Karaoke devotees let loose at a few local bars

About a month ago, the Daily Herald set out to find the best places to do karaoke in the Fox Valley.

We visited bars in Elgin, Carpentersville and St. Charles to find the most dedicated practitioners of the art.

We found that karaoke has a small, loyal group of adherents in the Fox Valley.

These regulars can be found in the corners of your neighborhood bar, writing their names and favorite songs on small slips of paper.

More Coverage Video Karaoke in the Fox Valley

They are young and old, quiet and outgoing, working-class and white-collar, versatile and narrowly focused.

These are their stories.

Booker's Next Round

On Friday nights, Randy Cattelino -- or "Cat Man," as he is known to his friends -- goes to Booker's Next Round in Carpentersville.

This Friday night, he sings Joe Cocker's version of "The Letter."

"I'll just write 'Joe,' and they know Joe Cocker," Cattelino says.

"Why Joe? Because I've been smoking cigarettes since I was about 17, and since then I've had a raspy voice."

In a loose T-shirt, blue jeans and tan shoes, Cat Man, a Carpentersville man in his upper 40s with tousled hair, full beard and leathery skin, walks up to the microphone.

"I'm gonna try to make this, 'The Letter,' better than the last one I did. It was horrible."

A few of the bar's regulars look up from their conversation and beer to the back of the bar, where Cat Man is growling into the mike, hitting more of the right notes this time.

One patron standing at the bar smiles as he looks over at Cattelino.

"Hombre gato," he says: the words for Cat Man in Spanish.

Cat Man, so named because his last name is Cattelino, became a local karaoke fixture 10 or 15 years ago.

"I decided to get up there -- and I might not sing, but I'm just going to knock them over."

"You don't have to be fantastic. You don't have to be a great singer. Karaoke is about having fun, whether you're a good singer or a poor singer."

Streets of Chicago

Streets of Chicago, a popular Elgin sports bar, is well-populated on a recent Friday night.

Off in the corner, a 40-something man with rock star hair and youthful vigor bounces around the stage, adjusting the levels on an equalizer and changing hats every few minutes.

A middle-aged man takes the stage to sing Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love." The deejay, in jeans and a black bowling shirt, stands behind him at a second microphone, singing backup vocals and wearing a top hat with wings coming out of the sides.

"A lot of people don't like karaoke," says the deejay, who goes by the stage name Crazy Kurt. "I like to pick it up and make it more of a show."

Kurt calls himself a "Karake Jockey," mixing rock, traditional karaoke and his charismatic stage presence.

"I swear and #8230; do all kinds of nutty stuff. It's more adult-oriented."

But Crazy Kurt, or Kurt Lasson, is childlike in his sense of fun and mischief -- and in his hammy sense of humor.

Ken "Radar" Crimaldi and Jim Formanek are part of a group of regulars who come to Streets of Chicago Friday nights for Kurt's brand of karaoke.

Like many of the regulars, Jim and Radar come from musical backgrounds.

"I've been playing music since I was 5 years old," Formanek says. "I'm 60 now, so it's a long time."

Formanek and Crimaldi take the stage to sing the 1970s Bellamy Brothers hit "Let Your Love Flow."

"If you get out of your realm, then you got a rough time," Formanek says after their typically good, understated performance.

"You gotta know your limitations."

Says Radar: "You get together, have a few beers, sing a few songs -- no big thing."

Lilly's Lounge

It's a slow night at Lilly's Lounge, a bar at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles.

But in plush lounge chairs, on stools at the end of the bar and at tables near the back of the joint, a small number of characters are there to give the place atmosphere.

Two of them are on the stage this Thursday night, singing Elton John's "Benny and the Jets." One is a nondescript young man in a striped sweater; his friend is a larger man with a thick, curly black beard and a sea captain's hat.

The young man utilizes the small stage, contorting himself and shouting "Benny! Benny!" while the sailor plays the straight man.

The sailor -- Ron Klawinski -- remembers the first song he performed: "Boyz-n-the-Hood," an Eazy-E cover by Dynamite Hack.

"It's really a vulgar rap song," Klawinski says. "It was the only song I knew 100 percent by heart."

The Barrys, a mother-and-daughter team both active in local musical theater, sip their mixed drinks quietly and take turns on the stage, the mother preferring old country songs and the daughter alternating between show tunes and recent pop hits.

"We've been coming here every Thursday for three years," says the daughter, Harmony, during a break between songs. "It's pretty safe and friendly #8230; there's no bar fights."

Harmony's mother, Susan, returns to the table and her drink as Harmony takes the stage to sing "Cabaret."

"As the night goes on, people get braver and braver because they have more#8230;" Susan says, motioning to her drink.

Susanne Trudeau of S.O.S. Entertainment directs the action in the spacious bar, handing out beaded necklaces and selecting the best backing tracks for a mix of locals and hotel guests.

"It's a really interesting group of people," Trudeau says. "People who don't usually fit into other things express themselves through karaoke."

Booker's Next Round, 72 N. Kennedy Memorial Drive, Carpentersville; phone (847) 551-9680.

Streets of Chicago, 550 S. McLean Blvd., Elgin; phone (847) 697-7311.

Lilly's Lounge at the Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles; phone (630) 584-6300.

Some karaoke tips

bull; Know your vocal range, and choose a song within it. "Living on a Prayer" may have sounded good in your college dorm room, but unless you can hit the key change without skipping a beat -- skip it.

bull; Pick a song with a heavy backing track. Unless you really do sing like Frank Sinatra, the instruments, especially on rock songs, will help cover up your vocal shortcomings.

bull; Know what you do best, and generally stick to it. If you're a little bit country, don't sing rock 'n roll, and vice versa.

bull; But don't be afraid to try something different. Some of the best karaoke performances are the product of an unlikely match -- like a big, burly guy singing Kelly Clarkson, or an unassuming nerd performing Queen.

bull; Have a couple of drinks before you get on stage. As the late Dean Martin could attest, those gin-a-tonics will help you loosen up and calm your nerves.