Cat's Meow

Cat's Meow on Fremont Street is where karaoke becomes the whole point instead of something embarrassing happening in the corner. This is a dedicated karaoke bar with a stage, live band backing you up, and a crowd that's there specifically to watch people sing—which means everyone's supportive instead of judgmental. The Monday through Friday 2-6pm happy hour features 2-for-1 drinks, making it financially responsible to drink enough courage to get on stage and butcher "Don't Stop Believin'."

The 2-for-1 Power

2-for-1 drinks during a four-hour afternoon window is dangerous math when you're considering whether to sing karaoke. Order one drink, get two, suddenly the stage doesn't look so intimidating. The deal applies to most drinks—beers, wells, cocktails—effectively cutting your drinking costs in half while doubling your drink consumption. It's the kind of pricing that turns "I'll just watch" into "okay maybe I'll do one song" into "where's the song book, I'm doing Bon Jovi."

The Karaoke Setup

Unlike bars where karaoke's an afterthought with backing tracks and a crappy speaker, Cat's Meow does it right. There's a proper stage, professional sound system, and often a live band playing with you instead of just tracks. Having real musicians backing you up elevates the whole experience—it feels like performing rather than just drunkenly singing along. The song selection is massive, covering everything from classic rock to current pop, and the staff helps you find what you're looking for.

The Fremont Energy

Being on Fremont Street means Cat's Meow sits in the middle of downtown's party zone, catching foot traffic from people looking for their next move. The crowd's a mix of tourists who heard about it, locals who made it their karaoke spot, bachelorette parties looking for entertainment, and random drunk people who wandered in and decided to stay. The energy's high without being obnoxious, supportive without being fake, and everyone's there to have fun rather than judge performances.

The Performance Experience

The beautiful thing about karaoke at Cat's Meow is everyone's equally terrible and equally enthusiastic. Nail the song and people cheer. Completely bomb it and people still cheer. The supportive crowd makes it safe to take risks, try songs outside your range, or just get up there drunk and give it your best shot. The live band helps—they adjust to your ability, cover your mistakes, and make everyone sound better than they actually are.

The Strategic Drinking

The 2-6pm happy hour timing is perfect for building liquid courage gradually. Start at 2pm with one 2-for-1 round while you scope out the song book. By 3pm you're two drinks deep (but only paid for one) and considering options. By 4pm you're committed to doing at least one song. By 5pm you're planning your second song. By 6pm you're trying to convince your friends they need to do a group number. The progression is natural and the 2-for-1 pricing makes it affordable to fuel the entire journey.

Why It's Essential

Cat's Meow isn't just a bar with karaoke—it's a karaoke experience that happens to serve drinks. The 2-for-1 happy hour makes it accessible for regular visits instead of special occasions only, and the quality of the setup makes it worth actually trying instead of just drinking and watching. In a city full of expensive entertainment, getting to perform with a live band while half-drunk on 2-for-1 drinks is the kind of Vegas memory that costs way less than it feels like it should.