Yes, occasionally I hang out in the town of my people.
Anyway, this place is somewhat dive, in the sense that there's a noted difference in the decor outside (it's inside a modern-looking office building that looks like it's about 20 stories high.) I guess they had to make a conscious effort to look like a homely pub. That sort of feel might make people more inclined to sing, so I guess I can't blame them.
Despite the fact that this bar is in Koreatown, it's more of a public karaoke place - you sing in front of the crowd, and not in the friendly confines of a soundproof room. If your goal is to try and make some new friends, the public setting is probably a good thing. What better way to break the ice than to serenade him or her with a bad rendition of Don't Stop Believing by Journey? Being somewhat of a karaoke nutjob, I've developed a short list of songs that I don't mind singing in front of a crowd. Some of these songs weren't chosen for their artistic value. (I find it fun to duet Barbie Girl, for example.) I ended up singing Friends in Low Places and Piano Man.
If you plan on singing, expect to wait about 45 minutes to 1:30, depending on the crowd. We were there on a Thursday and my first song still took quite a while for them to get to. Now, part of this was because there was a large group of birthday drunks hogging the mic, but I can't imagine any other night being any different. And on Friday or Saturday you'll probably have to put your name in really early to get even one song in.
But that's okay. 2/3 of the fun at places like this is laughing at other people's awfulness. And yes, that is fun. And there's also some fun to be had in singing along from your table. So even if you don't get to sing, the experience is still entertaining, especially after some booze. They have a long list of special cocktails. They're all really strong, but also really pricey. The beer is pretty normal-priced, so if you need to drink cheaply that's your best bet.
I've been to other karaoke bars and this one certainly had a larger crowd than others I've been to, so you'll actually be singing in front of an audience. This can be both good and bad. It's still a fun, casual setting for some drinks with friends, as long as you don't mind the pain in your ears when that awful guy goes up there and butchers your favorite song.
Brass Monkey
659 S. Mariposa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
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