Walnut Hill: Watusi Karaoke Night

“Oh we gone give you something to write about” says Pam, the bartender at the Watusi Lounge on 46th and Walnut.  For the last month this location of Watusi has been hosting a karaoke night on Mondays that has been getting people from the neighborhood and beyond out on what have started being cold Monday nights. “People come from North Philly and Germantown to come sing with us” she says

“We start really getting people in around 11”says Pam. At this point only about 9 or ten souls have braved the freezing winds of December in Philadelphia, but those few brave enough have come to sing their hearts out.  “Last week you couldn’t even get a seat in hear and it was cold then too” she says.
 The beginning notes of Santa Baby trickle out of the stereo and a woman starts singing soulfully. This was sandwiched in between some slower RnB songs. Suddenly about four people stand around the microphone to start singing the song Secret Lovers.  Pam goes up and starts singing.

As the time passes more people make their way into the lounge. On their Karaoke nights Watusi, has drink specials with some scandalous names. This is called a “Blowjob” says the other bartender as she shows me a little shot glass with a squirt of whipped cream on top of the liquor. “Who’s gonna eat the pink pussy” says Pam. Once she gets some takers she starts mixing a drink and pours out two of  them into some plastic bowls and line them up in front of the customers. These customers proceed to slurp the drink up without using their hands. Everyone in the place seems to be very friendly with each other giving it that real community feel to it.