Club Scene
If there's bigtime local karaoke, this is it

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mike Jones and Marcus Busekrus of Kailua give it their all at Fisherman's Wharf on a Friday night. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser "Al Waterson and You" 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays Fisherman's Wharf, 1009 Ala Moana Blvd. Free admission All ages 538-3808, 947-5736

You've already been-there-done-that at karaoke rooms, in that controlled environment where you know the people there and most of them don't care how bad you sound. There's food, coolers, cell phones, laughter — lots of distractions as you belt out "Unchained Melody" or "Genie in a Bottle."

It may not be perfect, but you feel pretty confident. Not confident enough to sing the national anthem at the Stan Sheriff Center, but fairly certain you could take the lead of "Happy Birthday" at the next office get-together.

You need to move on. To the next level.

Next stop: Fisherman's Wharf.

The restaurant hosts Mainland-style karaoke every Friday and Saturday night, complete with a stage and disco lighting. No reservations required, no dress code, no age restrictions. And best part: No cost to sing — or spectate.

So leave your anxiety at the door.

Aptly named "Al Waterson and You," the 9-year-old event is hosted by the longtime local entertainer, who introduces each singer, tells a few jokes, even sings a couple of numbers. His wife, Nancy Bernal, runs the equipment, turning the karaoke event into a talent showcase of sorts.

"We get a lot of people who want to be noticed," said Bernal, who manages Forté, a female foursome that was discovered at Fisherman's Wharf. "We get a lot of aspiring stars looking for their break."

But don't let that intimidate you. Though DisGuyz, Society of Seven Las Vegas and other local talents occasionally take the mike, most of the singers there aren't professionals.

"Everybody's like a family here, no matter if you're a veteran or this is your first time," said Eddie Lactaoen, a 25-year-old Kinko's operator from Waipahu. "Everyone makes you feel good."

The environment has a lot to do with its popularity. Some nights, hundreds of people pass through the restaurant; other days are quiet and intimate. The interior of the ship-themed restaurant is cozy and comfortable, with a soothing view of the harbor lights on Kewalo Basin. Lifesavers hang on the wall; blue garlands and Christmas lights give the room character and color.

Lactaoen and his mother took the stage Friday night, turning "Footloose" into a duet, as the 10 other patrons showed their support in claps and grins. Lactaoen even busted a few Kevin Bacon moves.

"I bring people here all the time, and they love it," he said. "My whole family comes here."

You can tell the regulars. They share pupu, kiss cheeks and laugh loudly. When Waterson calls the next singer to the stage, the crowd turns into a fan club, cheering, shouting, hollering, all the while with grins on their faces and anticipation in their eyes.

"It's a place where no one gets booed," Bernal said. "Everyone gets cheered on, no matter how good or how bad."

That was the case when one first-timer took the stage to sing "In This Life." To sing in front of a crowd is one thing. But singing in front of perfect strangers combines nervousness with intimidation, with that risk of being humiliated. But the newcomer shook off his anxiety, grabbed the mike and dived right in. The crowd loved it.

A supportive crowd isn't all Fisherman's Wharf has over other karaoke bars. A dance floor fronting the stage is an added bonus. Sometimes ballroom dancers come in and work the floor, completing the amateur-night experience and confirming its uniqueness. "No one else has that," Bernal said. "We're different than your average karaoke place."