karaoke fans. Most karaoke MCs have "upped to ante". 5-6k used to be the average, now its really minimal.

Summary: I would consider this the best weeknight karaoke venue I've been to so far. Whereas other karaoke hosts start between 10-11 PM leaving no time to sing before one has to go home and sleep for the next work day, this venue respects the time and schedule of people with money to go out and jobs to keep that money coming in. Timing means a lot in the karaoke business and this venue respects that. Quick rotating times help out a lot as well and you'll be happy with the food and prices. Unfortunately its easier to get through Doctor Spin's entire song collection because it's a little on the light side. Still, the equipment is good and the host once he warms up, works well with the participants.

Facilities: 8.0 (quite good, but more space would have been nice)
Equipment: 7.8 (Sound is okay but mikes appeared a little old and monitor had seen better days)
Song Selection: 6.8 (4800 songs is really a bit for professional karaoke, sorry)
Food Selection: 8.1 (Something for everyone, a typical Ferkin)
Food Quality: 8.1 (food quite pallet able)
Food Service: 7.8 (Fairly good but its clear food in the lower level is an afterthought. Pay atten on the cutlery if you order a sandwich)
Prices: 8.1 (you wallet should be as full as your stomach)
Location: 8.3 (Dundas Subway, walk blocks north, parking is around but downtown, you'll have to pay for it.)
Wait Times: 8.3 (Wait times are amazing here. you'll get in at least 2-3 songs before you leave)
Host: 7.8 (When he's in the groove he's really good, but he misses the "beat" occassionally)

Final Grade: B-

Venue Information
Wolf & Firkin
43 Elm Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1H1
(416) 971-6264
Wednesdays, 9 PM - 12 AM

Karaoke Review: Upfront Bar & Grill w/ Katie Appleton, Karaoke Queen

Review: 2007-05-25

After reviewing "On the Rocks" I noticed only one block away another venue that had Karaoke with a new host so I decided to take a look at what this venue and host had to offer. Front Street has a number of trendy restaurants and service stores and with luck, Karaoke as well.

The Good: Katie is quite a good hosts. She interacts well with the crowd. Her equipment gets great sound and she keeps the levels well balanced. If you sound bad with equipment like this, don't audition on Canadian Idol. Everything is in great order in terms of equipment. Monitor is well placed for easy read of lyrics which is more than many places doing karaoke these days and a large back screen allows everyone to join in. There is a small area where people could dance if so desired. The food prices are quite good as well. Food service is fairly prompt.

The Mixed: The Food selection is enough for a basic bar/pub but nothing exceptional. Fairly standard which is not say its bad. Decor isn't bad but the rear of the bar is exposed with discarded or disused equipment which is rather an eyesore I was surprised to find there. Should be cleaned as its a real distraction and look less than professional. I noted with my meal that there was no ketchup bottle, only packets, which is usually a sign of less than "fine dining". It could have been there were out of ketchup but when this is part of the services you are selling, ketchup packets are for take-out, not dining in. Music selection is only in low 5ks, which is basically passable but no more. Karaoke Hosts need to be increasing their collections as the basic benchmark is now between 8-9k. The spread between periods is even enough to keep you fairly satisfied although you may not find everything you want, especially when compared to other Karaoke hosts with more songs. You might be waiting a bit on rotation times here as it can get fairly busy on Friday nights.

The Bad: Short and sweet: Nothing really bad here.

Summary: If you want Karaoke on Front Street with a professional quality host, this is an excellent venue to choose. While "On the Rocks" is a family run business which a karaoke machine, Upfront Bar & Grill offers an MC who knows how to work a crowd and has superior sound equipment. Its strange that "On the Rocks" has a better selection than Katie since she does 2 other venues. Perhaps that will change with time. In any case, Katie is a quality MC and while Upfront could use a little cleaning up near the bar with the disused equipment, its a quality venue to check out on Friday and Saturday nights.

Facilities: 7.6 (Overall they are not bad but the area by the bar needs to be cleaned up, look very untidy)
Equipment: 8.6 (Great sound, well placed monitor. wireless mics wouldn't hurt but its hard to have everything)
Song Selection: 6.9 (A bit on the weak side compared to other MCs)
Food Selection: 7.8 (A bit more than the basics, enough to keep most picky eaters happy)
Food Quality: 8.3 (food is quite good)
Prices: 8.0 (definitely above average, especially if you like Fish & Chips in Fridays)
Location: 7.8 (Front Street has no subways but a bus runs along and parking is available.)
Wait Times: 7.5 (you probably get 2 songs tops as it gets quite busy)
Host: 8.3 (A quality MC whose a pro with the prose and can work a crowd well)

Final Grade: C+

Venue Information
Upfront Bar & Grill
106 Front Street East
Toronto, ON M5A 1E1
416-364-6054
Fridays, Saturdays
10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: Good Tymez Pub w/ Robert Chorney

Reviewed: 2007-05-19

The Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group is slowly getting attention in the Toronto Area. Enough that I'm actually getting more information from the owners themselves which is good for all. The owner of Good Timez Cafe approached me with a possible place to bring the group. Approaching me in someone else's venue at a group meeting wasn't necessarily the best place and for future reference venue owners, I tend to frown on that for many reasons. Better to send me an e-mail. In future interruptions of a meeting at someone else's venue will be reported to them as its really uncool and disruptive. Email is the best way to get in touch. Referrals are even better. Nevertheless in good karaoke spirit I went to check the place out as the owner claimed his system was better than the traditional "PA" systems, implying that all other venues were not really good for karaoke. I have some skepticism on this but still one never knows. I invited the group out to evaluate the place as the owner was hoping to make his venue the "home" of the Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group.

The Good: When I checked out the system it was certainly superior to most systems I had seen in terms of sound quality. I have seen the equivalent but not often. Its hard to sound better on any system out there. First rate Fajitas were also reported on the food selection.

The Mixed: Food prices weren't bad but weren't great either. Drink prices were above average

The Bad: There is an unusual twist to the selection here. Its Internet based. This is in my view a cheap way to get karaoke venue started in North America. Now the Japanese use a similar setup in their karaoke boxes but its a system designed for karaoke boxes and I believe it has a central server cache. The internet vendor here was "Eat Sleep Karaoke". The owner claimed 250k songs. Problem was some of the most seasoned veterans of my Karaoke group out found nothing in as many as 7 songs in a row, mostly alternative rock. The search system was flawed:By title didn't work properly at all (serious bug). There were no song books either (again cut costs on initial setup) and this increased confusion and many people watched found songs available at nearly every karaoke venue I'd been to unavailable in this system. It left the claim of 250k songs in serious doubt. The wait times were extraordinarily long given the small crowd. This is because the owner was acting as MC and he didn't really know how to search songs properly. The bugs and flaws on this Internet based system didn't help either. I felt this was more for home use than a profssional venue. The place is really just a bar ad can't hold more than 40 people tops and you won't be able to sit if you have more than 25. There is rumored to be a second floor available, but when it will be available and for whom is in question. To make matters worse, getting food in this place (if you want any) is a bit of a challenge. You'll probably have to go up to the bar to get any service in a reasonable amount of time because this is primarily a bar. To be more accurate a bar that serves as an Internet Cafe during the afternoon, and tries to be a karaoke bar on Friday and Saturday nights. It can't appear to decide what it want's to be so, it does the karaoke part awkwardly at best. Oh, no stage either. You are in the corner of the bar where few could see you. Given the configuration of the place its the best they could probably do. But its extremely awkward. You face the wall, not the audience when you sing as well.

Summary: Karaoke venue owners and wannabes, if you want to show a venue make sure you are ready. This is the second venue where the owner or manager didn't do their homework. If you want to be an MC make sure you are rehearsed and prepared. This venue is not what I would call a karaoke bar. I would call it a bar. And not a well decorated one at that. This place screamed seedy American bar which are typically an eyesore. What I saw here was an attempt to bring more business to a bar with limited attendance using its Internet Cafe facilities to try to be a karaoke venue. My group was unimpressed with the selection, the wait times or the configuration. The quality of the sound equipment was first rate but to quote one of the group members "is it worth it?". I'd have to say a big "no". 5-10 minute wait between songs is not acceptable. The internet based karaoke system is okay for the home, but not for a venue. When I say 5-10 minutes I mean 5-10 minutes of no singing at all. One customer was complaining loudly about this. Most of my group didn't want to stay after the first hour. The owner clearly didn't do his research into karaoke at all and thought a good sound processor and a sales spin would be a substitute for a quality MC, and quality song selection which is to say, purchase the songs and have them on site. Its a large investment to be a professionally acceptable karaoke venue. Short cuts like this internet based karaoke system don't cut it and an expensive sound system (cheap when compared to the prices of song royalties) isn't a substitute. If I had to choose between the claimed 250k songs here and the 600 songs at the Butterfly, I'd take the Butterfly for the simple reasons that at least I KNOW what they have, wait times are short, and there is a proper karaoke stage setup. There is a lot more to a good karaoke bar than a sound system: You need a system that guarantees fast song queueing and way of showing your audience what songs you ACTUALLY have. There is little more irritating than a selection guessing game. Karaoke Venue potentials need to do their research before they go public. A first impression is a lasting one. If its bad, it lasts even longer.

Facilities: 5.7(It looks and feels like a small seedy bar with a room for Internet Terminals seperated from the rest of the bar. No karaoke stage, karaoke equipment against the wall in a corner. One of the worst overall setups I've seen so far)
Equipment: 8.2 (Great sound for vocalists, but that is the beginning and end of this system. No real adjustment of the sound levels)
Selection 6.8 (Internet based, claims 250k but can't find the basics, too many gaps, no books to see what songs you have)
Food Selection: 7.0 (Basic Bar food with some Tex-Mex thrown in)
Food Quality: 7.8 (Fajitas were quite good, rest was average)
Prices: 6.7 (drink prices were above average, food was about average pricing, but most expensive French Onion Soup I've seen anywhere)
Location: 7.5 (5 minutes from Dundas Subway station. Parking around but have been warned you may not want to leave car around this area)
Host: 6.0 (The owner didn't know how to operate the Internet based karaoke system properly. Felt he was entertaining himself more than the group)
Service: 6.5 ( Basic service, food you'll probably have to step up to the bar. The good news is the place is so small you won't have far to go)

Final Grade: D+

Venue Information:
Good Tymez Pub
117 Dundas Street East
Toronto, ON
(416) 916-2156
Friday & Saturdays
10:30 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review: On the Rocks

Reviewed 2007-05-17

I love being the organizer of the Toronto Karaoke Meetup group for two reasons: 1. because you meet so true affectionados. 2. Because people often send you to places they enjoy going themselves. Good, Bad or in between, its info other karaoke lovers can use when selection a venue. Its what my blog is all about. So here is another reviewed on yet another reviewed venue.

The Good: The selection here was surprisingly good. Around 8k songs. The system is MIDI based as this is another family run restaurant/bar. Yes there is food here. The stage is actually a stage albeit a small one. There are 3 mikes here: two on stage and one at the bar so if one wants to stay seated with their drink they don't actually move anywhere to sing a selection. The rotation times were quite fast probably because there are not a lot of people on a Thursday night. Fridays and Saturdays may be another matter. The rotation is strictly round robin. Service on food was very prompt.

The Mixed: The equipment isn't bad not not amazing either. Mikes are passable and sound levels acceptable most of the time but you may need to be aware of them. Food selection is Chinese Schezwan dishes, most of which are a little bit spicy. I've had worse but have certainly had better. Prices are reasonable, although you may get a bit better in Chinatown but then again, one isn't here strictly for dinner. Room here is limited to around 50-60 people, plus the outdoor patio on warm evenings. There was only one book by title so you'll have to basically ask for it when you want to find a selection by song name.

The Bad: There was nothing really bad here. Isn't it nice when this section is short?


Summary: On The Rocks is a good place for Karaoke if you live on the east end of Front Street or anywhere near Front & Sherborne. Its not amazing karaoke venue by any means but is has all the basics and a short wait time if you go in on Thursdays. Its more of a neighborhood place than anything else but its a decent one to go to for karaoke with people you know in your neighborhood. There is another place I'll be reviewing shortly, Upfront Bar & Grill, which is almost across the street, but On The Rocks has a larger selection of songs. The only thing it lacks is an MC but the owner is interactive enough with the customers that she could quality with a little effort.

Facilities: 7.7 (its a bar/restaurant but has a real karaoke stage setup. Decor isn't too bad so you'll feel right at home)
Equipment:7.5 (Its got the basics plus a bonus for a 3rd "bar" mike)
Song Selection: 8.0 (Surprisingly good consider this is an "all-in-one" MIDI System, could be the same as the Grasshopper but unable to verify)
Food Service: 8.2 (Service was quick, attentive and friendly)
Food Selection: 7.0 (Basic Schezwan, caution if sensitive to spicy food)
Food Quality: 7.4
Prices: 7.3 (Prices are okay, but seen better for the food you get)
Location: 7.8 (There is a bus that runs along Front Street, some parking both paid and free on side streets)
Host: 6.9 (The Bartender calls your name, but the owner has potential..)
Wait times: 9.0 (Thursday's a slower night but since the restaurant only holds round 60 people, wait times shouldn't be too bad)

Final Grade: C+

Venue Information:
On The Rocks
169 Front Street East
Toronto, ON
(416) 862-2901
Thursdays, Friday & Saturdays
10:00 PM - 2 AM