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By Thomas K. Arnold
It’s a little past 9 on Tuesday night, and the outdoor patio at the Coyote Bar & Grill in downtown Carlsbad is jam-packed. Every seat around six fire pits is taken. An expanding cluster of people stand in the back, sipping Coronas and strawberry Margaritas.Tonight is karaoke night. In succession, wanna-bes grab the mike for three minutes of spotlight-hogging, attention-snagging fun. The crowd is a mix of twentysomething singles, blue-collar loners and married couples.
Who says nightlife belongs to the young and the restless? No blaring rock band, no throbbing electronica deejays, no sweaty college-age couples freak-dancing in front of the stage. Just a cross-section of middle America—local “American Idols” of the moment.
A middle-aged wiry man in blue jeans and a red polo short meekly sings Journey’s “Who’s Crying Now?” with his eyes fogged with memories, perhaps of high school. An ancient Filipino woman with way too much hair for her tiny, leathery face, sitting alone, off to the side, nods and claps.
Next up is a younger man with a shaved head, dressed in black, with big, sad brown eyes. He looks like Andy Kaufman’s Latka from Taxi. He sings some 1980s ballad, mashed beyond recognition. When the song is over and he returns to his table, he’s greeted with a hug and a kiss from a heavyset girl with a ring of curls framing her pudgy face.
A young African-American man follows, singing the Drifters’ “This Magic Moment” in a voice that’s equal parts Harry Belafonte and kerosene. He’s got the audience’s attention. Even a group of bald heads and mullets, who’ve been talking incessantly since the evening’s entertainment began, quiets down and listens.
A fortysomething Asian woman in a business suit takes the microphone and begins rasping out a surprisingly faithful rendition of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” Three couples immediately turn the patch of concrete in front of her into an impromptu dance floor.
The song ends. Secretaries who’d jumped up for a tango return to their seats and take another swig from their Margaritas. The Asian woman heads for the restroom, almost bumping into a pair of young women with big hair and desperate eyes.
Karaoke isn’t the only thing on Coyote Bar & Grill’s menu. Open mikes are reserved for Tuesdays. Some nights, there’s live jazz by the likes of local legend Hollis Gentry; on others, there’s live blues (don’t miss Blonde Bruce) and even zydeco. And then there’s the tequila, at last count 156 different bottles ringing the crown of the inside bar, some of it so rare, so precious, it will set you back $25 for a single shot (that would be Herradura Suprema).
But the audience tends to remain the same. When you graduate from the rock and hip-hop bar scene, there are only so many places left for you to go.
(Coyote Bar & Grill is at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, 760-729-4695.)
More Great Music Bars
Croce’s Jazz BarThis Gaslamp Quarter institution, founded by Ingrid Croce (widow of the late singer Jim Croce), has long been a magnet for jazz lovers from all over the county. 802 Fifth Avenue, 619-233-4355.
Elario’s
Atop the Hotel La Jolla, Elario’s mixes elegant, traditional jazz with a gorgeous setting tailor-made for sunset watching. There’s live jazz five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, 858-551-3620.
El Cajon Grand
The oldest standing bar in El Cajon—in continuous operation since the 1940s—offers karaoke seven nights a week. Some regulars dress the part, like the guy who comes in to sing country tunes wearing a Wyatt Earp costume. 437 East Main Street, 619-444-0949.
G-5 (George’s on Fifth)
This classy downtown steakhouse offers live classical piano music Wednesday through Sunday. The featured attraction is Tom Barabas, a Grammy-nominated pianist with several albums under his belt. 835 Fifth Avenue, 619-702-0444.
The Lamplighter
This homey Mission Hills bar, with lots of wood and creaky booths right out of a downtown Las Vegas casino, has karaoke nightly beginning at 9. 817 West Washington Street, 619-298-3624.
La Sala Lounge
This elegant La Jolla piano bar, with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, is inside the romantic old seaside La Valencia Hotel. Be sure to catch Barry Levich tickling the ivories Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 6-10 p.m. 1132 Prospect Street, 858-454-0771.
Laurel Restaurant & Bar
Jazz guitarists and pianists play nightly at this popular eatery in Bankers Hill. The décor is understated elegance, with the dominant feature a huge copper bar. 505 Laurel Street, 619-239-2222.
Mille Fleurs
With pianoman Randy Beecher celebrating his 10th anniversary at the keyboard this month, the piano bar at this tony Rancho Santa Fe restaurant is open for crooning Wednesday through Saturday, 8 to midnight. 6009 Paseo Delicias, 858-756-3085.
Red Fox Steakhouse
This old-school piano bar in North Park, with vintage leather booths and seats, attracts trendy young adults. Longtime player Shirley Allen entertains behind the piano Wednesday through Saturday, with New Dimensions taking over Sunday through Tuesday. 2228 El Cajon Boulevard, 619-297-1313.
Tutto Mare
There’s live jazz every Wednesday, beginning at 5:30, on the patio of this Italian restaurant in the Golden Triangle. The Jaime Valle/Bob Magnusson Jazz Quartet plays Latin-tinged jazz, as it has for the last nine years, to a crowd of after-work regulars and tourists. 4363 Executive Drive, 858-597-1188.
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