Start Spreading The News . . . Karaoke Singers Just Want To Have Fun -- Don't Worry That It's Not Good Enough, Just Sing, Sing A Song

Don't laugh: That could be your mother up there.

Or your ham-hearted uncle. Or a friend who couldn't carry a tune if it had handles, but is full of what can be politely called "liquid courage."

Or, perhaps it is that seemingly shy co-worker, who occasionally comes to work with a curious smile.

The instant stars of karaoke bars make up a variegated constellation. They are young and old, seasoned and raw; some sing with voices that flow like poetry, others screech like cars low on power-steering fluid.

Karaoke, which translates to "empty orchestra," has become one of Seattle's favorite Japanese imports. There are dozens of karaoke bars in the Puget Sound area, from Shay's and Echo Lake Tavern (big Friday happy-hour crowd) in Shoreline to China Harbor and Bush Garden in Seattle, from the Golden Steer in Kent to Davinci's in Kirkland.

Some are casual, neighborhood haunts with low-end systems and unpolished singers. Others are more upscale places, with sophisticated audio/visual productions and surprisingly rich talent. The procedure is similar at all of them: Patrons browse through books listing hundreds of popular songs - country and rock, current hits and timeless classics. The amateur singer fills out a slip of paper with the song title and his or her name, and the waiting begins . . .

When the night's host calls your name, you take a deep breath, make your way to the stage, grip the microphone and hit them with your best shot. As the song's music plays, a monitor feeds you a line at a time, so you don't have to worry about remembering the words - just hitting the notes. Or, at least, coming close.

The first time is terrifying, all karaoke singers agree.

Be forewarned: Once you try karaoke, you may be hooked. As Adam Galvez rationalizes it, "If you've got to have an addiction, this is a good one to have."

Galvez is a regular at Shay's, a Shoreline bar with karaoke Thursday and Sunday nights. He is 27, and has been singing karaoke since he turned 21.

"I've always loved to sing," the wiry carpenter says, before taking the modest stage and belting out Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."

This dark, smoky little bar has a lively crowd of about 35 - not bad for a Sunday night. For bar owners, the karaoke regulars are money in the bank; though they don't have to pay to sing, they usually buy drinks between trips to the microphone, sometimes to settle their nerves.

Lindsay Bradley, for example, sips a Long Island iced tea as she waits her turn. This bar's ingenue, who vaguely resembles actress Claire Danes, has been singing at Shay's for a year.

Her first time, "my friends made me get up there. I was really scared, really nervous."

On this night, the 22-year-old will sing four or five different times; sitting on a stool with her long legs crossed, she reveals no hint of nervousness as she sings a variety of pop and country songs. "I like to see what my boundaries are," she says, pulling a strand of blond hair behind an ear.

Seemingly without boundaries is her karaoke friend, Terra "Taz" Conrad.

The redhead steps up to the mike for Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog," one of her signature songs. Side conversations come to a halt as Conrad makes seductive motions at audience members, humorously grinds against the thick curtains behind the stage and howls the "ohhh ohhh ohhh ahhh" part with such ribaldry, Robert Plant might blush to hear it.

Taz, by the way, is 53, the mother of six.

Another karaoke veteran is Bob De George, smoothly handling "That's Life" on a Saturday night at Gregory's, a bright, cheerful spot in SeaTac. This is a semi-pro room, with poised, polished singers.

De George is 66, a retired electrical engineer who lives in Federal Way and has been on the karaoke circuit for seven years. He has always liked to sing with friends, but doing it in public was another story.

"The very first time, I was petrified," he says, adjusting his wire-rim glasses. "I just about had to be dragged up there."

His advice for first-timers: "Just go up and have fun - this isn't a professional thing, no one's expecting you to be perfect." He takes a sip of beer, and chuckles. "Have a few drinks, too - that helps."

That notion is seconded over at the Bullpen, just across Pacific Highway South from Gregory's. "A little liquid encouragement goes a long way," says April Oakes, pouring the golden contents of a pitcher into her glass.

But it's not just the beer - the karaoke always puts this Kent RV dealer in high spirits. "If you're in a bad mood, you can relieve a lot of stress up there," she says, all smiles after singing a duet with her mother, Lori.

So it goes at karaoke bars, filled with sudden Sinatras, instant Presleys, Diamonds in the rough, Shania twins, Celine-a-bes, kiddie Rocks, wishful Willies, hedged Bettes, Hank Jr. juniors.

For many, it's just a goof - like the five young women at Bush Garden in the International District, frolicking their way through a Sunday night "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"; or the young guy in baggy pants Kid Rock-ing it up at Greenwood's Peking Palace.

For a hearty minority, like Pamela Collins, karaoke is a way of life. Collins is 29 and in retail, just off a 12-hour shift on "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving). The next day, this closet diva has to be at work at 7 in the morning.

But here she is at the Bullpen, eagerly awaiting her chance to sing a Shania Twain tune. "Oh my gosh - this is my total outlet," Collins says.

Those who have done it will tell you there's simply nothing like the rush of adrenaline you get, opening yourself up in public, having all eyes and ears on you. "I love it," says Jackie Haberlock, a Portlander visiting a friend over Thanksgiving weekend. "It's totally fun. It's the best entertainment, ever."

Many around the karaoke circuit will agree, but don't try to tell that to one of the bartenders at Shay's. On karaoke nights, she wears earplugs. ------------------------------- Tips for rookies

-- Choose a song that's easy and cozy - even a Christmas carol - over a complex or unfamiliar song.

-- There's strength in numbers: Get a friend to join you in a duet (some places permit larger groups).

-- You don't have to scream - that's what the microphone is for.

-- Avoid songs with long instrumental breaks - they can leave you feeling very uncomfortable, unless you have the confidence to bust some moves.

-- Unless you want to pale by comparison, stay away from the Dions, stick to the Dylans. -- Alcohol and microphones can be a dangerous combination; don't overindulge.

------------------------------- Where to sing

A few of the dozens of karaoke bars around the Puget Sound:

Seattle -- Bush Garden, 614 S. Maynard Ave.; 206-682-6830; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- China Harbor, 2040 Westlake Ave. N.; 206-284-9539; karaoke Monday-Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Gibson's, 116 Stewart St.; 206-448-6369; karaoke Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Ozzie's, 105 W. Mercer St.; 206-284-4618; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Sunset Bowl, 1420 N.W. Market St., Ballard; 206-782-7310; karaoke Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

North -- Echo Lake Tavern, 19508 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline, 206-542-7547; karaoke Fridays, 4-7 p.m. and 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Peking Palace, 14314 Greenwood N., Greenwood, 206-364-7890; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Shay's, 15744 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline, 206-362-3431; karaoke Thursdays and Sundays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

East -- Davinci's, 89 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland; 425-889-9000; karaoke Saturdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Waldo's, 12657 N.E. 85th St., Kirkland, 425-827-9292; karaoke Mondays and Thursdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Taps-n-Tabs, 8544 122nd N.E., Kirkland, 425-827-3336; karaoke Sundays and Mondays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

South -- Bullpen, 20011 Pacific Highway S., SeaTac; 206-824-4070; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Gregory's, 18220 Pacific Highway S., SeaTac; 206-248-8185; karoake Tuesday-Saturday, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Golden Steer, 23826 104th S.E., Kent; 253-852-1144; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Pete's Flying Aces Casino, 14101 Pacific Highway S., Tukwila; 206-248-1224; karaoke Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

-- Shogun, 31140 Pacific Highway S., Federal Way; 253-941-5058; karaoke nightly, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. ------------------------------- Follow the rules

Among the more important "rules of etiquette" printed on a sign at the Peking Palace, in Greenwood:

-- "No drinks or cigarettes in hand while singing."

-- "Please, please, please, if it is not your song, don't come up to help the person singing."

-- No profanity.