(Credit: Camp Casey)
When it comes to nightlife, metro Detroiters are never at a loss for places to go. One spot that’s always hopping is the intersection of Woodward and 9 Mile. Over the next few evenings, a pub crawl, karaoke at Dino’s Lounge and a “Les Miz” charity event are on tap in Fabulous Ferndale.
A little bit country
Strap on your spurs, cowpoke. For the second year in a row, the Cowgirl Pub Crawl is taking over Ferndale on a Saturday night. Guests are encouraged to don cowgirl (or cowboy) attire for the five-bar crawl to benefit Camp Casey, an organization that offers horseback-riding excursions to children with cancer and their families.
“It’s a riot,” says Molly Reeser, Camp Casey’s executive director. “I don’t know if it’s because of the Western wear, but I think those cowboy hats do something to the barriers people usually put up.”
Each guest will receive a 16-ounce Camp Casey stein that can be filled for a discounted price at each stop on the crawl. Registration begins at Woodward Avenue Brewers, and from there, pub crawlers can proceed on foot to the Emory, Post Bar and Como’s. The fun ends at Sneakers with a coney island bar and karaoke.
Cost, including the souvenir stein, is $25. Tickets available at www.camp-casey.org or at the door.
“It’s a very diverse crowd,” Reeser says. “It’s all walks of life coming together and deciding to be silly and have fun together.”
5-11 p.m. Saturday, Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward, Ferndale. 248-546-3696. thewabsite.com
A little bit rock ’n’ roll
Before you go pub crawling Saturday, you can try your hand at being a rock star Friday during Karaoke Madness at Dino’s Lounge. The club’s karaoke events on Wednesday and Friday nights have been drawing huge crowds for seven years.
“I was looking for a way to build business on Wednesday nights, and I never considered karaoke. I thought it was a fad of the past,” says owner Dean Bach. “But then I tried it and had a blast.”
Bach says the cover-free karaoke nights are unique because participants get to perform on a stage with lights, instead of “standing next to a pool table or a potato chip machine like at some other places.”
“It’s a musician-friendly experience,” he says. “We have a very talented group of people that comes in, but the people who are less talented get the most applause because they’re the most courageous.”
What’s Bach’s advice for people venturing into the world of karaoke for the first time? Arrive early and have a bite to eat, then get ready for a good time with good people.
“Don’t be shy,” he says. “We’re one big, happy family. Get into it, have fun and be a rock star.”
8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Dino’s Lounge, 22740 Woodward, Ferndale. 248-591-3466. dinoslounge.com.
A little broadway
On Monday evening, the touring cast of “Les Misérables,” which is in town with a 25th-anniversary production of the celebrated 1980s Broadway musical, will be putting on a special charity performance at the Loving Touch.
The event, titled Rock the Barricade, comes with a cash bar, a silent auction and an afterparty. Also featured will be singer-songwriter Steven Mullan.
Proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS as well as the John F. Kennedy School in Oak Park.
7 p.m. Monday, the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward, Ferndale. 248-546-3696. $15 cover.
