88 Keys is better known for its dueling piano action than for its Monday and Tuesday karaoke nights. And that’s why it’s ideal for musically challenged crooners to sing their hearts out. Unlike some karaoke joints, the crowd here is forgiving. Nobody takes themselves too seriously. Tone-deaf patrons typically knock back a few—happy hour specials: $2 Bud bottles, $4 wells—before bursting into earnest renditions of eye-roll-inducing ’90s hits like Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” or Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.” A spunky host comes to the rescue, when she notices someone straining to reach C, by hitting the high notes herself. Admittedly, the bar’s livelier the other five nights of the week, when professional pianists rule. But that means fewer witnesses for you to make a complete ass of yourself. ERIKA HOBART

Mondays, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., 2009