Dancing may be illegal in Westwood, but that does not mean that students can’t bust a few moves on the karaoke stage while singing along to Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold.”
After seeing a demand for entertainment in Westwood, UCLA alumnus Gabe Cardenas created “Top Floor Fridays,” a new 21-and-over karaoke night at Westwood Brewing Company.
For students looking to expand their Friday night entertainment beyond the typical Westwood shopping, eating and movie watching, Top Floor Fridays might be a viable option. It all started when, after working at a popular karaoke place in Culver City, Cardenas had the idea of bringing karaoke to the UCLA community.
Cardenas found that although Brew Co. currently has a karaoke night on Mondays and Thursdays, it does not draw a large crowd.
“I was really surprised when the manager of Brew Co. said they don’t do anything on Friday nights,” Cardenas said. “I said, “˜Well, I’ll do something.'”
Cardenas, who graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a degree in ethnomusicology, has a sense of the demand for musical entertainment in Westwood. While at UCLA, he was involved in the UCLA marching band and Bruin United Improv Comedy Kraze. These experiences, along with the perspective of having been a student, have taught Cardenas a great deal about how to entertain a crowd.
“I’m a UCLA alumnus so I know what the UCLA crowd likes and I’m a real pleaser; if anyone has any requests or wants to sing a new song, I’ll do it,” Cardenas said.
Tomorrow’s event will be the third installment of Brew Co.’s Top Floor Fridays, and turnout keeps growing with the Facebook group and word of mouth related to the event. Cardenas, also known as KJ (Karaoke Jockey) Gabe, offers a library of more than 100,000 songs, updated to reflect 2009’s early hits.
“When people hear songs on the radio, they want to be able to sing them at karaoke, and that’s what I do,” Cardenas said.
For those who cannot typically make it to karaoke on Mondays or Thursdays, Cardenas hopes Friday nights will draw a new crowd. Since many students have class on Friday morning, and others have work, Cardenas wonders why nobody implemented karaoke on Friday nights before.
“What I noticed when I worked at the place in Culver City was that people would travel far to find good karaoke” Cardenas said. “So, I’m not only bringing (karaoke) to UCLA, I’m bringing it to West L.A., because there are a lot of people out there who just really love it.”
Drawing mainly a college crowd, Top Floor Fridays is open to anyone 21 and over who wants to sing on a stage or just sit and have a few drinks while enjoying karaoke performances. Cardenas says he caters to requests and tries to create a friendly environment where everyone can have a good time.
“There’s a really supportive crowd, so if you’re excited about singing, don’t worry about it,” Cardenas said. “If some people want some help, I’ll come up there and sing with them.”
Although Cardenas’ Top Floor Fridays have traveled a fairly smooth road from conception to creation, there was one surprising bump in the road.
“I wanted to put “˜Karaoke and Dancing,’ but the manager said (dance floors are) illegal in Westwood, and I was like, what is this, “˜Footloose’ or something?” Cardenas said.
Cardenas was shocked to find that something as inoffensive as a dance floor is illegal in Westwood, but that does not stop him from playing danceable hip-hop and club music. When people are not singing to karaoke tunes, Cardenas plays popular requests to get the energy up.
For students looking for a place to have fun and cut loose on a Friday night, Top Floor Fridays might be just the place. Perhaps karaoke in Westwood is just another step toward Westwood feeling more like a college town.