Every Tuesday through Saturday is karaoke night at Silver Cloud, where the show starts promptly at 9 and stars you, your friends, and also lots of other drunk people. This bar will scratch your karaoke itch in the Marina and serves food and cocktails to keep you going while you wait for your big moment on the mic. Escape the worst singers on the patio outside

On an unassuming Chinatown side street lies Bow Bow Lounge, the narrow, red-hued lair of proprietress Mama Candy. Here, enthusiastic karaoke-ers perform into the night, bolstered by one (or several) of the potent beverages served behind the bar.

The first Tuesday of each month cocktail wunderkind Kona Street Market plays host to Brandon & KJ Shaggy, karaoke hosts of the finest order. From 6 to 10 p.m. this free-to-attend sing-a-long show provides a lowkey chance to enjoy a primo drink and loads of chances to sidle up to the mic.

Each Wednesday night, this Geary Boulevard bar — decked with portraits of Irish heroes such as Bobby Sands and Michael Collins — becomes a karaoke lover’s dream. Neighborhood regulars croon “Tennessee Whiskey” and would-be pop stars take turns on Harry Styles’ tunes. It’s totally free to participate, though a line can form in short order.

For private parties stuffed with songs and scintillating hot pot, there may be no better venue than the Richmond District’s Grand Hot Pot Lounge. There may be no other private karaoke rooms in San Francisco with lazy susans in front of the TV, a sight worth experiencing for oneself. Rent one out to get all-you-can-eat hot pot, all-you-can-drink beer and sake, and plenty of time to belt out any songs you fancy.

Though there are no private rooms at the Mint, there are plenty of cheap drinks (two minimum!) to take the edge off of a public performance. An abundance of neon lights, a spectacular carpet adorned with an 80's neon geometric pattern, and a good selection of songs keep regulars returning to belt it out, again and again.

DJ Purple Dance is more than a screen and a microphone — it's a full-on performance, accompanied by live sax solos from the man himself. DJ Purple's skills in the booth keep the energy up and the dance floor hot and heavy all night long. He can be found Thursday nights at Slate Bar, from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Just off of 19th Avenue lies this stand-and-deliver karaoke experience. K-Time is no frills, that’s for sure, but the price is reasonable — by San Francisco’s standards — for private rooms outside of the city’s downtown usuals.