Punk Rock Karaoke at the China Clipper 4/28/14

Olympia's seven-day-a-week karaoke bar, the China Clipper, is known to locals as "the Crippler." It's a dimly lit throw-back, with a large back room that sports another bar, ample seating, dance floor, stage, the best karaoke set up in town, and around 300 punk rock songs in the books. Perry Ornorio, long time member of the punk scene and several downtown activist groups, including the Downtown Association, dug them all up after being frustrated by the lack of punk available at the bar. The collection includes everything from the Ramones to the Unseen. Green Day to Dead Kenedys. The only problem is that most punks don't want to sit in room full of bros singing Robin Thicke just to get a chance to scream a Germs song.

Perry saw a touring band that knew tons of punk songs and played what audience members wanted sing. Recalling the experience with several friends, including Oly Pyrate Punx captain; Brandy Rage, led to the idea of organizing a one night event. A chance to fill the Clipper with a bunch of rowdy, drunk punk kids. Flooding the song que with titles that contain the word "fuck" is a very appealing prospect.

Through lots of begging and pleading the bar finally agreed to a punk karaoke take-over. Really, the only thing they did was give permission for fliers advertising the event to be posted, and special black "Jello Biafra Shots" to be sold. Since they started doing karaoke every night, the Clipper has adimately insisted on alienating no one. They're going to stick by that. If some random wants to do Celine Dion, they'll get their chance.

Sounds like the Clipper was insistent on it happening on their slowest day, a Monday, under the understanding that it would be "just this once." The good news here is, we're actually going to have a night full of drunken punk. There's a better chance of people showing up if it won't be happening again.

I would love to see all my readers show up. Load up your car with all of your insane friends and head for the Clipper, Monday, April 28th. Practice your favorite punk song, as long as it's not by Black Flag. There's no fucking Black Flag.