Karaoke is over. Everyone has picked safe jams within their vocal range, they practice, they have their favorite places, select group of friends… no one strays on any front and the result is a rote social exercise. It happens to all trends, they have their tipping point and then they eventually wither and disappear. So karaoke is over. Or is it?

Up and down Ossington Avenue, from College to Queen, karaoke is alive and kicking, and even sometimes killing. There are about 15 Vietnamese karaoke joints on this stretch. There used to be twice as many but a bunch were shut down by the city for this or that petty reason. One place called Hush was shut down when two guys in white suits walked in one night and shot twin brothers, the people around them, and the fish in the fish tank. But, duh, karaoke is supposed to be a little dangerous. A little death is what keeps it alive. So if you care about making a stale trend trendy again all you have to do is learn Vietnamese, then learn how to sign Vietnamese folk and pop songs, find a place that has working karaoke equipment (many don’t), and if they are open and still in business and not whisking you out for no good reason (something very unkaroke may be happening inside), then tiang vie karaoke until you die.