ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIP SERVICE WEB MAGAZINE
Let me tell you a little LA Story …
Once upon a naughty time, a few adult performers stopped by a little, local hole-in-the-wall joint to unwind after work. It happened to be karaoke night, and they had a great time singing and cutting loose. They had so much fun, they came back the next week with a few more friends, and the next week, and the next …
Word began to spread and, before you could say , “Reverse Cowgirl”, the place was jam-packed with sexy porn luminaries and the folks who love them.
That’s right, boys and girls, the place was Sardo’s and that unexpected and entertaining stop turned into the aproximately 7 year institution known as Porn Star Karaoke. Still going strong, it is a place and time where adult performers can chill out, let their hair down, and maybe even take a stab at their favorite tunes while industry folks and fans alike can spend a little quality time with their favorite stars without the convention-type crush and crowds. That’s not to say there aren’t crowds at Sardo’s on Tuesday nights, because, oh yes, there is a capacity crowd. If you are not fortunate enough to have an invite from someone in the industry, you may want to plan on coming early to get some of the limited seats or wearing some cozy shoes because the place gets to standing-room-only quite fast once the festivities begin.
The Boss and I, fortunately, were invited by porn star Kelly Shibari, so had some of the best seats in the house. Rounding out our table were the lusciously adorable April Flores and artist/filmmaker Carlos Batts, as well as another raucous friend, Philly Nick. At the mic, as our hot Emcee/Hostess, was Nicki Hunter, who never let the energy drop all night. There was an ever-increasing fever pitch and a whole lot of sex in the air, with Nicki as our naughty ringmistress taking time out here and there to have maximum dirty fun giving out the official swag of PSK – what else? XXX DVDs, each given a lascivious sum up with awesome bravado.
** A little side-note, speaking of films: Carlos’ new film, “Sugar Sisters” an NC-17 cult film along the lines of Faster Pussycat: Kill, Kill, KIll! and the fab exploitation of the 70s, counts Kelly Shibari, April Flores, and Nicki Hunter among its awesome cast. Keep an eye open, it looks like one hell of a badass movie! **
Nicki started off the evening with a song and, let me tell you, this chick has one hell of a set of pipes! She belted out with a gorgeous, strong voice while putting on a sexy performance, hopping in Carlos’ lap and (sadly missed by my camera) gave voluptuous April a spirited motorboat. From there, it didn’t get any less full of silly frolic and absolute lack of inhibition. There is, it seems, something quite freeing about Porn Star Karaoke. We enjoyed a nice, young man giving us some heartfelt Bowie, dancing with a maniacal glee that one can only describe as what Mick Jagger might look like if he tried to do his signature moves with David-Byrne-esque (“same as it ever was …”) twitchiness. Then another guy came up, looking relatively unassuming, to favor us with – I shit you not – “Nasty Girl” by Vanity 6. Later in the evening @pornstarkaraoke herself, Constance Le graced the room with a sultry song, too.
Of our table, April did a beautiful rendition of Depeche Mode’s “It’s No Good”, dancing, spinning, and giving the audience to the side of the stage area a treat by singing to them. Then the Boss rocked crooner classic “Mack the Knife” (and gave me the usual lovey palpitations *sigh*). Did I sing? Well, yes, you could probably call my slightly shouty turn at the mic that, I suppose. But isn’t that what karaoke is all about, rocking a tune whether you have the voice for it or not? Well, I certainly met that bar, anyway.
There were some other notable porn folk in the crowd, so we got to observe them “in the wild” outside their usual habitat. Nicki was most excited to see Sea J Raw come in, and the crowd was treated to random flashes of nipple from her, as well as Nicki planting a few lusty kisses. But, I think I can safely say, the star-spotting of the night that made the Webmaster and I smile the widest was the heralded entrance of The Godfather of Porn himself. Yes, Ron fucking Jeremy was in the house! Epic win.
So, for a veteran of decades of karaoke, was Porn Star Karaoke REALLY that different from the norm? Worth the crowds, the drive to Burbank, and whatever other obstacles might present themselves? Oh, FUCK YEAH! If you’re near LA, especially if you’re a fan of old-school ballsy sing-your-guts-out karaoke or enjoy your entertainment of the 18+ variety, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. If you’re coming to LA, you might want to keep Tuesday night free and make your way to an otherwise unassuming strip mall in Burbank for the stories you’ll drink free on for the rest of the year. Hell, you might even get a little up-close-and-personal time with your favorite porn star. On this night, Nicki Hunter was giving body shots. Do you want to miss that? I don’t think so.
Thanks to Sardo’s for keeping this fantastically naughty night going. Thanks to Nicki Hunter for being the best karaoke hostess, EVER. Thanks to Kelly, April, Carlos, and Nick for a sensational time. Special, extra, gropey-gropey thanks to Kelly for inviting us to one of the best karaoke nights we’ve had in years!
And, I would be remiss if I didn’t say it. Thanks Ron Jeremy, just for being Ron Jeremy.