karaoke in Brooklyn Alison Piepmeyer

karaoke in Brooklyn Alison Piepmeyer

Last Saturday was one of the most fun nights of my adult life, and here’s why…

My friend Alison invited 15 friends to celebrate her husband Zach’s birthday. The venue? A Thai restaurant that doubles as a karaoke bar.

Joanna Goddard cup of jo

Alison also brought NINE wigs. At first, I hesitated, but she explained the genius logic: “Zach is obsessed with the idea of how wigs give you confidence. Karaoke scares a lot of people, but with a wig you become a different person and feel braver than you normally would.”

AND OMG THEY WERE RIGHT. You know how a party usually takes an hour or two to warm up? For people to get settled and start mingling? For the energy to pick up? Well, this video was taken 15 MINUTES after the party started. Everyone was already unhinged.

Every time I hear the Backstreet Boys’ song “I Want It That Way,” I think of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cold open.

Our friend Aaron (on the left) used to be in a band, so honestly his performances were UNFAIR. You’re supposed to be bad at karaoke! That’s the whole point!

cake

Finally, here’s the birthday cake Alison brought. Jet black, ornate, with just two words: “you’ve aged.”

Selena

What’s your karaoke song? (Some of the showstoppers last weekend were: Before He Cheats, Kiss Me, Baby Got Back, and Sweet Caroline.) And Alison’s wig strategy made me laugh so much, but I’m now a disciple.

P.S. 5 things I noticed at a drinks party, how to host a cookie swap, and are you a party host or an enthusiastic guest?