Mark Kalegaric, karaoke host get people excited to get up and sing.
Many post secondary students in Lethbridge often find Monday nights pretty quiet for any exciting things to do in the evenings.
Local business Pogo Bros Entertainment has created the perfect solution to that problem with The Duke Pub giving them a venue.
Pogo Bros hosts many different events during the course of a week but their weekly karaoke is a favourite among patrons at the westside bar.
Mark Kalegaric, karaoke host, likes to show patrons that karaoke is fun and not something they should be nervous or scared to try.
“Karaoke is a good way to step outside of your comfort zone and try something really fun,” said Kalegaric.
The event doesn’t attract a large crowd but that gives more opportunities for people to get up and sing.
Ryan Proctor, a karaoke regular, is one person who loves to step up to the microphone and sing along to his favourite songs.
“It’s really fun to get up there and sing but I also love the social aspect of it. You can come in and meet new people or bring friends along and it really makes it better,” said Proctor.
Over the course of many Monday nights, Kalegaric has managed to get people up and participating by working the crowd and showing them it can be fun if they make it.
“I love seeing people come up here and give it their all. Even if they don’t sound good, they’re having fun and that’s really all that matters,” said Kalegaric.
Kalegaric and Proctor both suggest attending karaoke if students are feeling stressed and need to take a break.
“I find a lot of university students come in over the course of exam weeks just to take a break from studying and de-stress,” said Kalegaric.
The Duke is typically popular among university students but karaoke attracts people of all ages.
“Karaoke really brings people together and I think it’s why I like it so much. Everyone is here to have fun and no one judges you,” said Proctor.
Even on slower nights, attendees still have a good time and enjoy getting up and singing along to their favourite songs.
Karaoke starts at 8 p.m. every Monday night with thousands of songs to choose from.