Backstage Bar & Grill

The karaoke crowd at Backstage on Culver Boulevard is already spilling onto the sidewalk by nine on a Friday. You can hear someone murdering a Journey song through the front door before you even pay the cover. It is loud, sticky, and completely unpretentious.

Inside, the grill is pumping out burgers while people cram shoulder to shoulder around tiny tables. The stage barely fits a four piece band, so the guitar player's amp is practically sitting in somebody's lap. Bartenders don't have time to chat, so you better know what you want to drink when you finally flag them down.

Sound bounces hard off the low ceiling and wood paneling, turning every set into a wall of pure noise. You'll leave smelling like fried food and cheap whiskey, with your ears ringing for hours.