The Crescent is easily the most popular karaoke bar on Capitol Hill. Drag queens, dykes, and hipsters squeeze into the claustrophobic space like sardines on any given night, and by 12 a.m. there’s usually standing room only. The booze is dirt cheap ($3 wells, $4 pitchers), the bathrooms are filthy, and the karaoke hosts have names like Johnny Cock Ring. The Crescent is an unabashedly shady joint. And that’s why people—very eclectic people—love it so damn much. According to the bartenders, no karaoke night is the same—except for the three songs make it into the rotation without fail: 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Stay clear of those, and you’ll be a crowd and staff favorite in no time. (21 and over.) ERIKA HOBART

Starts: Sept. 9. Daily, noon-2 a.m., 2009