All Star's friendly, spacious for karaoke

I walked into the All Star Bar & Grill at 924 Mica Drive in Indian Hills on Friday to check out karaoke with Martin's DJ Service.

With two men in the large, crowded establishment wearing 5-gallon cowboy hats and a guy singing "Be My Baby Tonight," I figured it would be more of a country western bar than many in Carson City proper.

DJ Martin Garry proved me wrong a few songs later when he sang Frank Sinatra. Actually, it was so accurate a rendition that at first I thought he had put on a tape of Ol' Blue Eyes by way of a musical interlude.

Garry has a terrific singing voice. On Sunday, he performed at the American Heart Association's Fantasy Wedding Fair at the Reno Hilton. He's performed at the Carson City Community Center in the last few years in "New York, New York" and "Oklahoma."

The All Star Grill is a great venue for Garry's talents. The two pool tables, foosball table, "Twilight Zone" pinball machine and two electric dart boards are good accompaniment to his big white binders of 7,000 karaoke options. He even offers the song "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" by the Sons of the Pioneers. But as I say it's not all country stuff -- customer Paul "Like Showers" Golden performed Englebert Humperdink's version of "Please Release Me" under two disco balls rigged by Garry. One of All Star's owners, Jerome Mason, moved slowly on the dance floor with two partners while Showers crooned "... so release me and let me love again." Mason and his brother, Steve, will have owned the bar for seven years Feb. 8. That's my birthday. Maybe we can all celebrate together.

Patron James Kossuth, who made it through 345 days in Vietnam then lost his right arm in an auto accident outside of Markleeville, remembers when it used to be the Bandit's Bar. "There was only five mobile homes and a dirt road back then," he said. Does Kossuth sing karaoke? "You want to hear a hillbilly sing?" he said. "I'll blow the windows right out of here."

All Star's Bar & Grill is a friendly, spacious hangout with a long, L-shaped bar and several tables. It's the kind of place where people aren't afraid to shout out support for a karaoke performer or jump up and help him or her with a song. Karaoke is every Friday from about 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call the All Star Bar & Grill for more details at 267-3738.

Living Picture Show, a duo from Gardnerville that aims to "bring your existence to a higher level," will perform Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. at Nelson's Java & Spirits in Gardnerville. Vanessa Littrell and her husband, Nate, have played acoustic folk-rock around the lake and valleys for about two years. Vanessa's vocals are reminiscent of Alanis Morrisette or Jewel. Nate "Rhythm Section" Littrell lays down the bass lines. There is a $3 cover charge. Call Comma Coffee at 883-2662.

Keith Woodruff's ceramics class at the Brewery Arts Center started last night after press time for the Appeal's C section. I'll attend the class and provide updates. If you've never thrown a dish on a potter's wheel or stabbed your arms into a big vat of recycled clay at the pug mill, please try it -- it's incredibly therapeutic. Other classes this semester are Beverly Caputo's acrylics class, raku pottery taught by Stephanie Gabler and Sherry Loncar, and Robert Henry's painting with oils and beginning and intermediate watercolor painting. Call the Brewery for more information at 883-1976 and request a schedule of classes.

Karl Horeis can be reached at 881-1219.