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Lets face it, karaoke is fun - everybody wants to be a rock star every now and then. What kills the mood are the really annoying people who sing the same overplayed songs every week, and get there 2 hours early to ensure that you will be subjected to their auditory torture. What if they were punished for their crimes against humanity? Sure, you can sing "Achy Breaky Heart," but it's going to cost you.

Yeah- I thought it was a good idea too, and Cover Me Badd is running with it. At 9pm, the first and third Sundays of every month, Too Cool For Karaoke takes over 2812 Kettner Blvd, also known as The Kava Lounge. Advertising the night as 100% Nickleback free, these guys intend to revolutionize karaoke by providing songs you actually want to hear.

Songs come in 3 categories:

1. THE GOOD - These ones are free. You might disagree about how good they really are and vote them off the list once every three months. I didn't even know they made karaoke versions of Pixies and Muse songs, yet here they are. You'll also find the Ramones, Radiohead, The Smiths, Morrissey and some you wouldn't expect like Joy Division and Patsy Cline.

2. THE BADD - These are the overplayed, the annoying and the boring ballads. If you want to sing these, you have to pay, and they'll donate half of the money to music education charity. If a song is three minutes and 17 seconds, you pay $3.17. Have exact change ready.

3. THE UGLY - "The Dreaded Ten" are the ten worst, most overplayed songs in karaoke history. Singing any of these songs costs $10.00. Your votes help songs get on the forbidden list. Every few months, they'll ban one song for eternity.

The Ugly list:
Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks
Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Macarena by Los Del Rio
I Write The Songs by Barry Manilow
American Pie by Don McLean
Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Middler
Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter
Y.M.C.A. by The Village People

December 16, 2007 is the Metelmania Contest and the 2007 Cover Me Badd Spelling Bee Finals.

Insider note: The Kava Lounge is where The Casbah used to be before it moved down the street. So when you're performing, you're rocking the same stage Cabain and Corgan stood on.