Sammy’s Tap & Grill, a local sports bar near campus, holds karaoke nights every Wednesday from 9 p.m. to midnight. Students and Raleigh regulars of Sammy’s come to enjoy food with friends and watch people sing on stage alongside a DJ. Those who go up on stage request the song of their choice and perform for the crowd.
Staff move tables to make room for the performers, people start to trickle in a little before 9 p.m. and the stage is up for grabs from there. To make the night’s event more attractive to college students, the restaurant offers half-off entrees for students on Wednesdays from 7-11 p.m.
Tristan Pake, a second-year studying graphic design, has been a waiter at Sammy’s for almost a year and enjoys working Wednesday karaoke nights, especially when they get busy during the academic semesters with a big student crowd.
“It’s very enjoyable to watch, and sometimes be a part of,” Pake said. “Nobody really cares what you sound like. You just go up there, do what you do and have fun.”
Recent attendees from the NC State ballet club, Studio 804 Ballet Company, came for a team bonding experience. Some of their members are long-time attendees of Sammy’s karaoke nights. Madalyn Alexander, a third-year studying psychology and a member of the ballet club, said she heard about Sammy’s karaoke nights through friends and found it to be a great place to hang out each week.
“I love singing like an actual idiot,” Alexander said. “I think it’s just funny. … The last time I was here I sang ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’ as loudly as I possibly could. … It’s just such a good way to let off some steam.”
Others were first time attendees, sometimes hesitant to take the mic. Renée LeClair, a third-year studying animal science and a member of the ballet club, said her friends encouraged her to get into the spirit of karaoke.
“I also was not planning to sing, but once you see all your friends singing as well, it kind of makes you get up and join them,” LeClair said. “Also, anything to Taylor Swift, I’m down.”
Sammy’s creates an accepting environment where anyone can feel empowered to take part. Brandon Postema-Drolet, an NC State alum, said the best way to describe Sammy’s karaoke nights is forgiving.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re good or bad, people just wanna hear you sing,” Postema-Drolet said.
Sammy’s has cultivated a welcoming space for students and general audience members to sing their go-to tunes and not worry about how it sounds. This makes karaoke nights an ideal opportunity for students to make memories with friends while enjoying a break from school in the middle of the week.
