Janelle N.

This is kind of a middle of the road spot. Really, if I was to judge on appearance, parking, and size of the venue, it would be 2 stars. The one additional star I added is for the fun and happiness karaoke seems to bring to people. Some might say Gaslight has an abundance of karaoke whores but I think the majority are random drunk guys or gals who just wants to let their hair down and do something they never have: sing in public. You know the saying "wherever you go, there you are" well the gaslight reminds me of just that. You walk in and the place is teeny tiny so there you are, in one room the size of a bachelor pad with mirrors that trick your mind into thinking it's larger. The "stage" is more of a podium in size and there isn't a kitchen so therefor no food. There are regulars and some nights no karaoke is going on at all and there might be 4 old men sitting about which makes walking in quite weird. The place is definitely a dive. It is old and dirty and not what you'd think you'd be entering from the outside view. The types of guys I've seen here are mostly young UCLA students or right out of school guys. The type with pimples, dirty hair under an old beat up baseball cap, no game, and probably still living with the folks "about to move out" (sure) type. Badly dressed, poorly groomed and just plain sloppy with a few drinks giving them courage. *Note to these guys: stop going to supercuts for your hair! Find a good BARBER or a reputable salon and pick a flattering cut.* Anyways, this is not the only type I've seen but it is the majority so you've been warned. For a no frills, no expectations get together with friends for karaoke this spot would suffice.

Chad M.

Went to the gaslite. Grabbed a drink and put my name in to sing. 3 hours went by, no call to sing. I asked what happened; karaoke host said people paid up to $40 to sing, I did not. Kind of lame. Bartenders were good, crowd was good. $5 beers, $8 shots.

Dave L.

This place smells like vomit. Other than that, Gas Lite is a good karaoke dive for singing and scoping out the other people. It's a small room with four tables and a small dance floor. They are open at 6AM(!!) for happy hour. The bartender guy is nice and fast and he even offered us popcorn. His drinks aren't that strong though. And my friend didn't enjoy paying $4 for a bottle of Budweiser. The first time I went was on a Monday and the KJ was having problems with her mouse. But the second time I went, on a Tuesday, she had resolved the technical difficulties. She nearly molested my friend who sang Barry White and Jodeci, but didn't really pay attention to the big black guy who was there because he had a fat crush on her. Apparently she likes Asian guys who think they are black instead of the real deal. There seems to be a bigger crowd on Monday nights for some reason, and the eye candy was much better, at least in my experience. If you go, make sure you go up and sing cuz the crowd is very supportive, even if your voice sucks. I would know.

Landon D.

karaoke on a monday night? sign me up!! this place is really small, its got that dive bar feel but when i was there i ended up talking to mostly tourists (people from canada, and switzerland)...the bartenders dont seem to know how to make complex drinks quickly, but oh well...(we ordered a round of b-52s and i think she took at least 5 mins to make 5 shooters) but once they were done it was all good. The only bad thing about this place is the girl who runs the karaoke. she only seems to play those songs that everyone would know, and she skips over less popular songs. true karaoke means letting people sing/rap whatever is in the book. if it's there, it's meant to be sung!

Todd F.

Super fun until some douche bag decided to go tell my date that I was at the bar hitting on another chick (not even true)... so I almost ended up in a fight when it was clearly unnecessary.... the bar staff and bouncers were all cool and friendly, great music, solid drinks with okay prices and great crowd, aside from the douche bag previously noted.

Jenn T.

All ye who Karaoke...meet Gas Lite! I love this place. It's seedy, the drinks are cheap, the people will rock out and dance to you if you like to sing Madonna and rock out with the mic. (i.e. yours truly) and they even have a dance floor conveniently located right beneath the stage. Do not go there if you do not want to act a fool, drink and make stories for the next day that you wish your friends would never tell...but I have never failed to have a fun loving good time here. Thursdays are rockin' in my opinion.

Bree J.

This is one of those places where you'd have to come already toasted to enjoy... Nothing special about this place at all, maybe it would be passable on a nite where you could actually do something... sit, sing, stand without someones elbow in your drink. Had one drink and got the f*** outta there

Amy B.

The Gaslite can be nice and empty in the early evening, but a few hours later it will be packed like a sardine can. It has a mixed crowd depending on if it is karaoke night. The place is small and unpretentious. Be prepared to elbow for room if you are here during karaoke hours.

Marina P.

I love this place! It is just a great no frills bar... something very hard to find in the LA area. Drink prices are totally reasonable and on the rare occasion that there is a line that wait is minimal. The crowd is always laid back and fun. The karaoke is also awesome but if you want to sing make sure you get there early to make sure you get your name on the list!

Jason W.

I think I may have gone on a wrong night. I just hate watching people sing in this atmosphere. The owner wrote me a really nice letter and offered twenty-five dollars to me in free drinks.. I think they were having some problems with their air conditioner the last week so check it out you might like it.

Sam H.

This place couldn't suck any harder if it was a hoover vacuum. For one, there's an unreasonable wait to get in when it's 9:30 on Saturday. Yeah, I know it's Saturday, but why I am outside when the place is 1/3rd full. Getting drinks was actually kind of reasonable. The waiting staff were generally polite, cute, and the drinks fairly priced for a Saturday night in Los Angeles. It's kind of dark inside, and it gets real crowded, real quick. Now, I love karaoke, I consider myself even kind of good at it. I also have an idea what to expect, as I've been to 6 different karaoke joints since I've been in LA, and one in Orange County. The karaoke guy is total trash. I put my name down on the list at 10:30, and d-bag # 1 running karaoke still had not called me up on stage by 1:00. Look, I know it can take a while to get to your song, but there were not that many people on the list when I signed up. He also plays songs between karaoke singers. LONG songs. If I wanted to go to the club I'd go to Holly's West just down the street. I want Karaoke, period, get on with it. And here's where I'll never return to Gaslite. For one, the guy running karaoke, (he's the tool who's like like 5'10 and looks like Steve Gutenberg) felt it necessary to talk to trash to my friend before she sang her song. THEN, and this is the kicker He has the nerve to cut my friend off midsong, so he can sing with his buddies. What the hell is up with that?!? HE CUT HIM OFF MID SONG! THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Please note, that this all took place after we waited over 2 hours for our chance to sing. This place is terrible, plain and simple, if you want to actually have FUN, go to Sonny's on a Saturday night. It's like 6 blocks east, the karaoke guy plays minimal songs between karaoke singers, and some of the regulars are actually quite good. Especially Mini-loaf. DON'T GO TO THE GASLITE!!!

Sam Y.

Cool little bar, one of the smallest I have ever been to. Karaoke too. I went there for Halloween and it's a mixed crowd of frat boy types to after work people, to the typical indigineous people of Santa Monica. They have drink specials and good jack and cokes. Its like Brass Monkey in LA.

Lisa Z.

I liked this place, it was really old school and dark during the day when we came in as stop #1 on my drunken pub crawl birthday rounds. Had a beer in here and dug the groovy naughahyde round red booths. 70s! Regal Beagle-ish and it is in Santa Monica! Old bar flies and regulars in here then. We had a fun start to the festivities here. They were setting up the karaoke machine but did not get to experience it. Unfortunately this was also the LAST stop on the drunken pub crawl birthday rounds, and #1 I don't remember if there was karaoke or not, I don't think there was-- but I do remember my drunken "Elaine" dancing. Sorry friends and watchers on! It was pretty packed then and #2 I got beer spilled all over my jacket, that somehow got almost lost several times. It was amazing what I difference a few hours made in this place. I enjoyed it a lot more during Round #1, when it was not packed.

Albie L.

This is my favorite bar in LA. The clientele is a bunch of locals and a lot of them seem to be regulars. There's a grrrrrreat music selection and the crowd has good taste in music, in my (clearly superior) opinion. (tip: if you can't find a song, try the other book: there are some songs in the "By Song" index that aren't in the "By Artist" index and vice versa.) I've only been there on Sundays and all the employees sing and are genuinely friendly and fun. Craig the bartender is awesome. He is the only bartender anywhere to remember my drink and he learned it in 3 weeks. Sure, he heard me order 20 or so gin and sodas over that time, but it's impressive nonetheless. And I can't believe I never noticed Alyssa the cocktail waitress until my last Sunday there! I met her once, but I love her already. And she's beautiful, to boot! Oh and there's the wall of fame. If you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, you get your stem taped to the wall with your name written in black Sharpie. Yep, that's PERMANENT marker. My friend Katherine got on the wall (look for her name...maybe as Kat or KT). Then I tied an even tighter knot and I swear the stem was but half an inch long, but the barkeep said "It's not hot when a guy does it." Not fair.

Diana A.

ugh!! yuck!! what was this ??!!! there was tangled christmas tree lights all around the shack! wow.. drinks yes fast got to the point had one drink and left! the kareoke was so lame the dj looked like a high school student! soooo tiny inside everyone was walking all over eachother .. older people which was like 40 plus crowd. Yeah not doing that again!

Megan S.

This place is really fun, even if you're not a karaoke-er. I refuse to sing (mostly for other people's benefit), but I love coming to Gaslite for its great atmosphere and quirky crowd. Where else can you listen to some guy in a denim vest rock out in a tiny dive decorated year-round with Christmas tinsel? Come here on a weeknight for a really quality show: weekends are fun but ridiculously crowded. Drinks are sort of weak but also pretty cheap, so it evens out in the end. This bar is definitely worth a try if you're in the mood for something different!

Caitlin C.

Great place if you are into karaoke because 1. It's karaoke night, every night 2. It's usually so dark and the people so drunk they won't be able to tell or remember that it was you. I've been a couple of times and it's always been packed, like hold-your-breath-to-walk-through-a-crowd kind of packed. Drawbacks were that my boyfriend got his sunglasses stolen (apparently he thought he was cool wearing them at night) and I had a really hard time closing out my tab (it took honestly 20+ minutes). But again, the place was full and the bar was busy. If I ever get a really bad karaoke itch, I'll know where to scratch it. Or if I really need at beer at 6 am, I know where I can head to. Oh the Gas Light, is there anything you can't do?

ilovelattes a.

first time at a live karaoke bar and it was so much fun! interesting performances & cheap drinks :) best part is happy hour before 9pm! parking ~ slightly difficult, street parking is not readily available and hte parking lot is super super tiny! people ~ hmm.. quirky, interesting, young, old, so you'll get a good mixture of a crowd bathroom ~ i have to say that someone threw up in the sink early in the nite so washing your hands was NASTY.

Ryan R.

After having gone to the Gas Lite I wonder why I bother going anywhere else. No other place is nearly as fun. There is no line, no cover, decently priced drinks and the best people in LA. This place only attracts people who go out to have fun, none of those people that are going out to be seen or people too obsessed with their appearance to have a good time. It isn't uncommon to find yourself with your arms around several strangers' shoulders belting out 'Don't Stop Believin' by the end of the night. Sure it is cheesy, you do need to sign up early if you wanna sing and it pretty much looks like a beat up frat house basement but hands down the best bar I've been to in LA.

N. J.

I went to Gaslite last Friday not expecting much because I had read a lot of the reviews. However, I did not expect the DJ to be such a d-bag. We signed up for a song around 10:30 and left around 1:30 before our names were called. At one point, I went up to the DJ booth and he told me and a couple of other girls that if we paid him $100, we would be moved up the list. He is completely unprofessional and seems to be more interested in singing the songs himself than allowing people to go up and sing karaoke.

Jennie B.

While this place has a pretty great music selection for karaoke (I sang Joey and Gigantic) beware of the locals; and never ever put your purse on one of the bar stools because you may end up like me. I came back to my seat (which was being saved by my surrounding friends and trusty purse) after a healthy belting. And what to my surprise some large 250 lb man was occupying my seat - which obviously had already began riling my posse. Sensing a commotion I asked politely for my purse back, cause hey - I can stand, no deal! Instead of my purse I received the loathed four letter word that turns any sane woman mad. While I don't quite like being referred to as another word for vagina EVEN though I have one and I let the sorry sap know. This in turn set off a blond mad woman across the bar (evidently the girlfriend) on a fit of hissing/ swatting/ rage; to which my friend got most of the scratches on his nice little face. We ended up causing a righteous scene - I punched the sorry sap in the head three times and threw a shot glass at the blond nail fighter. Needless to say we've yet to go back . Moral of the story - don't try to save your seat at this mildly charming, overly priced crappy drinks dive bar.

Nina H.

Oh the fond memories I share with Gaslite! It's been a while since I've been here so I'm going to hold back a star. But, back when I lived in Venice, my roommate and I would come here all the time and sing our little hearts out. I can't remember what nights we used to come, but it was always just the right amount of people and the perfect atmosphere for some drunken crooning. It's the kind of place you go with a good group of good friends and just want to hang out, not be a part of any "scene", but still sing and dance and drink and be merry!

Tiffany S.

i don't even like karaoke and i like this place. i don't like lines and i've stood in line for this place. there's just something about gaslite... this place always surprises me. one time we went for a friend's bday/leaving LA celebration. choice moments include: a rousing rendition of "i touch myself" and the bday girl being offered weed by a semi-homeless looking middle aged man in a flame shirt. another time with co-workers we got there too late to sing - but were sooo into dancing that i'm not sure we were aware it wasn't the real thing. also, gorged myself on the free popcorn - so major points for that.

Alia D.

The Gaslite is one of those place that could become a regular thing for me. I couldn't hold a note if someone paid me, but who really cares? The one outstanding feature that this place had was a stripper pole at the "stage" area. Whhhaaaaa? So what guy said "OH I know, let's open a kareoke bar and just throw a pole up in there just to make things interesting". I'm not knocking it at all, but I do think it's hilarious. The drinks were a good price a bit on the weak side. I liked the no cover and small line. Although I didn't realize there was a small line because they let everyone and their mama in and pack the joint like sardines. I mean, what's the point of a pole if you're gonna end up cracking someones face open every time you try to swing around (It's actually pretty amusing to see the girls fail at being sexy and clumsily swatting people with their shoes). Really the amount of people was kind of ridiculous, but hey, what's a night out without pushin people around to go pee? It took a while to clamor t the stage area because of the volume of people. It was of course loud but I think honestly it could have been turned down just a bit (and no it's not my age speaking). The shear smallness of the place was pretty shocking. They could build out into the parking lot and would be just fine. Great for groups and party time. Like I said. I'll be back again. Soon.

Heather H.

big marc is the man!

Janine S.

Omg, a good time to had by all! Seriously, west side karaoke such a blast. The host is a self-effacing, sweet, frat boy collegiate-looking kid-who hits the comedic mark en pointe. The fact that it opens at 6am, rivals only the 500 Club in SF's Mission district. It's hysterical, even if the place smells-a great reason to come w/nice smelling females.

Adam B.

Divey bar that seems to be one of those places that have been around forever. Decent happy hour that goes til 8 with $4 mixed drinks (but nothing top shelf) and good and friendly barkeeps. They've got a couple of plasma TV's but while they promote their sports coverage, I wouldn't call this a sports bar. Really, Karaoke is their big deal and it draws a crowd but not an enormous one. At least not on weeknights. Food? Hope you like popcorn cause that's all they got.

Marco B.

overpriced drinks in small glasses ($10 for a redbull vodka) for the type of dive that it is... shitty decor but it receives 2 stars just for staying open past 130 am which is rare these days for a bar on the westside. usually packed. people are very chill.

John H.

The best place for a fun night in Santa Monica! Most bars in Santa Monica are filled with sleepy quiet people not looking to get crazy. This bar is actually fun and filled with fun people. Bartenders could be better, but always a good time.

Amy B.

this is one of my favorite Karaoke dive bars. they have karaoke 7days a week and it so much fun. everyone is pretty laid back & they are definitely not stuck up here. the drink prices are not that bad, they don't serve food but they do have popcorn for snacking. on the weekends you might wanna come a little early to sign up to sing or you might be waiting for a long time or not sing at all...but you can also come during the week and sing all night long :-) there is a tiny dance floor and the people definitely use it for sure. no cover charge.

Harsh K.

I have never, ever started an evening saying: "Hey guys, lets get really drunk and belt out 'warewolves of london' at the gas lite," but it seems like once every couple months I end up here and find just that happening. The gaslite is one of the few white people karaoke places I go to and it's always a good crowd on a monday night. You just have to get over the slightly rancid/vom smell in the back

Sandra M.

This place has happy hour from 6am-9pm...need I say more! Well for those who are not convinced, this place has other things going for it. The people here aren't the usual LA types-pretentious and judgmental. They are friendly. They cheer for you, sing along with you, and buy you beers. No one that sings here is expecting to be discovered, which is also nice considering that this is LA. It's a total dive bar atmosphere, which is a nice break from the usual LA scene. You can be as casual or as dressed up as you want. There's a good mix of people-young and old. All in all a great place. Friendly staff, good music, fun people. And happy hour from 6am-9pm (I felt the need to repeat this pretty amazing feature in case you missed it the first time around)!!!!! Oh yeah and karaoke every night of the week with 2 books worth of song selections.

Amy B.

some of the bartenders are pretty rude, and the place just looks dirtty

Kevin H.

Good place to go for drunk karaoke. Many a good time has been had at the Gas Lite. As others have said, the LA attitude is absent. Although be forewarned the crowd can be broken down into two categories: college kids and homeless drunks, who are usually gone as the night progresses.

dae m.

screw going to koreatown for karaoke and ordering rubbing alcohol flavored soju! this is the place! american drinks, white folks, and offkey singing!

C H.

Been there once and had a great time. Maybe it was because I was hopped up on booze and vicodin when I got there, who knows.

LaKesha H.

If you want to karaoke in Santa Monica The Gaslite is not the place to go. Their sound system sucks (it broke down twice). Their mics are god awful and most importantly their wait staff is the worst. I and my man friend were sitting at a table and the waitress approaches us and ask us if we wanted something to drink. We said sure. I order a coke because i do not drink. The young lady asked me if it is cash or open a tab. I said cash. She said you must pay up front. I found this to be very hard to comprehend. Every bar I have gone to in and outside the country you pay after you get your drinks. She said that this is the owners rules. So I paid ahead of time. I asked the people at the table I was sitting at did she ask you to pay ahead of time and he said no. Now there was only two differences between he and i ! He was male and he was Caucasian. I have had heard of racial profiling when the law is concerned but not when it comes to karaoke and drinks. Now the fun did not stop there. The same and only waitress working on 01/15/2010 continuously kept asking us to relinquish our table. "There are people outside that really want a table" So my question is why is that my problem and why do you keep coming to us. My table consisted of 4 people and there were table where there were only two patrons at them. Why did she keep coming back to us. hhhhmmmm Now I am not daft I know the main goal is to making money but you do not make tips and money by treating your patron like they are not wanted. Oh yes and the waitress said that the owner told her to ask for the table. I really question the owner and his/her morals. If you condone Prejudice behavior and bad quality entertainment by all means go to the Gaslite.

christina a.

Karaoke...Popcorn...awesome waitresses who would make out with hot bachelorettes...This place = good times

Brittany D.

ive had nothing but good times at this karaoke bar....the last time i rolled up in a shopping cart and sang Ain't Nothin But a G Thang. One of the greatest nights of my life.....id say theyre pretty tolerant of drunk patrons as well. always nice. I always go on sundays after cabo's happy hour ends, and its perfectly dead...maybe ten people in the place....not sure if it gets crowded on weekends ???

Caroline Y.

This place was aiight~I went for a Halloween party. Everyone was dressed up, drunk and karaoking their hearts out on stage. The drinks were okay but service a bit slow. Oh yeah, I didn't like the fact that it was like a thousand degrees in there. It was HOT!

Megan L.

Tiny karaoke bar with lots of old folks.

Megan S.

weak mixed drinks, but shots were poured with a heavy hand. and i don't know if the bartender was new or what but the wait for drinks was ridiculous. i mean, it's a karaoke bar. you gotta keep people drunk and happy. sober karaoke is painful, for the singer and the audience.

Amy L.

wouldn't be as bad if i the odor of vomit didn't permeate throughout. they do have a cool lit-up karaoke stage, but again, the smell of upchuck makes me hesitant to remain here for very long.

Danielle F.

Prepare yourself for simply some of the worst karaoke your ears have ever been exposed to. There is a definitely lack of talent at the Gaslite but that's ok. That's what makes it fun. Only the extremely demented who think they can sing hang out here, which is great because its not like other bars where people take themselves too seriously and sing Unchained Melody. Drinks are crazy stiff here (probably to take the edge off the torture they classify as singing) and expect to get drunk. There is no other way to survive. You might surprise yourself and actually have some fun in this tiny place and even.. (drum roll please) SING!

Courtney L.

I had one of my absolute favorite nights out in LA at this bar. My friends and I had just finished our first year of law school and we had been drinking for HOURS, so we were pretty drunk by the time we got there. We immediately signed up for karaoke (because we'd been there previously and had never gotten to sing), and it was a fantastic time. People were singing along to all of the songs, there was a dance floor that people were actually dancing on, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Of course there were some people who couldn't sing, but that's what makes karaoke great! You can make an idiot out of yourself and still have a really good time. Overall, I would not recommend this place to everyone. It is pretty small, and you have to appreciate the karaoke scene in order to have a good time. But to anyone who just wants to have a fun night out, this is a great place to do it!

Alycia C.

This place is the PERFECT amount of grimy. If you are a classy person who likes classy things, never come here. This place is the exact opposite of class, but it's so fun. Karakoe is the best thing ever, even (especially) if you are terrible at it. They have $2 PBRs (what a dream!) and popcorn, which is totally gross in all of the right ways. It's basically the perfect place to stop by after work, especially if you do it on accident

Matt R.

Probably my favorite Dive Bar of all times. It's dark inside, so if you start drinking in the afternoon, you will be blinded by the sun for a good 5 minutes when you emerge from that cave. If you've been drinking here for more that 2 hours, do not sing karaoke. You may do something like request the theme from Gilligan's Island & be too sauced to keep up with the lyrics to the point where you turn your back to the audience of 5 like people whispering into the mic things like... "I hate you people... Why did she leave me? Probably because she judges me the same way you shallow people do... plastic... phony... I... ughhh...how long is this song?" It was here that I discovered men cannot tip over a pack of smokes with their nose while on their knees, & arms behind their back, yet women can. Amazing really. This place is also near a nicer bar with a pretty wooden exterior, but if I had a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you the name of it. In fact, I'm not ever clear on if it's in walking or driving distance. Wow. What were we talking about?

Donald B.

A few of my friends and I walked out of some unspeakable horrors at V-Lounge next door, and I decided that, despite having my blacked out friend get kicked out for getting a little too freaky, the party wasn't going to end. We walk over to Gaslite. I was kind of worried that the bouncer wouldn't let us in because I was busy propping Ronan up, but I guess it ended up being a lot less of an issue now that everyone else there was on our level. Do you ever walk into a bar and damn near shed a tear because it satisfies all of your checklist for a good night? Cheap drinks? Check. Unpretentious sloppy people? Check. Someone singing Michael Jackson's PYT? Check. Nobody trying to fight my blacked out friend despite his sleazy shenanigans? Check. A clusterfuck of a crowd? Check. I was pretty satisfied with what was going on. Nobody could coherently sing, everyone was way too happy to care, people were super supportive of whoever was trying to sing. You could feed on that kind of energy for hours. It's not really so much of a karaoke bar as much as it's an I'm-going-to-get-really-drunk-and-make-up-the-­lyrics-to-that-fast-rap-song. Don't come here expecting that. Just come here expecting to be trashy around other people who are trashy. Expect to get your dance on, and don't be mad if the person next to you is flailing her arms around in excitement. Just embrace it and make a new friend.

Eric P.

Go here anytime after 10pm on a weekend and see the best (best is a very subjective word) crowd in Santa Monica. Most of the karaoke singers are pretty bad, but there are a few gems every now and then. Resist the urge to make fun of the DJ, who is a dead ringer for Justin Bieber's older brother... the guy is crazy talented and pretty nice. The drinks are cheap, the entertainment is free, and the experience is unforgetable.

Tavish L.

I was in Santa Monica on a business trip and was itching to get my karaoke on. Only problem? It was a Monday night. I dunno about y'all, but where I come from, there are ZERO karaoke options on a Monday night. The fact that the GL runs karaoke 7 nights a week (I think?) already gives it +1 star in my book. So I rolled up in this joint around 9:30pm to find it somewhat busy with regulars. The bar staff was super cool and friendly. After mentioning it was my first night in Santa Monica, I promptly found a complimentary shot lined up on the house. Thanks Aaron! What makes this place a 5-star karaoke spot though (in addition to the excellent staff) is the supportive karaoke crowd. Nobody likes to sing in front of a bunch of hoodlums who never clap after your performance. Well this scene was just the opposite. After just an hour or two there, I really got the sense that this is a great local spot where regulars come to hang their hat and partner up with buddies on the microphone. Well to Aaron, Jaimie (sp?), Melissa, and everyone else I met tonight - thanks! And keep on rockin' it...I'll be back for sure!

Brendon D.

Fartgas lite. This place is kinda lame. I'm not too big on "let's perform karaoke in front of the entire bar and get the spotlight". Sometimes I just want to have a cocktail and be done with it. I might disagree with another reviewer and say that this is NOT a dive bar. You want dive bar? Checkout Rockit Cafe during happy hour on a weekday. That is some serious stuff down there. I digress. Overall, I'd say avoid this place and go to The Joker or Speakeasy for a nice cocktail in Santa Monica. Don't half step. Go karaoke at The Backstage.

Delilah B.

I went back here recently after a long absence. What happened?? The bartenders TOTALLY IGNORED us sitting at the bar. It went like this: We parked. We entered the bar. We sat at the bar. There were about six other people in the bar at that time (early evening, weekday). Two bartenders talking behind the bar. Two bartenders walking around behind the bar. After waiting for several minutes, it seemed really obvious they weren't gonna help us. Rather than insist on service they (for whatever reason) didn't want to provide, we left. No one cared. Sorry Gas Lite. I loved you once. I wanted to love you again. What happened?

Eric O.

Hands down my favorite bar in Los Angeles. I've lived here for 4 years plus and have been through the front door of this place at the very least 179 times. Don't get me wrong: this place is not for everyone. Many friends of mine detest the place and refuse to go there (although this can work in your favor if you want to shed friends on any given night. Just throw out " Gaslite?" and they'll scatter). But if you're into this place, you're INTO THIS PLACE. To love the Gaslite you have to love fun...or love getting absolutely hammered. It's not a place to sit around and have long conversations catching up with an old friend. It's a place to get loose, dance, sing, and sing along with anywhere from 12 to 70 of your closest friends. It's small, can get crowded, and can get hot, but if you're looking for a place with an unlimited ceiling on any given night (I've been in there on Sunday nights that got out of control) then check out the spot at 21st and Wilshire. You won't regret it.

Ana G.

This place was initially cool and then turned into a nightmare. I went with a friend on a Friday night because we're local and we arrived pretty early at around 11pm with a lot of time ahead until closing to put our name down for kareoke. We waited and waited. People who came in after us were singing before us. Other people who had already been up were having seconds before us. We'd basically been pushed to the bottom of some list. We went over to ask the woman in charge of it why we hadn't been up yet and she asked me "which list are you on?" - ???. Well, needless to say I was unimpressed. She marked an asterisk by my name which was on a separate list shorter than the one she would scribble on. While I was at the desk someone was offering her $5 tips and she was refusing to take it saying the bar didn't allow it which was clearly nonsense because that is the ONLY way this kareoke bar works. There are two lists: the tips list and the non tips list. If you tip the lady you get to go on. The higher the tip (after she said no to the $5 he immediately offered her $10 so it's all a strategy to up her tips) the faster you'll be on the Kareoke. My friend asked this one lady who seemed to be best friends with the lady in charge of the Kareoke (she had sung about 3 times!) if she knew why we hadn't gone up yet and it had been 2.5 hours!! She was pretty aggressive and condescending to us saying "Now look, if you go over there and you ask reaaaalllyyyy nicely, and say "How much do I have to give you to sing?". At this point I was angry at the time we'd wasted here. A waste of a night and my time and the bar owner couldn't care less- he probably takes a commission on her tips! I think it's ridiculous to run a Kareoke bar this way and I wrote this review to warn others about the awful night I had there. Not going back. I'm sure there are other places in LA that actually care about not wasting their customers time and realises tipping is something you do because the service and bar deserves it, not something to pay your way up to a Kareoke microphone. Awful place with very shady practices.

Sephiroth F.

Great place to go i fyou want to get totally wasted and sing karaoke! They have a full bar but no food so be prepared. A lot of nice looking ladies too! The only thing is this plac stinks, literally. Smells like old socks every time I go in there... Other than that, not a bad place...

Melynda C.

I came from out of town and after not being please with serval different places we found this place and had a ball! Drinks are great and the atmosphere is inviting and fun!

Rochelle I.

I'm a sucker for karaoke, cheap drinks, and cute bartenders. So this place got me. Came here on Friday and it was packed. Lots of talent singing, especially the chick running the karaoke, she is awesome. someone give her a record deal. and of course you have your random drunk asses singing (more like howling). but a good time nonetheless. No cover either!

Karen B.

My friend is a regular at the Gas Lite. The bouncers and bartenders know her, so me and my other friend decided to check it out with her. To be honest, it wasn't really my thing, but I was just happy to hang with two of my very good friends. We got there at 9:30pm and it was not too packed. Come 10pm, it was packing up with people. The crowd was mixed in age, some old, some young. When we came, a bunch of frat-looking guys came in. Some of them looked presentable or just plain sloppy. They took over the dance floor and I felt awkward being one of the only girls on the dance floor. This Beavis and Butthead-looking dude with a baseball cap and long stringy hair did this voodoo type dance around me and freaked me out. Karaoke was a hit or miss. They didn't have the song I wanted ("Rolling in the Deep" by Adele), so I decided to sing "No Scrubs" by TLC with my friend. I don't have the greatest voice, but the people in the house cheered us on anyway. There was also this older gentleman who kept singing the same tired-sounding songs, as well as this older woman who sang horribly off key (and drunk senseless). Some of the singers were actually not too bad, but the two who sang horribly made me cringe. The drinks were at best okay. My friend got me a Malibu, which was decent and my other friend got a Long Island Iced Tea which was heavy on the tequila. Needless to say, she didn't have another one. We left around 11pm although my friend who's a regular usually stays til closing time. If you like dive bars with karaoke and a relaxed feel, come here. But if you're looking for more dancing, I suggest going elsewhere.

Kimberly H.

Not the classiest of places...probably the epitome of and ULTIMATE definition of a DIVE Bar! Came here after happy hour at Cabo Catina for co-worker's going away party. Didn't come for drinks, so I can't tell you how the prices are or how heavy/light handed the bartenders are... ...but what I can tell you is that the Karaoke is legit and the atmosphere is nothing like anything else you've ever known. Crowd is a strange mix of people and I'm sure, if not extremely confident that all the "serious singers" are local celebrities. Come here for... * the karaoke - assuming you come with a fun group who can contribute something whether its by... a) not being shy b) doesn't mind singing along (every singer needs a groupie!) c) can rip up the (tiny) dance floor * the super casual atmosphere * the popcorn and people watching - you'd be impressed!

holly c.

I had a great time at this place. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing fancy about this place. Just a good-old bar with karaoke! Drinks were yum and great service from one of the bartenders-- Jess, I think. Prices were great as well. Plus, they don't mind you bringing in your own snacks, which suits my gluten free diet.

Nathalie C.

I was really excited for karaoke but nobody was singing. I'm assuming it was because the ten people in the place were all just watching the Lakers game. I want to try this place again but at a later time of night because I think we were just there too early. But there a couple of homeless looking people that just stared at us so we felt uncomfortable and left. If the place was crowded I'm sure it wouldn't have been so bad. But since there were only 10 people, it was pretty obvious and very creepy. On the plus side, my well rum and coke was only $5. I want to come back but I just don't know.

Summary of my night in two sentences: Doooon't stop BeeEEEeeeEEeelivng! Hold on to that feeEEEeeelllling, yeah Awright. Everyone STFU! Sit your drunk ass down. Damn kids get off my lawn! The longer version: I'm a karaoke junkie. Nothing I love more than a bunch of drunk idol-wannabes crooning at the top of their longs. There hasn't been a karaoke joint I haven't loved except for the Gaslight. I can't explain this place. Firstly, I shouldn't trash it; it's a nice divey bar with free parking, decent priced drinks during happy hour, nice bartender and FREE popcorn! However, none of the above made up for the gawd awful singing, the yucky drunk girls, the rude customers, etc Sorry Gaslite. I wanted to love you. But the chemistry is not there. I felt really bad because I've never been to a karaoke bar and trashed its singers. I never had to, go to Brass Monkey on any given night, and you have some Hollywood wannabe rocking the house. Then you have generic karaoke junkies like me, and one or two really awful singers. The Gaslight, the pyramid is overturned; mostly bad singers with drunk dancing and one or two mediocre singers. When I went up to do Cher, the crowd was angry that I didn't slur the words or sing off key! (Okie, maybe it had to do with me saying, they need to STFU up to my companion all night and making WTF faces at him). Coincidentally it was the location of two bad dates. But I don't think it's coincidence, you know? Some location I ALWAYS get lucky, other locations are the kiss of death. It's like casinos in Vegas, some I'm hot, burning up the tables, others are as cold as ice. Sorry Gaslite, we were not meant to be, oh well more free popcorn for everyone else!

Kimberly B.

If you're going on a Friday or Saturday get there early or you won't find a place to sit and may wind up waiting two hours for your song request to play. Other than that it's a small, dark, seedy little bar. It has a small stage and dance floor and it's decor consists of red string Christmas lights, red vinyl booths, and a floor to ceiling mirror on one wall. Reminds me of Jumbo's Clown Room but with karaoke. The karaoke lady is phenomenal! You should go just to hear her sing. There are some really great singers and there are some bad ones, but they're all pretty damn entertaining. Oh yah, eat before hand. They don't serve food!

Joice Y.

I say, I am very taken by this place. If you love to drink and if you love to sing, then this is the place for you. There is always a good chill vibe when I come here. The bartenders are friendly and never seem to be rushing you to order. One time, I went early when it wasn't busy, and a regular and a bartender taught me how to play gin. There is also a doorman/bouncer who did once hit on a friend of mine. It was cute. Drinks are a tad over the top pricey but understandable because sometimes, they are strong. These are what gives me the courage to even sign up to sing. And about karaoke... even if you don't sing well, the crowd always eggs you on. I've never witnessed a booing myself and I don't plan to at this place. The people are friendly. And best of all, the old men aren't creepy. LOL. Just a fyi, but the right stall in the lady's room doesn't lock.

Becca T.

Definitely pre-game before coming here. If not, then make sure you get a few drinks... cuz everything is a whole lot BETTER once you're buzzed... hahahaha I've only been to 2 karaoke bars in the LA area and both are pretty much the same to me. Like someone has said, if you've been to one karaoke bar, you've been to 'em all... Gaslite is a lot smaller than I'd expected & it becomes much smaller once the place started to fill up. There's a funny story to tell about this place. So my girls & I parked the car... walked to to place to get in... didn't know where the bouncer was... then we saw this one guy giving us a weird/confusing look... turned out he's the bouncer... walked up to us... asked us where we're going... we said, "here"... he said, "are you sure?"... we were like, "huh? isn't this the Gaslite?"... for some reasons we got confused too... hahaha. Anyway, he said, "yeah, this is it. Didn't know you girls were gonna go here cuz I saw some hot girls earlier & they walked pass the place to next door. I thought maybe you hot girls were gonna do the same thing."... we said, "no, we wanted to come here for some karaoke"... he said, "great, you girls just upgraded the place for me."... So yeah, what a compliment... hahaha Anyhoo, my girls & I met up w/ some other friends here later on. The party started for me after 3 cocktail drinks... hahahaha. Overall, it's a decent place to go w/ friends... We did sing one song though. I'm not much of a singer so I had the group pick a song that everyone can sing along. I'd recommend those tune-deaf singers (like me) out there to do the same... hahahaha. Cuz if you sing a song everyone knows, they'll join in & no one really is gonna listening to you & sing in group too... hahahhaha We all had fun so I think we'll come back here again someday =)

Chrissy K.

This bar is gross and dirty. I'm not a fan at all of this bar. Hopefully I wont have to return. And they don't have pinot noir.

Suzanne B.

Gaslite was not open at 6:55 when I tried to go just now out of complete curiosity. I wanted to know what kind of bar opens at 6? Well, Not this one. It's cool Gaslite, no hard feelings, just change the sign okay?

Erica F.

I loves me a good karaoke bar but I have to say that this one kinda let me down. While the music selection was good, the stage and teensy audience area did not allow for adequate crowd interaction and/or stage antics (let's face it, I love to put on a show for my peeps) And the K-Jay cut off my fabulous rendition of Sweet Child O'Mine before the end part where Axl starts screaming his head off! That is my favorite part to sing! DAMMIT The best part about the night was the fantastic crew we had up in dere... we were rolling about 10 deep and that always makes for a good time. The crowd overall is pretty fun as well.

Sheila T.

Ok, I have a love/hate relationship with this place. I had my birthday party here the other day and I love the following: *No Cover *Cheap Drinks *Mixed Crowd (old/young, different ethnicities, etc.) *Lots of people *Fun, easygoing crowd *KARAOKEEEE!!! *Hip Hop music *the bartenders are nice *Parking is free and not impossible to find *Music is not super loud and deafening BUT..I hate: *Signing up for 1 song at 10pm and being able to sing it at 12:45pm -Sometimes people cut ahead or the DJ seems to not like you, etc. -I waited soooo long and when she finally got to me my mic seemed to be off!!! *When I went on Saturday it was literally shoulder to shoulder standing room and it soon got annoying by the end of the night *Small space and hardly anywhere to sit when it gets busy I really want to LOVE this place because i LOOOVE LOVE LOVE to sing and dance BUT I never really got a chance to with a DJ that wouldn't play my song until 2 hours later and too many people that I couldn't move.

DR A.

I am personally upset that the glite does not have DJ White Jade anymore. It kinda sucks, actually. I like the bartenders and everyone else there, but it just is not the same with the right DJ. He really does take it to another lever. It makes a big difference when DJ White Jade is there, and no offense to the new Djs, but I just think DJ White Jade brings something unique to the GLite that no one else can live up to. I have gone to the Gas Lite regularly for the past year, at least twice a month, and I feel completely different about it now that my DJ is no longer there. I really want to boycott the GLite, that is my New Years goals.

Tad S.

Went Saturday night (11/14), and the DJ was a complete asshole. I won't be going back. Mark the Bouncer was cool, though.

Lynn N.

First I'll start with the pros: the Gas Lite is in a convenient location next to the swanky V Lounge, restaurants all around, and being on Wilshire Boulevard, an easy spot to spot (+2). There wasn't any cover so its a good place to start or end the night, and the crowd was very welcoming and receptive to newcomers and any singers, regardless of skill level (+2). It wasn't too crowded for a weeknight and there was enough seats or standing room so you didn't feel claustrophobic (+1). And the DJ was great at getting the crowd hyped up for singing and sing-alongs (+1). The staff was very nice and helpful, which can sometimes be a deal-breaker for any establishment (+1). There were a few bad points, some that could be helped and others that can't. Parking, just like anywhere else in Santa Monica, is impossible after 10pm (-1), so plan to get there early. The drinks price were a bit on the expensive side, and the strength of the drinks didn't really justify the cost - one vodka red bull drink isn't supposed to be stronger than two Washington Apple shots (-2). I'm not a beer fan, so if you're looking to hitting the hard liquor bottles, the less mixing in the drink, the better. Overall though I'd definitely come back and suggest others to do the same. The atmosphere feels the same as having a garage party with a karaoke machine and a bunch of close friends, so even the shyest patron can feel comfortable coming off the wall.

Halle R.

Every time I've been here it has been an absolute shitshow in the best possible way ever. Strangers say things to me like "Boots = Vagina." What does that even mean? I love watching people sing karaoke. Love it. The bartenders are nice, really attentive and chatty; funny... I respect them a lot for the massive amounts of weird they deal with everyday/night. It does get crowded, and usually you just have to stand around if you get there a little later. At a place like this you really don't expect $7 vodka sodas. But, here is why I think this place is super bad ass. I was kicked out once and I won't say why but I wasn't being obnoxious- I only had one drink at that point. But being that I love this place and wanted to come back every week, I literally called them after I got kicked out and asked to speak with the bouncer. The bartender was just like "OK" (where else would you just like, be able to talk to the bouncer on the phone?) and apologized for what I did, and he said "No sweat baby doll, we cool. See you again." Yes, yes you will.

Petey K.

Some bars have karaoke once or twice a week! This place has karaoke every night! I love it. People are super supportive when others are singing. It can get a bit crowded sometimes. But it is always fun!

Dawn G.

This a very Divey Dive Bar. Each customer is such a character. Everytime I go there, I end up talking to everyone and having a blast! Good looking barstaff too. Although one bartender does pour weak drinks.

Karen T.

Been coming here for years but the awesome, new bartender inspired me to write a review! This place has great prices and the hot, new bartender makes a strong and yummy drink! The place is divey but you can bring in your own food which is incredible. They have a popcorn machine with different topping flavors which is pretty cool. Karaoke heats up around 8. Definitely worth checking out after work.

Kate G.

I don't want to give this place a rough review, but I have to be honest. Their cocktail waitress is pretty good at what she does, all in all. What is shady is that she will cash out the card you put at a holder for a tab when you ask for the BILL at the end of the night (which she states clearly she won't do when you hand over the card initially). Then, when you ask for that to be reversed, she says she cannot. While that may be true, the process to get the money back on your card is nonexistent. As of now, I have paid for this evening twice (totaling over $100 on my card which is a lot of damn money if you're an artist). The card I used as a tab holder did not have enough money in the account, which is why I didn't want this card used initially. After she said it would be fine, I reluctantly gave it over. Bad idea on my part. Three weeks later, and after multiple non-returned calls to The Gaslite, I still have a fraudulent charge on my card from this bar so I had to notify my credit card company. The bummer is that their door guy (Mark) is amazing. He's kind, very polite, and does not use the fact that he's a tall, in shape dude as intimidation. Also, their Karaoke is fun on weeknights because if you get there early enough, you will get the chance to sing (and maybe even twice). It's really too bad that this money situation has soured my view of this place. I had a great time there before this VERY shady deal. Watch yourselves - if you are not careful, you could be double charged without apology. CHECK YOUR BILL HERE!

Tom B.

The key to making your night at the Gas Lite a great one--and I'm going to be blunt--is to be drunk by the time you walk through the door. Why? Well, who wants to listen to karaoke sober, that's why. This makes the Gas Lite the perfect place to finish up a Santa Monica pub crawl, but don't show up too late! If you make that mistake on the weekend there is liable to be a medium-length line and you might not get the chance to belt out your favorite tune! On the subject of tunes, things run standard... There is a big old book with lots and lots of songs listed: You find yours and write your name and the code on a clipboard. Depending upon the crowd, you might get called a couple minutes or a few hours later. Anyway, drinks are not the Gas Lite's strong suit. Chalk it up as another excuse to pregame. They have a fairly limited selection of beers and they certainly aren't crafting specialty cocktails. I can't complain, though... It is a karaoke bar, after all. That said, they have one thing that makes up for all their shortcomings in the drink arena, and it isn't the song selection... It is the incredibly awesome popcorn cart in the back. Good God, I love that popcorn cart. When I think about how much I pay for popcorn at the movie theater, I am nearly blown away by the fact that I can shovel basket after basket into my face for free at the Gas Lite. If you're in the mood for karaoke, and willing to put up with hearing a bunch of other drunks do it too, then the Gas Lite is the place for you on the Westside. They are open from 6am (!!!) until 2am every day, so swing on by for 20 hours a day of karaoke goodness! PROTIP: They tend to keep things a bit more old school toward the end of the night... If you show up late, you're best off picking some classic rock or another karaoke staple. If you're like me, and want to spit Luda's verse from "Yeah!" with all your heart and soul, you should probably show up a little earlier.

Jonathan N.

Not too bad, but not the best either. I arrived at about 9:30, and the place was not too busy. I got my name on the song list, and got to sing at about 10:30 or so, after my friend arrived. She put her name on the list right away... Her wait was longer, since the bar started getting crowded. The drinks are a bit on the pricey side... $6 for a Corona, and when I ordered a Stoli Blue on the Rocks, it cost me $9.00 -- What I received was a small glass that was overflowing with ice, and a tiny shot of Stoli. They must be making a killing there! Someone next to me ordered five Kamikaze shots and a Bud. What that seemed to equate to was one normal size Kamikaze poured into 5 shot glasses.... She was charged $50 for that! Wow! Fifty. Dollars. I will say I like the popcorn machine which is free, and tastes good. It is self-serve, and they have toppings as well (powdered cheese flavoring, and tabasco) As for the song list, it was a large book, but not the biggest selection I've seen... There were a couple of songs I like to do that they did not have in their book -- songs that I know other Karaoke places have. Maybe they should update their list - but either way they did have a good number of available songs. By 11:00 the place was packed. You had to push your way to move through the crowd (and it's not that large of a place either) The bathrooms were stinky and the floor was wet with urine. People, seriously... Do you have to pee on the floor? I was able to sing twice, but only because I got there early enough. My friend only got one song, since they got so busy.... I was there on a Saturday night. I don't know if it is this crowded all nights. Anyway, I may come back some time... It was an o.k. experience.

Selinda M.

My experience last night was horrible. The bartender Steve was completely drunk and a total a$$hole to everyone. Police had to be called on him. I have never experience anything like this ever. He should never work at a bar every again.

Jessica B.

Why so much negativity man? Gaslight was awesome when I was there! After scoping the line at the place next door, we opted to check out this sketchy looking dive bar. GREAT CALL. The six of us sang the night away with people we barely new and made close friends with the DJ... he may have found us annoying by the end of the night. Lots of dancing and phenomenal performances made it for me! I'll be returning soon.

Virginia D.

Don't let the recession get in the way of drinking. In fact, to make things better, have a drink at happy hour (everyday till 9 pm). Don't just have 1 beer, have 6 beers for only $16 total! (or 12 for domestic beer yucky). Costs of beers don't get better than that! AND free karaoke and popcorn and parking too!!! This is the best happy hour place during the economic downtown! Too bad there's no food. A girl can't be eating popcorn all night, but you can order take out and bring it to the bar. Girls - all I have to say is that this bar is full of men. ;) It's a small bar. The odds of "accidentally" bumping into a cute straight boy when you're walking across the room are pretty good.

Cher C.

Came here for the first time right before Game 6 on Tuesday with a few co-workers looking for some happy hour drinks. We had no idea what we were getting into, but all had a great time! It was relatively empty, which was nice because the bartender was nice and chatty (we bonded over the fact that we were rooting AGAINST the Lakers) and the bouncer also asked us for song suggestions for the jukebox, which was cool. We took advantage of the amazing 4 beer bucket deal for $12 (imports). We also definitely devoured our fair share of the self-serve popcorn, which was hot and delicious. Mixed crowd-- mostly older gents that day, but all a friendly bunch (even when I was rooting against their team!). Had a great time, loved the dive-y feel to it and the booth seats are great for small groups.

Robyn N.

Steve the bartender added an extra 4 transactions to my credit card. I charged a total of 3 different transactions, one round for someone else and two for myself. When my bank statement showed 7 transactions the next morning I was troubled...on my way there today to confront the bartender. No one answers the phone after several tries.

Elizabeth R.

Meh. Okay, this looks like a dive bar but the drinks are more expensive, which is fine, but I'd like some alcohol in the glass. There was waaaay too much ice; I saw the waitress give a guy a glass that actually had ice coming out over the top. My bro and I went for the karaoke and to drink. We ordered mix drinks all night; once he ordered a Long Island and it was served in a small glass, which neither of us had ever seen done before. Almost $100 later, we are still not drunk, and I'm not even buzzed. Anyway, I could see why a lot of people like going there. Everyone was pretty happy and seems like a lot of locals and groups of friends go there to hang out. Good music and dancing, got pretty packed. I don't know if this happens all the time or it was a fluke, but there were tons of gay men there. At one point I wondered if it was a secret westside gay hot spot, but unfortunately only straight ladies.

Matt M.

One of the funnest bars on the West Side! The gaslite is hands down the best karaoke bar I've ever been too. It's small and a little dirty, but has great beer prices, some sweet pleather seats, and the piece de resistance, singing! The people that sing here are what make the place. I can't believe how talented some of them are and how much fun others have. The dance floor is cramped, but is a lot of fun when you can get ahold of some of the props! The regular locals that come are a sight to see and it's almost as if you're watching American Idol live (the good and the bad ones). I have never been to this bar and not had a great night.

Emily M.

wow. I never thought in a million years that I would sing karaoke... don't worry, I wasn't one of those american idol wannabe chicks that annoyed you so much. Nor was I part of that 30+ group of girls crammed onto the stage cause omg its tiffany's birthday. no. two words: tiny. dancer. :) In the end, I really do like dive bars. While there, I usually cringe at the bar's overall dingy-ness and the creep factor of its lurking clientele. But then I go home and just remember all the fun I had. The bartenders were cool cats. We were there til closing arguing which star wars is best (Empire Strikes Back!!). There. I got the last word in.

Dennis R.

This is a fun place for karaoke. One of the only places on the westside that I will gladly join my westside friends at. I definitely prefer this style of karaoke place to the k-town, rent-a-room style, because the rush of singing in front of random strangers is pretty kick ass. First time I went there, I'm pretty sure I rocked the place with a rendition of "House of the Rising Sun". And last time I had literal screaming fans while I belted out "Say it Ain't So" by Weezer. Felt like a rockstar. Popcorn cart is pretty dope, especially if you sprinkle some nacho flavoring on top. It's also cool that, even though the place was crowded, we were able to show up late and still sing in a reasonable amount of time, unlike Ye Rustic Inn or the Drawing Room (which are both awesome as well).

Allison C.

What I love about this place is that every night is Karaoke night! Unlike most karaoke bars in LA, this place isn't over-run with wannabe actors hoping they'll get their big break. This place is filled with people who like to have fun, sing karaoke, and drink beer. People belt out both tunes you don't normally hear at Karaoke like The Killers, Oasis, Snoop, as well as the classics. If you get there early enough, you can snag a table and a bucket of beers for around $15. And Sweet Baby Jesus, if there is a theme night, you might just think you were in the most incredible and magical place EVER. Beware some of the regulars though, some are jerks. Also, Keep track of your tab. I once thought they over charged me and had to ask for my itemized receipt. It was just a tally sheet. However, I never saw that bartender again.

Kenneth S.

Very un-american on the 4th of july weekend. I just got back from afghanistan 1 day prior on jun 30 and rejected me to go on stage to perform kareoke due to the fact I was a marine corps combat veteran. The dj stated " I dont give fuck about service members. I dont agree with our war. So get the fuck out of my face." If it wasnt up to the freedom of speech that we protect and the dicipline the corps instills in us marines, I would have knocked him out. Me and my marine buddies used to come here all the time and gave a huge amount of business. We Will NEVER come here,again. The dj is new age neo nazi/taliban supporter rejecting servicemen to alcohol and to singing. If you are true a patriot american/servicemember, do not attend this bar. Please. They do not enjoy/understand the privledges and rights that you fight to protect.

Ellen S.

AWESOME if you go in the middle of the day. Dark, divey. ABSOLUTELY SHITTY if you go during Karaoke. It is FULL of people (you may even have to wait in line!) and these people are THE WORST specimens of human beings and can't sing anyways, not that you can hear the songs above the noise. And the song list is FULL for the rest of the night by like 10 p.m. Plus the bouncer there one night was getting a major kick out of abusing his beloved, yet miniscule, power. Seriously, it was a gross showing. However, one other night, I Karaoked with Emerson of Lake and Palmer fame. That was very cool. So, in a nutshell, it's hit-or-miss.

Every O.

This is Disneyland for me. It's one of my favorite places on earth and one of the few places that makes me truly happy. If you like having a good time, as in actually participating with the crowd or singing on stage while drunk, this place is for you. Fridays and Saturdays get pretty packed, which makes for a great dance floor if you just enjoy dancing and singing along to 00's 90's and 80's hits. If you actually want to go on a decent night and maybe get one or two of your songs in without an issue go during the week, Tuesdays and Thursdays have been the most worth while. The only negative thing I have about this place are the Karoke DJs. I'm not sure how many they have but the guy that works during the weekend is pretentious. Half the time he's more concerned with getting girls attention or numbers than doing his actual job. The girl Dj that works during the week, i dont know her name, plays the best in between music. Has kind of a bit of an attitude but the music she plays makes up for it. the one really cool Karaoke DJ who is the most down to earth by far + plays good in between music is one who use to work on tuesday nights(probably still does) I think a lot of the bad reviews for this place have to do with those who somehow expect to get discovered by singing their hearts out or who expect to listen to professionals belt out their tunes. Reality Check: This is a bar + karaoke. If you can't make sense of what that means you shouldn't even be here. PS For all those who plan on going or who go, please don't sing buzz killers. By buzz killers I refer to those Creed wannabes or those who feel the need to sing their R&B/Alternative song no one has ever heard of.

Pérola B.

Went to The Gaslite on a Saturday night and it was incredibly packed. It was so packed that there was a line to get in. I had never been here before so I was intrigued as to why there was such a long line. After a few minutes in line, we were able to go in and well that tiny place was packed, I mean really packed. No wonder there was a line. It was extremely hard to move in since there was no room at all. I could barely see but there was a stage for karaoke and some girl was singing. It was ok, but too packed. We were not able to get drinks besides we had just come from another place. We were just looking to sit and relax and maybe sing a bit but this place was not doing it for us. I might check it out another day and will hope it is not so crowded. We were there for less than 45 minutes because we were getting pushed around a lot and got bored easily. People were dressed in a very casual way, some wearing flip flops, beach shorts, while others were a tad bit more fashionable. The crowd seemed ok but not a place I would call my go to spot. We had no problem finding parking; we parked right across the street and it was free.

Devin A.

Been on weekend nights and its unbearably busy, uncomfortable, and maybe you'll get to sing one sing. Recently went on a Sunday evening and me and my friends owned the mic. Had a blast! Cheap drinks, decent service, and good karaoke catalog. Keep expectations low, it's a freaking karaoke bar that opens at 6 am every morning. This is a dive bar extraordinaire!

Art O.

This place definitely has potential! Although we came here on what seemed to be an off night, you gotta figure that only serious drinkers were going to be up late on a Wednesday night to belt out some tunes. To me, that's generally a good thing. Seemed like there were a lot of friendly younger regulars around and the kareoke jockey knew what she was doing - nice transitions by the way! And the bartender made me the STIFFEST gin and tonics I've had in a while. Damn girl, if I wanted a punch in the face I would've commented to my ex about those ill-fitting jeans of hers! No, seriously, I liked the drinks - thank you! The other reviewers seemed to have got it right. This is a place to go and just have a good time. People that are too caught up in being in a scene generally don't hang out if places like the Gaslite. I'll be back soon for an update!

Sara P.

So when you don't get a chance to sing, it obviously sucks. But in general, you can figure out a way to get up on stage. Also, its not a stage that is awkwardly placed away from the dance floor/rest of the bar. People are always jumping on and of stage, and singing along as necessary. Also, the karaoke guy/DJ does a great job of alternating between karaoke performances and and dance songs.

Don C.

For someone who is just discovering all the bars on Wilshire...this place is kinda cool.... It's literally a dive bar with about maybe 5 booths total and the rest is at the bar and standing room only...we got there like 915ish and was able to get the big booth...sang just a few songs...got the crowd pumping...it was fun... since it is a dive bar...the beer selection was horrible....same domestic crap...and a few imports like stella and heineken... besides that...the ratio was 3:2 girls to guys...which was odd...but then if you think about it...most guys are not into karaoke..especially open mic unless u really wanna make a fool of yourself or have no shame...but when the ladies are drunk fellas...u definitely feel like a rock star when u are on stage..and if u are good and chose a good song...it feels like groupies are raping you when u step off stage...hahaha... then again...when its a dive bar...you get a certain type of "clientele"

Cathy C.

"Don't stop! Believing!" This is the best karaoke place I've been to in LA. Yes I have been to K Town and Brass Monkey and what not, but this place takes the cake. I won't spare you with details because, there are 47 reviews on this place... So here are the reasons why I love The Gas Light: - Popcorn and Tabasco sauce - Shots of patron with beer chasers - Crazy regulars - Drunk groups of girls singing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - A dingy dance floor that is always occupied with wasted karaoke lovin' groupies - The pictures of my friends and I the next day - Having to eat a breakfast burrito or cup o noddles the next morning to recover

Chris J.

DONT GO HERE if you're in any way interested in the SINGING! You'll be lucky if you get to sing ONE song. Here's how it works: approximately 20 karaoke songs ONLY will be performed throughout the entire night. Between each song the karaoke DJ (who my friend aptly named Kevin Federline) played an entire hip hop track. So this is the way the night goes: Karaoke song/hip hop track/karaoke song/hip hop track. And I DONT mean just a small portion of a hip hop song, I mean the WHOLE fucking song he plays. And while he plays it, he picks up the mic and sings to the track as well. (it's pretty clear the night is all about him...) AND as if that isnt enough of an annoyance, while you sing your song, the DJ will just start BEATBOXING during it. Are you fucking kidding me?!! I wait two hours to sing my song and then the motherfucker has the nerve to beatbox in the middle of it???!! He did this to AT LEAST a dozen singers on the Friday night I was there. Heres another reason to completely avoid: the song selection sucks. There is ONE song book. One!?? You kidding me?? And it's a small one at that... AND, get this: this one and only song book is by SONG TITLE only, you cannot look up by ARTIST. Hahaha, holy shit! seriously it's the fucking WORST!!!

Ranny K.

Small and stuffy, kinda like a frat party. Not my scene, which is unfortunate because I LOVE karaoke. The two didn't seem relevant. Oh well.

Jen J.

If you're looking for rockin' karaoke, a bona-fide dive bar, and a fun time in Santa Monica, this spot definitely delivers. HOWEVER (and there is a however), I have never experienced ruder female employees in this town (and that's saying a lot in LA, where bad service is often par for the course!). My friends and I arrived around 10 pm one night and were some of the first people there; yet it took more than two hours for the karaoke hostess to call our names to sing. When someone from our party went up to inquire, she gave them major attitude -- then, when we finally made it on stage, she rudely said "Let's just get this over with" with a smirk. A few songs later, my friend was called up to sing, and he had put my name in right after his. She called the name "Jon J" with my song and I went up to her and said, "Do you mean, Jen J?" She then shot me a look that would have melted the North Pole and said, "NO. JON J. Get off the stage." No one went up, and a few minutes later, she said "Jen J?" I went onstage, and she said, "Your friend NEEDS to learn how to write more clearly" and gave another of her patented death stares. OVER IT! Isn't one of the requirements for a karaoke hostess a personality? I thought so until that night. And the bartender was equally as rude.... Luckily, my friends and I had a blast, but these sourpusses definitely soured the experience.

Val B.

I always have fun here. The singing list gets mighty long so I wouldn't recomend if your goal is to get ur sing on. But the drinks are cheap, the crowd is friendly, there's lotsa dancing. If you want to go to v lounge next door, they probably won't let u in if they see you walking out of here. Gaslite is also good to watch a game, at that early hour there is still parking in the lot, no singing, and no crowd.

Julie S.

The Gas Lite is a great divey bar to hit when you're in the mood to either: 1. Get a little crunk and sing some bad karaoke joints in front of an encouraging crowd or 2. Watch people who take karaoke way to seriously and spend hours prepping for their big debut at the gas lite. I love this place, always have a good time! The only thing is that it is definitely not the typical LA bar filled with good looking douchebags. Instead you have the 40-something divorcee crowd, and a bunch of cougars who sing obscure songs from the 60's/70's. But if you want to just have a good time without any pretense, then you should check it out. Especially for Sunday 6am Karaoking.

Love C.

Ahh... my second home! Their sign outside even says, "If you lived here, you'd be home by now"... which still gives me a little chuckle each time I pass it. (okay, so I'm easily amused!) Great staff (bartenders and karaoke jockeys), cheap drinks (as compared to Hollywood), huge karaoke song list, flashback 70's backdrop and a melting pot of Santa Monica's finest and funniest crowds... how could you not love it here!!! You can either get on stage and sing, sing, sing, dance on their micro-dancefloor or watch all the hot men trickle in from the sidelines... either way, you're bound to have a good time at the Gas Lite!

Dan M.

I hate to complain But, I've been going to the Gaslite for years. Over the years, I have met great people that worked there, suddenly replaced. People that made you feel you waked into Cheers. I don't just go for the drinks, which are NOT as they used to be, but for the people. I bring my friends there 3 or 4 nights a week for Karaoke. The jockey there on the weekends, and now some weekdays too, really works the crowd into a frenzy. There was a girl named Taylor that made everyone on and off the stage feel welcome. Like part of HER family. Now, I hear she's been canned too. As a "regular", I find it hard to go back there with the watered down drinks, and constantly changing staff. It used to be fun. Not anymore. as they say, "WTF."

Julia N.

Minus one star for the Douche Bag Bouncer who had a superiority complex. The Gaslite is a KARAOKE / DIVE BAR, or didn't he get the memo? We're not talking Pure here people. I had such a great time at this place! My friends and I sang till our little hearts content. Among some of our favorite renditions were: New Kids on the Block ( the Right Stuff, Step by Step) and Madonna's Vogue. We were striking all sorts of poses while spinning around, ever so sexily, on the random stripper pole on stage. I was shocked that no gents asked for my phone number afterwards... SHOCKED. I mean, I really thought I had talent.

Jonathan L.

I am a tough critic. They say this place is world famous for karaoke, yet unless you know the DJ sometimes there is an hour + wait to sing. So drink up, bring some friends, sing along, and hit the tiny dance floor. It doesn't get way too crowded, but you may be rubbing shoulders with the next american idol while grooving to some "Sweet Child of Mine". It's much smaller than I thought, but it is a fun place to go if you are a diehard karaoke singer.

Stephen G.

Went with a friend a few years ago. It was fun, we sang and drank cheap beer. The lines for karaoke were very very long. Had to pay the DJ off to get a spot. Overall this is a great dive bar on the westside. Just not my scene.

Jeff G.

I will NEVER go back. First, apologies to the bartenders, you guys and gals are great. And apologies to the concept, I am an unrepentant kareoke appreciator, and its a good space for it (dive-y with room behind the bar). Basically I want to like this place very much, but unfortunately thanks to some of the rudest bunch of assholes this side of a NY cab, the whole thing is ruined. Please, management, read your reviews. Your bouncers are scaring away customers b/c for whatever idiotic reason its ok at your bar to be complete dick on a horrible and pathetic power trip to customers whose patronage you rely on to exist. And Ive been to plenty of bars and seen the full gamut of bouncers, so I know the normal reasons one may be refused entry or asked to leave. Not at this little toilet. Gaslite bouncers seem to want nothing more than to make sure you have a bad time and/or that you get kicked out. Whats funny to me is the fat tub of crap I dealt with didnt care at all that my and my friends money keeps his ass employed so he can go home to his taco bell and chicken wings and keep pluggin away at those arteries. Second, the guy running the DJ booth (guy with curly brown hair) is right up there with the bouncers. Extremely sarcastic, rude, and for no reason at all. I asked to if I could see the book to change a song and all i got in return were the type of snide pithy comments that youre just like, why would I ever return? And thus, I will NEVER come back.

Richard R.

Karaoke is great when you are able to participate. This place can get busy even on a weeknight and sometime it can be impossible to get a song. The woman in control of the machine tends to play favorites. It appears that she wants to be the star every night. She must have been an Idol reject or something. The hip-hop music between songs is a cool idea, but when the place gets crowded it can be hours before you get a song. Keep the show moving! The crowd can be a little fratty here, but it is fun when everybody in the place is drunk though. You can also find a few weirdos here. The beer selection is poor and the service is poor.

Will S.

If you don't like this bar you don't like to have fun and aren't outgoing enough to be going out anywhere. This place is a concrete box that often gets hot and crowded but is the most fun that you can have in LA in my opinion. There may be a different crowd than you are used to but most people who are willing to get up and sing a song in front of strangers are good enough for me to have a conversation with. The drinks are always strong and the service is great for how many people they get in there. Make sure that you get there early so that you can sing a song and you don't have to wait in line. Believe it or not they do a one in-one out deal when the place gets real packed.

Jennifer R.

I came here for drinks on a date one time. It was karaoke night. Drinks were fine but nothing special. Karaoke was rather sad. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of karaoke. But this place seemed to have an excessive number of the people you know come week after week to sing the same songs again and again- you know, the ones who never quite made it but can't let go of their dreams to be a singer. Even though they're 50. With a pot-belly. Pretty small room, and the decorations are a bit gaudy. Also, it was fairly loud, so it was really hard to talk without yelling. Though I guess on the flip side this can also be a good thing, because you have lean in really close to talk... on the plus side, from what I remember the drinks were fairly cheap. No idea about their happy hour deals, but I'd imagine it'd be pretty good (lots of booze for very little money). Not terrible, not great. I wouldn't choose to go here again, but if others wanted to go, I wouldn't balk at going, at least not to start the night. I wouldn't make this my final destination of the night, at least not on a weekend.

Jeremiah R.

Seriously, the Gas Light might be the greatest place since Disney World. You pretty much have to experience it for yourself but to give you an idea of what you might see there, here is a breakdown of my last birthday: We walk in and immediately are handed quadruple shots of crappy tequila. We pounder whether or not to take it and induce what will later be known as the T.I. incident or to puss out and be ridiculed for the evening. Hey, it's my birthday, I'm not about to douche out. We take the majority of the shots and immediately blew chunks in a trash can literally in front of the bar (not the building). I mind you, I'm in the center of the room in front of the bartender, blowing chunks and her response is, "you pussy, here's a panty dropper". My mind raced and couldn't figure out why I wasn't being bounced but ran with it. We ended up drinking about $150 worth of booze and paid for maybe $20. The rest of night consisted of straight debauchery and singing karaoke rap songs from high school. Oh and we finished the original shots. Yeah, it's always one of those nights at this place.

Chanda D.

The Gaslite is my new favorite weekday night spot. Happy hour lasts til 9, during which time you can mix & match a bucket of domestics for $12 or imports for $16. Combine that with a basket of their popcorn w/tobasco sauce, and you gotz dinner! I'd give five stars but the drink prices after happy hour are no bueno, so load up on the buckets beforehand. That, and one of the DJ dudes/parking patrol was a jackass who doesn't know when to quit, but whatevs. I don't think I've ever been to a funner public karaoke-ing. This is not really the place for American Idols - the sound system is awful, so this is all just for fun. The dance floor gets crowded with peeps dancing and singing along to the performers, even the terrible ones. I danced so zealously that I sprained my ankle. The crowd is definitely of the friendly variety; as I lay dying, fellow partiers materialized with ice packs and shared similar tales of woe, then hoisted my wounded leg aloft so I could dance and elevate at the same time.

Debbie E.

Wow. Some of the best people watching in the area. Tiny karaoke bar that packs them in. Gets really crowded on Saturday nights. Get there early as there are only a few tables. Otherwise you will be standing/dancing shoulder to shoulder with a few hundred other people. Happy hour ends at 9:00 and oh what a difference in drink prices after 9pm! If you are a beer drinker I suggest loading up on a bucket of your favorite beer right before 9:00 to save mucho buckos. Many regulars here, some great singers, some not so great, but everyone is having a good time. The book of sings is enormous and is probably in size 4 font so there are more than enough songs to select from. The other night some girl sang awesome renditions of Material Girl and Shelia E's Glamorous Life. It's always good to play Name That Tune with your friends. Parking is a pain. Watch out for the Santa Monica Parking patrol if you park on the strret. They come out of nowhere like gnomes to give you a hefty ticket. The lot of the Gas LIte is tiny. We sometimes go to the valet parking next door at the V Lounge.

Jen W.

Wow, aren't there people who's job it is to travel around the city looking for fire code violations? This place had about 30 people too many, you're literally thisclosetothepersonnexttoyou. The kareoke selection was very impressive and the drinks were good. However, it was a furnace inside the bar-rumor has it, they generally keep the doors open so the place can cool off, there was a noise complaint the night I was there. Not only were we thisclose to everyone else in the bar, it was a bunch of sweaty and hot bodies pressed up against each other. I cringe just thinking about it.

Rick F.

Atmosphere is divey yet warm. Clientele were artsy freakish, yet likable. Drinks could have used some stiffening. Not too crowded - which may have been from my singing. And it was a Thursday night. But this was no regular Thursday night. It was a Thursday night that happen to be on my birthday. I had a blast seeing my friends again and belting it out for the sake of belting. I shall suggest an encore visit.

Melissa V.

Normally, this place is a fun place to visit on a kareoke infused impulse. However, when the kareoke DJ takes the stage for a 10 minute Nicki Minaj tribute, not allowing customers (who are happily paying for the overpriced drinks) to take the stage, there is a problem. I'm all for everybody for having a good time, but the DJ should not take somebody's place in line -- lame, lame, lame.

Erin G.

Went back again. Eh. Maybe the key is to drink before you get there so you enjoy it more. I just felt old. Possibly b/c it was packed with what I assumed was a 23rd (at most) birthday party. It is still an ok spot to go have a drink and dance to some pretty good karaoke jams. But ladies (and some gentlemen) let's keep the Mariah ballads to a shout.

Kevin A.

KARAOKE KLUSTERFU*K can't...move.... so...packed... no one moves...when you try to walk by... creepy guy who looks like he dresses up child-like mannequins in his basement getting too close... no where to run... don't want to end up a lampshade... unable to get to the bar...anger...kevin smash...makes me use too many ellipses... 20 fewer people and I would've loved it. I'll be back for another round. Maybe I'll go at 6AM when they open.

Thomas H.

4 Stars does not mean banging waitresses and top-shelf martinis. It also does not mean your feet won't stick to the bathroom floor from the vomit and piss that cover it. It does, however, mean this bar is the best when it comes to hole-in-the-wall karaoke. Their song selection is big, they have (or at least used to have) a stripper pole, the beers are as cheap as you'll find in Santa Monica, the popcorn is free and hasn't killed me yet, and you really feel like you're singing to an audience when the ceiling is only 8 feet and the audience is 30 people packed into a garage-sized building. Additionally, this bar is open 365 a year from 6 AM - 2 AM which is nothing short of legend. Its only shortcoming is the wait to sing when you show up late on a weekend night, but what else could be expected? When you have a place that lets everyone in, even when their friend got karate kicked by the bouncer a week earlier for puking on the bathroom door, it's bound to get crowded.

Jeremy E.

I could see it being funner if you were looking to sing and dance to karaoke and were your early thirties. However, that was not the case; plus it was a sausage fest. If your a single lady, I would go here to get hit on by mid-aged men. I honestly have no idea what this place looks like because I was so busy trying to get through the crowd. It is packed. I don't think you can really be comfortable in this place on a weekend night. And considering it is a bar, I judge drinks very harshly. While they were on the cheaper side, or average priced ($7 for a mixed drink), they were SMALL. I mean, think small wine glass for a seven dollar drink. Then, you would think... maybe it is small, but atleast it's strong. No, not here. Between the seven to two ratio of men to women and the weak ass drinks, I don't see myself going back any time soon. On the plus-side, there is no cover though...

Laura Y.

Everyone knows I love the Gaslite. I love watching all the regulars mid-week. Some of them can barely speak, let alone sing English but still manage to get up on stage and belt out their favorites. I love the bad singing. I love the red streamers. I love the free peppery popcorn and the tables' stickiness. I love the buckets of beer. I love how many times it's been re-modeled but still ends up looking almost the same. (Remember the short lived stripper pole and the additional bar in the front? Is the hot dog machine still there?) I love bribing the DJs so my friend can sing karaoke on his birthday. I love that it looks like an old drive through bank. I love when their billboard says, "If you lived here you'd be home by now." I love that they open at 6am. I love how many people in costume I've seen there, including myself. Things I am not as crazy about are the big college crowds and big lines on Saturday nights (go early, or on a weekday), and the fact that it's not as cheap as a divey bar should be. But, these are things I can deal with in exchange for my time on stage. This is my favorite dive bar in LA.

Tom B.

GREAT PLACE because the Wonder Twins perform there almost every night! See videos of them at youtube.com/wondertwinstv . They also perform at the santa monica pier.

Toni L.

The Gaslite is a fun bar (unlike those bars where the only thing you can do there is drink, god forbid) complete with a dance floor and karaoke. Though the karaoke selection is great if you're over 30, if you're a bit younger you might have a hard time finding songs you're more familiar with. Boardwalk 11 and the Venice Whaler arguably have a better selection. The best part about the Gaslite is the people here. There are a lot of wannabe rockstars who aren't afraid to get stupid drunk, put on sunglasses, and pole dance while singing a George Michael song. Yes, the Gaslite comes with its own pole. No assembly required. The only thing I didn't like about this place was the pushiness of the waiters. As soon as you step through the door someone seats you and asks you what you want to drink. That's just way too much pressure. Also, if you sign up for more than one song and it gets crowded, you can bet your song will get bumped to the bottom of the list.

Jensine D.

Mostly a place for uber drunkies to get their sweaty groove on. The karaoke is hilarious!

calder g.

If you're into bad karaoke and getting your drink spilled by strangers by all means go for it, but I give it such a low rating because it has potential that's being ignored. The red plastic seats are great, the lighting is nice, but the karaoke and TVs ruin it. It needs more tables, not a dance floor. College douchebags should be replaced by people with beards and tattoos that have great stories to tell and would get your back in a fight. Whiny drunk blondes should be replaced by Gladys who's seen it all but has some words of advice for you. If you listen closely, you can hear the walls whisper: "I'm supposed to be a dive bar with a jukebox, but the owner won't let me be who I really am". Let the karaoke dream go...

Bobby C.

"She shook me all night long..." This bar rocks! Where else can you go any night of the week and party like a rock star? The Gaslite will curb your Karaoke crave every time. What would you say if I told you I come here at least 3 nights a month? I have my staple songs but you can practice on off nights here! Whether you go for the strong drinks, the shrill of your friends voice on stage, the sports, or the eclectic mix of people that all want to sing you have to come to Gaslite. My favorite bar in California! Bobby C

Leslie W.

Just woke up after a night at Gas Lite and I'm feelin' good! I've driven past Gas Lite who know how many times and there are always there weirdos standing in front and the sign looks ghetto and run down... so I had a bias when my friends called me up and told me to meet them. We get to the bar and there's all these people in costumes on the corner and a typical looking meat-head bouncer staring down the line. I'm thinking, great, typical LA. Turns out, the bouncer is really really nice, we only waited for a few minutes, no cover, our whole group of 7 got in together, and the people in costumes were just hanging around outside! I'm so glad I came! It's a great dive-ish, Karaoke bar! Sure, the songs people sang were cheesy and typical but we had a great time being cheesy and singing along with them. The crowd didn't seem too old, mostly 20s and 30s. So let's be honest, most of the songs people sing are from the 80s.. maybe 90s. So I really liked how the DJ threw in some hip hop songs in between singers. Between the 80's karaoke songs and Young Jeezy/Kanye West, the whole bar was our dance floor. The place did last call at 1:30 and we were out on the street before 1:40. A little early in my opinion. I would come back here any day I felt like going to Karaoke. And I would definitely come here before going to Backstage.

Ron N.

An old co-worker of mine told me about this karaoke bar a couple of years ago and I haven't had the excuse to go until last night (Saturday). I've experienced both good and not-so-good karaoke bars in l.a. since I've moved here, but for the most part have been satisfied with anything since I never knew of any karaoke bars prior to moving to l.a. 3 years ago. - Parking sucked, but I got lucky. - The bouncer was really nice and got people in VERY fast; no BS. - It's A LOT smaller than I imagined.. and PACKED! - The crowd consisted of mostly white peeps in their 20s to mid 30s. - I expected divey, but not GHETTO. After scoping the place out I honestly felt that I could set my apartment up the same way, if not better. The xmas light decorations were a bit tacky, the fans above were old school and looked dusty, and the furniture needed an upgrade. I kept having to remind myself that it's supposed to look this way by saying "this is a dive bar" over and over. - There were lots of peeps on the dance floor and everyone looked like they were genuinely having a great time. - Drinks were just ok and not worth the price. - I realized that what makes this place "good" are the people who make it fun, and not the actual bar itself. The KJ was pretty hype and kept it moving pretty well. He even grabbed the mic and joined the singers on stage every once in a while. But one thing I didn't like was when he talked about health care reform and how he said that if you were against it you could screw yourself. Politics is serious and shouldn't be discussed in a public place like a karaoke bar because it could offend people. - I must say that out of all the karaoke places that I've been to, I'd probably be most comfortable singing here because of the environment. Mad props in that respect. Recommendation: Pre-party before coming here so you don't have to spend too much money on their drinks. Oh, and come early to find parking on the streets.

Ned M.

The Gaslite is like a someone merged a dive bar with a cheesy junior high school dance. I guess the red tinseling on the karaoke stage seals the deal. The place is just one fairly small room with two bars (the second one opens up when it gets busy). If you go on a Saturday night, you might think that this is your average dive /karaoke bar. However, if you go early or on a weeknight, you get an interesting array of karaoke diehards. Writing about it wouldn't do it justice. If you want an oddball karaoke scene, this is your place. At least everyone there is happy and looks like they are having a good time. In any event, this place is a no frills, no cover, no attitude watering hole with karaoke going on all night long. Parking is terrible as there is no valet service and the street parking is spotty. Be careful of the residential parking since they have permit restrictions. Check your own attitude and expectations at the door and have a good time.

Beth F.

It is June right? Just wanted to make sure because the Christmas tinsel was still up at this place, in fact I have a feeling they never take it down. Had a drink there, dive-y feel in the decor, not divey people though, kind of interesting. I don't know how much the drinks are but my bartendress gave me quite the heavy pour so I was fine after one (this was a first-stop place last night) Their karakoe was very up-to-date and for once not everyone that got up there sounded like a professional (only in LA can you hear a christina aguilera-like voice at a karaoke bar) And hey, I wish I was up at 6AM because I would love to stop by and see who it is that rolls in at that time for a cocktail. Heck, I'd do it once just for the novelty!

Mary C.

"Hooold me closer tiny daaaancer... Count the headlights on the hiiiiighwaaaaayyy!" On my BF's 25th birthday (a Wednesday night), he decided to celebrate youth in the best possible way... karaoke! We had gone to the Gas Lite for beers before a show at 2020, and were delighted about their "every night is karaoke night" philosophy. Needless to say, the birthday party was magic. He sang Blind Melon, I sang Tiny Dancer, and at the end of the night everyone in the bar sang "Don't Stop Believin'". Even the bartenders and waitresses will get up and sing! Flash forward to my birthday... It was a Saturday night, and we arrived to a PACKED Gas Lite... We crammed inside, listened to some drunk people sing, and watched the bartender lay the smackdown, but none of us got to sing because it was just too crowded. Sadly, we were unable to recapture the magic of that first birthday. My advice is to go on a weeknight, bring a big group of friends, and get those pipes ready to go. Oh and best to leave the inhibitions at home.

Katie D.

Dive bar. Cheap drinks ($5), low lighting, a little parking, and some karaoke (some people surprisingly good, a few others not so much). Santa Monica needs a good dive bar or two and this one definitely fits the bill (and looks much cleaner than many others I've been to). The crowd is rather eclectic but a little more on the late-twenties/ early thirties side. It's definitely worth checking out to see if this if your scene, or just to finally find a cheap drink on the Westside.

K J.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! I don't think I have ever had so much at a karaoke bar than at the Gaslite last night. I love the the karaoke stage, and the stripper pole next to the mic is a really nice touch! The stage is just calling out your name to get up there, sing your heart out and dance even if everyone's watching. Cozy, cute and dim, it is the perfect size for a karaoke bar. I was able to hang out freely with my friends without feeling cramped. Oh, and I love the popcorn machine! LUV IT! I went on a weeknight and boy was it popping! What I really loved was how everyone that went up on stage really gave quite a performance and it was clear they were immersed in their karaoke mode - full on. What's even better is that the crowd will dance and even sing along with you waving their hands as if they were at a rock concert singing along to a ballad with lighters glowing. Their song selection is impressive. It's too bad the wait list for the mic was so long or I would have sang every song I can find in that book that I have ever wanted to sing. People just couldn't wait to get the mic in their hands. This place is so much fun, I can't wait to bring all of my friends here and have a ball! Good times shared by all!

Jake M.

Have you ever born witness to a man's self-awareness of his own burgeoning obsolescence? Have you ever seen a man stare drunkenly but unflinchingly at his own looming mortality? Have you ever heard angelic choirs buried beneath the atonal croaking of a man crawling to the end of his long dark night of his soul? Friends, I can testify to this truthfully - this one particular shuffling slumping sad sack shambled up on to stage, dedicated his selection to himself - for his birthday, being that day the ripe wizened old age of 35 - and proceeded to deliver the most triumphant karaoke performance that both I and this good planet has ever seen, and probably ever will see. Peering through the dim haze, looking for his friends tucked away in a booth, staring them down accusingly and pointing at them repeatedly every time he hit the chorus of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About me)" - it was all so confusing, tragic, brilliant, devastating and simply epiphanic. I guess you had to be there, but my sister concurs... it truly was a thing of beauty... And it's just these sort of shared communal moments that transmutes the Gas Lite from a seedy semi-run down karaoke bar that is open at 6 AM daily (6 AM!), into something resembling a new church, a new religion, a new salvation. Hallelujah!

Chester J.

Gaslite makes parties off of Sunset seem weak in comparison. The people that go there are ALWAYS having a good time. The Karaoke is incredible and the drinks make me forget what I did last night. As they should. I've met Claire, potentially one of the nicest ladies in the world, she always makes sure you're having a good time. They open their doors at six A.M. and they even have free Wi-Fi, it's great right? I am SOOO glad I read about them in the Daily Bruin, this place rocks. I'm going to keep coming back again, and again, and again.

Juston P.

"I give this place a solid five stars!" is what I would say if I were simply reviewing The Gaslight for my personal purposes. I mean, what's not to love? Cheap drinks, an energetic crowd, and karaoke. Their sound system isn't even awful and, unlike most karaoke places, they give the singers a stage. But I must think beyond my own fetishes and imagine what someone less invested might think. They keep an unnecessary line on Friday and Saturday nights that is managed by a bouncer who desperately wishes The Gaslight was in Hollywood. The place can be overrun by hey-dude-take-another-shot frat guys and "whaaaaaa!" sorority girls. Some of the DJs repeatedly use the stage as their own personal American Idol audition, even when there's an enormous waiting list. Oh, and that waiting list can stretch to over 2 hours on crowded nights. I have been a loyal Gaslight patron for years and I will certainly continue to go whenever I'm in town (I've since moved on from LA). However, it's tough for me to give the place a ringing, 5-star endorsement given some of its clear annoyances.

Nora P.

I'm a Karaoke fanatic and this place is one of the best I've seen on a saturday night. At first glance it is small, cramped and a little dingy but that adds to the warm friendly atmosphere. The singers and song choices were great but what made the place was the "DANCE FLOOR CHOIR". These are the people on the dance floor like myself who are dancing and screaming the words to the song and having a good time. They had a great song selections. I did single ladies by Beyonce and Last dance by Donna summers. I am defiantly going back there and I recommend it to anyone that wants to dance/ drink and sing all night long.! the only problem is the Mics aren't loud enough so if you are in the back you can't hair and the crowd can't see the words to the songs they should have a screen facing the crowd.

lottie t.

It's a cute dive karaoke bar. If you've been to Brass Monkey, the singers aren't as good as the ones there, but it's still a great time. The atmosphere is very chill, and everyone's friendly. The songs are also very upbeat and keeps the party going.

Amy A.

I was here on a Saturday night. It's a big mix of people aged 20s-50s. A few karaoke singers made the place really fun. It could have been great except just one really weird guy made the small dance floor uncomfortable, and then it got super packed by midnight.

fran d.

third karaoke review in three days. wow. i think it's safe to say this will be my last karaoke review for a while. well, cross your fingers and hope it holds true. as far as play lists, gas lite has one of the most comprehensive lists of any karaoke bar i've ever been to. makes you wish every kbar had a list like gaslite's. the place is small and has a joint feel. it gets crowded pretty fast and is often a hoot watching the diverse crowd take to the stage. drinks are cheap and easy to aquire for those needing liquid courage before letting their lungs do all the work. just remember before you make an ass of yourself, tip your KJ well.

Victoria K.

The Gaslite seemed like a dream come true when I got there. I put my song in around 10:30 one night, about 20 minutes after a few of my friends did. The bar started to get more packed, but I rested assured, knowing that my song was in early and there shouldn't be a problem getting to sing that night. Hours passed, my friends finally got to sing their song. I thought, gosh, I should be up pretty soon. 1:30 am rolls around. Most of my friends took off already, but I knew that if I waited I'd get to sing my song, even if the bar had died out. After all, I put it in at 10:30. I finally ask the girl in charge of the songs, "when will Victoria be up. I'm singing Journey." "Oh, sorry. We're cutting the songs off now. This is the last song right now." "Seriously? I put in my song at 10:30!" "Sorry." Wow. What a disappointment! I never got to rock out to my Journey song, and I never got to try out their stripper pole (yeah, you heard me, stripper pole!). The night ended pretty sadly for me, but other than the not being able to sing my karaoke song that I put in over 3 hours before the bar closed, I didn't hate my night here. I actually thought it was a really cool place. I always wanted to return, try my luck again, but sadly didn't get the chance. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, but regardless, busy or not, I don't think they should have let people sign up for songs (even after I did at 10:30) if they had so many they wouldn't be able to get them all in. Maybe it's their sneaky way of making people stick around late and pay for drinks waiting against all likelihood that they'll actually get to sing their song. I even saw some repeat singers up there, which I didn't really think was fair at all when some of us were waiting for hours.

Kevin C.

My buddy lives half a block away from this place and he is a regular therefore it felt like I was with Norm going to Cheers when we entered. Bar tender was sweet as can be. Couple of locals were friendly and chatted us up. Karaoke sounded fun and as the night grew older I sang along to some of the music I grew up on. I would go back because it was a chill place and nice people.

Kate E.

I've been to The Gas Lite once. It was my college roommate's 19th birthday, so we were all sophomores in college. So, yeah, we were all underage. I had the worst fake ID on the planet, and I still have a babyface like you wouldn't believe. A horde of us descended on the Gas Lite like moths to a candle. All I remember is singing more 80's hits than a VH1 special, drinking more vodka-based drinks than would be advisable to anyone, dancing with a man who closely resembled George Burns, and watching the boys devolve into a glass-throwing fight that didn't get us kicked out of the place. Wicked times. I woke up in someone's car at about 3 am the next morning, stumbled out, and passed out on some form of lawn in the middle of my dorm. Who's up for another visit??

Dan C.

If your at the westside area of Los Angeles, Checkout this karaoke bar I would say, A great karaoke bar.Friendly bartenders. Singing karaoke songs differs who is opperating the sound system that makes you sound good, sing more and come back. In my opinion, karaoke KJ's like Bard Griffin, Tre' and like Melody are the ones that make your night a blast and treat you well. Good costumer service, PR, and gives you the satisfaction what the Gaslite is all about. Singing and having fun!

Julianne K.

This is tough for me to write because I absolutely love the Gaslite and karaoke in general. I was having a wonderful time tonight, both singing and dancing to other people's songs with friends. The blonde kj you have is great -- she kept in control but provided a fun, casual atmosphere, as I believe all kj's should. And then Bucky took over. First of all, he wasn't even trying to elevate the energy of the crowd. He would say "thanks for singing" after people's songs, but that was the extent of his interaction with the crowd...oh yeah, except when he leapt off the stage to grind up on some girl without her consent. Sure, it was all 'fun and games', and the girl went along with it. But it felt very odd and inappropriate to me. He is extremely stringent with his karaoke rules. I get it, you have to keep people in check. I get annoyed as much as anybody when the same people keep going up to sing over and over again. But this guy was acting like a tyrant. I went up to ask him why my name hadn't been called yet, and he replied brusquely that I had "signed up twice". There were nine people in between my songs, which in his eyes was unacceptable. Duly noted, I said, and asked how long I would have to wait to sing. To which he replied, "I'll get you up at some point." Flash forward about 30-45 minutes, I'm getting antsy and go over to ask him what's up. I was not meaning to provoke him; I was not trying to be hostile; I just wanted to get up on stage. This is when he started getting angry. "You signed up twice! This is a busy bar and leaving only nine people between your songs is in no way acceptable!" And so I asked, perhaps a bit more snarkily than I should have, "Ok, in that case, what amount of people between my songs would be acceptable, so I can know for the future?" (I get that the rule is really don't sign up again until you've sung your first song, but he was getting weirdly tied up on the number nine) He started getting more snappy, saying I can forget about getting up again tonight. When I tried once more to reason with him, he wouldn't even speak to me. I tried to point out that other regulars were also signing up twice, and he snapped once more, saying "Are you calling me a liar?! Are you saying this beloved guy signed up more than anyone else??!" No Bucky, that's not what I was saying. Take a chill pill, dude. It was at this point that a kind bouncer named James had to intervene. He did a very good job of diffusing the situation. Man, I was having such a good time before Bucky took over for the night. It seems petty to let him ruin that great experience I had; but he came pretty dang close. I don't understand why someone who is so impatient and so quick to anger would want to be a kj. Maybe he gets off on the power trip. Maybe he doesn't feel like a real man unless he's ruling the karaoke bar with an iron fist. Either way, he ruins what is supposed to be a fun, carefree environment for a loooooot of people. If I'm reading past comments correctly, I think he has tainted far more nights than just mine. Gaslite owners: listen to these comments and get rid of this angry prick! Until then, I'm not sure I want to patronize your bar again. :(

Floyd S.

With the sad decimation of great local dives for more upscale faire, one has to wonder how long the party at The Gaslite will last. A recent trip left me with deep sorrow. A friend arrived into town early, so I decided to take her to The Gaslite and the door was locked, even though the sign outside says you can start there at 6am. It was just past 11am. Lies! Is the world coming to an end? Used to be so clutch in quenching the thirst for a breakfast beverage, yet now it prominently displays a sign that's no more than perverse fiction, destroying the hopes of, surely, a countless many. Almost gave The Gaslite two stars for the fond memories, but those were all before noon.

Eriko P.

Went here on a Wednesday work night around 8pm. Empty, but heck, who cares. We had dinner and wanted a place to sit down and hang out for a bit. The red vinyl booths are worn down, but not complaining. There were a few folks sitting at the bar, and someone setting up for Karoke. Happy Hour prices during this time. My gin + tonic was $7. I heard this place ROCKS on Friday and Saturday evenings, but on a Wednesday night, it was easy to get a booth, have conversation with your friends and get great service!

Nicole D.

I have to give this place 5 stars because I had the BEST time here. But disclaimer: I had been to several bars before ending up here, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. I just know from my iPhone photos that I had a really awesome time and I remember dancing to good tunes and signing up to sing karaoke but leaving before it got to be my turn. Drinks were strong!

Monica C.

Bartender Jennifer hopes, is very rude, hostile, and just plain mean, don't go here when she is working bad for business here. She needs an attitude ajustment.....

Julie G.

Was looking forward to going to this place but what a disaster! Falling down drunks, 2 hours before being called for a song, tacky decor, a glass of wine that tasted like vinegar, and only fair song choices. Meh.

Will W.

Overhyped and overpriced karaoke bar lounge out in Santa Monica, its divey looking but without the divey price. The atmosphere is not bad, but its definitely high on the bro factor. It can be fun though, although if you really wanna jam out and sing some songs, you may have to wait forever for your turn. Not really my idea of a karaoke night. But there is eye candy to be had, although the ratio can be a bit skewed (either way) in there, all depends on your luck. If you're ubering/lyfting out of here, it can be a fustercluck.

Fabiola P.

This place was comically disappointing ... Lol I went in there with a date last night and they had the worst music anyone can't even imagine singing along to. We went in and went out as soon as we saw everyone (grown buff men included) singing along to some ridiculous teen pop song... With passion as if it was the coolest thing... No thank you. Haha be warned! My ears bled a little, we left as soon as we finished our first beer. The ambiance wasn't too bad..

Kara E.

I love me some karaoke... But when I got to this place on a Saturday night I was pretty disappointed. I was sitting at the back near the entrance and couldn't hear any of the singers. I seriously thought their mics were off. The KJ was just sitting there texting the whole time. When I got up with my boyfriend I was belting as much as I could and still couldn't hear much - and I can be loud. When I asked the KJ (who was texting again) if he would turn me up he snapped at me and told me it was on. So rude and so unprofessional. I know this place is fun on other nights but this guy seriously ruined my Saturday. Karaoke should be fun! And, come on, this guy has an easy job! Why isn't he trying to engage the crowd and get us pumped to sing. I have no interest in ever going back. Plenty of other good karaoke bars in the neighborhood!

Evelina W.

Great karaoke bar! This place has been around forever and is a staple in Santa Monica. I've gone here even on a Sunday night and there were a fair amount of people. They have karaoke every day of the week! There's a large book in the front and haven't had any trouble choosing a song - just let the DJ know! By the bar in the back, there's free popcorn! Draws a fun, laid back crowd. You can also walk to The Charleston if you want more of a bougie experience.

Brian W.

Total dive bar, down to the cracked red (?) vinyl on the handful of booths. They do an okay beer selection for a dive bar, the regulars clearly love their karaoke there, and there's reasonable street parking given the area. Again, it's a dive bar. Expect little, go have a few drinks, go dance a little.

Nikki P.

I love this bar and the bartenders and have been coming here for years, but this review is specifically about the KJ last night. He was so rude from the very beginning and pointed angrily at a piece of paper that said "No Karaoke Books" when I asked him for one. Are you kidding me? What kind of KJ doesn't have a book? I was there with a bunch of friends who were singing and sang maybe 4 songs in a row with them and he interrupted me mid song and told me that people were complaining that I was singing on every song. We then proceeded to argue back and forth, mind you this was after I had already given him $10 to let me sing my song (I had waited over an hour to sing while he let a group of his friends go over and over again.) Seriously put me in the worst mood ever, I couldn't even enjoy the rest of my night. The bartender was awesome though (I think her name was Carly?) and listened to my quarrels, apologized, and said she would tell the owner. Until this guy is gone, I will not be returning to The Gaslight. Get off your high horse dude and let people enjoy their night.

Jesseca S.

Fabulous. And loving Ally, the sweet, adorbs bartender. My perfect tuck n' roll bar includes everything they're servin' up at the Gaslite: Tito's on the rocks, great tunes, mood lighting, cool clientele, stone's throw from home.

Criss F.

My experience with the Gas Lite has been hit or miss, and I've been enough to figure out when it'll be good and when it'll be a miss. On week nights and Sundays, this place is a nice, low key dive bar with a loungey feel and a more diverse (and generally, more musically talented) crowd. On Fridays and Saturdays, this cute little dive bar transforms into a packed, club-like environment full of young people singing cliche songs and trying to drunkenly dance against you as you try to make your way to the list. The wait on weekends is also really long. With that said, it's still sort of magical. It's dark. It's crowded. People are happily singing along with you and high-fiving you when you hop off the stage after a song. Everyone else is stupidly drunk, and if you're also stupidly drunk, you'll have a stupidly good time. If you want to dance and sing your hearts out, the Gas Lite is definitely your go-to place.

Kimberly M.

Saturday night was so much fun, I really like the kj last night, he was very entertaining, it saddens me that I read a negative comment from this Julianne k girl, wow, I wanna say how sad for you to be that dishonest about what happen with you.. I was someone that signed up and didn't get to sing because of someone like you, I watched him tell you over & over that you signed up twice and you continued to asked him over and over to let you sing, he has a job to do and for people like you comment & say he was mean etc. etc. is ridiculous, so I would like to say to management, don't believe half of what people write on this, I was there last night, this girl had just sung, then about 15 mins. She is asking to sing again, there is no way you can sing at the gaslite again in 15 mins unless it's a few people there. But, not on a Saturday night, cheers to the kj, he's a great entertainer & he was doing his job, I like that he makes it fun to sing & dance...I'll for sure will be back.

Sandy L.

100 stars to Bard, the KJ last night. I absolutely adore him and the fun time he facilitates! He keeps the energy high by playing awesome songs between (mostly) mediocre singing or song choices. I literally fall in love with him every time I go to the Gas light - he is that amazing! He knows so much about music and will gladly help with background singing to put a singer back on track if they get terribly lost or off key. The Gas Light is a dirty bar, with bad drinks and a weird line at the door policy. It is worth it! Bring your dancing shoes, lose your jacket and prepare to have an amazing night!

Brian W.

I use to live right down the street from Gaslite. After moving I realized what a gem I had. Fun atmosphere, good drink prices, and Sandy is one of the bartenders there, she is super attentive in making sure your glass never hits empty. I recommend going any day at anytime.

Jeremy F.

The New KJ who was there last night was great. The Blonde sweetie from San Diego - forgot her name because of too many beers. Doesn't seem quite as crowded on Fridays as it was a couple years ago, but the party is still strong.

Rachel L.

we had the time of our lives last night... what a cool kj, he walked in, waved to everyone in the bar, it was already busy here at around 8ish, we were all like, that must be the kj. he said hello to our lovely bartender who was so nice to us the whole time she was there, she had her hands full and continued to smile, bartend & cocktail served by herself.. kudos to her! so buckie sang a song to do sound check and all of sudden the crowd engaged with him so quickly, he walked around as he was singing which i thought was super cool & high five people as he was singing. we all look at each other & said, ha, this is gonna be a good night. its been awhile since I've been here & i have had mixed emotions about service & the bartenders but my friday was truly EPIC thanks to wonderful music in-between singers (danced my tail off) & singing with friends, i hoped to be back soon to this wonderful dive bar... thank you gaslite for a fun time!!!

Michael F.

I concluded a strange night by ending up at this strange place. The Gaslight is a divey karaoke bar that only had a few people inside. What made this place really weird were some of those people. Granted it was a Wednesday night, but there were just some creeps here. One drunk dude kept trying to get me to get on the dance floor, and I had to finally nudge him away and turn my back. The whole vibe just felt wrong. The only thing that turned the night around was seeing my friend sing. I didn't know he could sing country, but he belted out a tune like champ. The weirdos were even break dancing to it. However, as soon as he was done, I was out. The Gaslight just wasn't a very cool place.

Sasha N.

This place used to be a super fun dive bar to go to chill out and have some beers and meet some fun people but oh have they changed. What used to be a fun neighborhood hangout has changed into a pretentious, wanna be hollywood hangout. They leave people outside on line to seem like it is a crowded bar when in reality there is hardly anyone inside and the line is just there to seem like there is something important happening. I went there tonight at 8pm and there was no one inside yet there was a line of thirty people outside. Ridiculous and unnecessary. You are a dive bar. Please stop trying to be something else.

Courtney D.

I usually like this bar, but the bartender Sandy is the worst bartender I've ever seen in the 15 years I've been going to bars. Pretty sure she's on drugs. Made the experience the worst I've ever had. She's completely out there. I asked for a drink and she just held her hand out asking for money before she even poured my drink. She just stared at my friends when the ordered a drink. Horrible. I'll never go back as long as she's working there. Please let me know when she's been dismissed and then I'll be back.

David L.

When there's ~30 people in the bar and only ~7 people are signed up, it's really easy to notice when the KJ is just hooking people up. I went on a Tuesday. Would have been more fun had I been able to actually do karaoke. They did sign up via piece of paper where you had a bunch of people signed up and resigned up so there really wasn't an organized order to it.

Judy G.

To whom it may concern, We went here when we were flat out rejected (okay the line was just really long) from the Chestnut Club. Thank heavens we bailed because we had such a great night at The Gaslite. My friend had one too many AFM's and his tongue was dyed blue... but I think he must have had a delightful time non the less. My wise word of advice? Put your name on the karaoke list as soon as you arrive! There also wasn't a line which was already an improvement.

Aaron S.

This is a weird Place in my opinion. I came here last night for the first time and am wondering if I should come back: I come in, sit down, order a water, then 5 minutes later, the woman working at the bar says that if I want to stay/do karaoke, I have to order a drink (not water). Didn't want anything alcoholic so I ordered a diet coke (which tasted like shit.) Then, as I'm about to sing karaoke, I ask the guy if there's a songbook and said no (WHAT?! How can you have karaoke and not even provide a songbook for your guests/people who want to sing?!) You expect them to know every song in the world or look it up on their phone (which is apparantely what I ended up doing.) I've experienced better karaoke bars in the LA area.

Lauren C.

Love this place! When Bard is there he makes the atmosphere! I only go when he's there otherwise it's dead. The joint is older but it's a karaoke Maiden!

Kay Z.

I was snuck into this bar many years ago as a teenager and thought that I had fallen through the rabbit hole, straight into dive bar hell. Some time later, I was convinced to revisit it and had a delightfully bizarre night (and another, and another..) It's all about who's running the karaoke -- I would only go when I knew Bard was working.

Tom G.

I walked in at 11:30pm on a Friday night to 7 drunk fratty dudes belting out Toto's "Africa" in every key but the right one. It was beautiful. Fun spot with a friendly vibe.

Aaron S.

Definetly does NOT open at 6am like it says out front. We have tried to grab a beer early morning after getting off at 7am and it's always closed.

Kristin H.

This place has become more dumpy, and the doorman/security was extremely rude. Why do they think making you wait in line outside for 20 minutes with the excuse of "we're at capacity" is valid when clearly there are about 20 people inside. I see it. I saw it. I witnessed it. If you don't get there early, you'll never get a chance to sing karaoke. List fills up before 10:30pm.

Matthew M.

One of the best karaoke bars ever. Don't expect to sing on a Friday or Saturday night since there is normally a 2 hour wait buy it is still fun to come dance. If you want to sing, go on another night. Only downside is that the greatest DJ in Los Angeles (Bard) left who used to bring the house down here. I wish he would come back.

Tani P.

It's impossible not to have fun here. Best dive/karaoke bar around and sometimes the people singing don't suck.

Sarah W.

I had such a good time last night, but I have to deduct one star for their ridiculous line situation. They often keep people outside waiting in line for what seems like no reason at all. They did this to some of our friends last night and there was plenty of room inside. Don't bring a jacket - you will be a sweaty mess inside. The DJ last night was awesome and played such a fun mix - too bad people kept picking sucky karaoke songs that brought down the mood. Come on people! If you want to sing whatever you want, go to a place where people are sitting down. If everyone is standing and dancing, pick something fun!

Dan T.

Too many epic midweek nights to claim at The Gaslite Don't arrive sober or you'll turn around and leave Don't go Friday or Saturday night Do get there before 9pm and grab a bucket of beer for their happy hour which is much less than their normal prices Do play photo hunt and partake in the dancing

Narmer-Ester P.

We came here for our cousin's birthday (shoutout to all the Aquarians!) The KJ was very entertaining and really knew how to keep the crowd going! These people sure knew how to request 90s R&B and RAP music which made it even more fun. We love how quickly they moved each person a long the list as well as inserting filler music in between! Sure it was small, hot, and stuffy inside, but who cares? The music, the ambience, and crowd of people there made up for it! We had a really good time and will surely be back to sing some more!

Jane J.

The Gaslite has everything you need and want in your local dive bar. Charmingly eccentric DJ that is reliably enthused by the same karaoke standbys every weekend, check. Touchscreen countertop video game console that has 1,564 games but is used strictly for naked photo hunt, check. Bartenders that will take shots of room temperature whiskey with you, check. Christmas lights all year round a la Evan and Jaron, check. Bathroom sinks that wobble precariously and also serve as a sobriety check point, check. It's a divey, dirty, fun, unflinchingly high energy place to end your night. I always have a blast, but I also make it a rule to only come towards the end of my night, closer to last call. I came sober once and had to leave immediately to reevaluate my life choices.

Hadi N.

Fun spot, dive bar, and "cozy" . Free popcorn and decent drink prices. It will be difficult to impossible to actually sing a song if you come late. All and all a fun little place to hang out

Melanie R.

This looks like my kind of bar...singing, dancing, and getting drunk lol...anybody know if it is open on fridays and if so from what time and do they do karaoke that night as well and how much to get in?

Matt H.

Fun, but the karaoke hostess doesn't play based on first come first serve. Be prepared to wait.

Katie S.

Here's the thing, though. I left a good job in the city, working for the man every night and day and I never lost one minute of sleeping worrying bout the way things might have been. Rolling. Rolling. Rolling on the river. Also, I have friends in low places where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away ... And I'll be ok. Finally, you may be right, I may be crazy and I just might be the lunatic your looking for. These are my karaoke go tos but they also express the erratic divey nature of the coolest down home bar on the westside. Garth, Tina and BJ all approved ... Find me another bar like that with dingy people and character west of the 405! You haven't? Of course, I've done the legwork and since only the good die young, I will continue to karaoke at GL straight into my goldens dancing queen style.

Melissa D.

Ugh. The guy who runs the karaoke is a huge buzzkill. He thinks he's gods gift to open mike. It's pathetic. He runs the place like the gestapo. God help you if you attempt to even ask him a question. This karaoke master can't bother to talk to us plebeians.

Benjamin E.

If you're in the mood to grab a beer in a John Waters movie, this is your spot. Loaded with locals with questionable karaoke talent, this place has good beers on tap and friendly service, a nice treat for those nights when anything will go, but you're not sure what.

Mina H.

This place is great! Karaoke every night?!! And open late every night? SCORE! So what's it like? VERY divey. It's dark, kinda dingy, but unpretentious and chill. Mostly locals (I'm guessing) and a great place to just go and have fun. The bartender is nice, and the vibe is chill. The drinks are a little expensive for a dive bar, but I guess you are paying for the entertainment. But overall, if you want something cool, chill, walk in w flip flops and have a good time - this is your place.

Flora H.

If you are 22, drunk, and think you can sing but can't, the Gaslite just might be the place for you! Unfortunately, I do not fit that demographic. We went on a Saturday night and it was CROWDED. Like, hot, sweaty, gross crowded. The Male/Female ratio was like 80/20 the night I went. You'd think that'd be a good thing for me as a female, but not my crowd at all. It reminded me of a frat party... there was even a keg in the corner! And there was something about this crowd of men that thought touching was okay... I get that it's crowded but that doesn't mean you need to fondle me as you try to get by me. Karaoke - terrible. Not a person all night could sing and it was painful at times. Cheap Drinks - good and bad. You won't break the bank here, but you'll feel out of place if you drink anything higher quality than Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can. Seriously. Bathrooms are near impossible to get too.. you have to walk through the enormous pack of people crowded around the stage. Why these people crowd around awful singers is unknown to me. I can see how this might cater to a certain crowd that might just love it, but so not for me.

Daniel R.

This place used to be cool then they removed the popcorn machine. Now this place is lame. No authenticity and just plain boring. Go somewhere else. Thanks gaslite. You ruined a perfect thing. Overpriced drinks No food? Ehh. Not fun

Ryan C.

Seen some CRAAAAAAAZZZZZY Sh*t go down here before. Good times. Use your imagination, and it could happen here. Fun crown with majority of people there to get TRASHED. Oh ya - and they have a Karaoke scene which is very forgiving for even the worst singers. Don't worry, no pros here at all....Your below average singing will still be danced to and applauded because everyone here is so damn drunk.

Kendra W.

This place made us wait in line for 30 mins only to open then door to a bar with maybe 35 people in it! It's so ridiculous that these bars want to seem busy and make the few people that want to come try it out wait so long for appearance. Nothing special here, nothing I can justifies makes this place desirable at all. Yes, karaoke is always a plus, but when you don't let people in to drink.. Everyone LOSES!!

Jake B.

I like it. It's fun. There's drinking, and there's dancing, and some people even sing, too. Occasionally some heavy petting and making out. It's a dive bar for fuck's sakes. I wouldn't drive across the city to go here. I'm not a dedicated customer. People don't know me by name. This isn't "Cheers." But hey, it's right down the street so if I'm feeling thirsty and maybe a little frisky, then I'll head on down to the Gaslite. I'll buy me a drink and sing me a tune. Not really. Not much of a singer, I'm afraid. Occasionally I'll belt out a tune when I'm in a jolly ole mood, but not in public. Never in public. Why that would just be embarrassing. We can't be having any of that. So I just drink. I sit in the corner, hanging me head, mumbling a few incoherent words to myself as I gulp down a pint in hopes of drowning my sorrows. I don't know where this Irish accent suddenly came from. I'm not even Irish. Wrong pub for that I'm afraid. That sonuvabitch is down the street. I go there too. Only that's where I tend to sing. But that Gaslite... yeah.

Emily S.

I like the Gaslight! And I have Love C to thank for introducing me to this place. It's not one of those fancy bars in Hollywood. This is more of a dive bar, with Karaoke! Who doesn't like watching people sing?! There weren't too many people who were great singers the last time we were there, but it was still entertaining. They also have their own parking lot in addition to street parking.

Jason I.

Local dive with cheap booze. Friendly atmosphere. Fun place if you aren't looking for anything fancy.

K. D.

The two stars are for the great karaoke DJ and the dive bar feel. It's too bad that has been ruined by whomever decided it was a great idea to hold a line at the door when the place isn't even at half capacity. I thought maybe last night was an isolated incident, but after reading some other reviews, it's clear management doesn't give a crap about would be bar patrons. Here's a thought - when you have people who actually want to get into to your establishment to buy drinks and therefore make you some money, let them the f*%# in the door.

Brian K.

Last stop of dive crawl night post Dodgers game. This place hosts karaoke every day of the week ...definitely filled with a bunch of characters. We visited on a Friday night and I suspect there were some regulars in the crowed. The stage is no joke- big TVs, 2 microphones with stands and DJ will jump in and help you out if you go astray. The only downside is that song books were organized by song and not by artist. Drinks seemed a bit expensive for the type of bar and the bathrooms were really disgusting...floor was probably 85% covered in a puddle of piss. Definitely a good time though if you can avoid taking a leak.

Vanessa B.

I have been wanting to go here for over 3 year after hearing rave reviews. Finally for my birthday i decide it would be a nice trip to take with a few friends on a party bus. Called numerous times to get a reservation for a party bus full of people coming from almost 2 hours away. Finally got a call back from a woman who said she would get back to us. When we show up the bouncer lets us know there are no reservations (not what is stated on their website or their automated phone message) We wait about 30 minutes to get in. It is a 1.5-2 hour wait to actually do karaoke. It is hot, smelly and completely stuffed from wall to wall. It takes forever waiting at the bar to get a drink. The bathrooms are disgusting. After calling weeks in advance, the 2 hour drive, 30 minutes in line and all of the effort to get here, we leave after about 20 minutes. Overall probably the worst karaoke bar I've been to with the worst service possible. Completely overrated. Don't waste your gas.

Terrence M.

Pretty damn decent karaoke bar. Not that I'm necessarily a karaoke connoisseur, but I've belted a tune or two at some of SD's finest (Lamplighter, The Sod...) and The Gaslite had all the fixings: a mix of regular types and karaoke circuit types, good drinks, leather seats, drunk kids. It's on my radar for LA cool watering holes now, glad someone suggested it.

Jay J.

Here is why I gave this joint 5 stars. 1.) Love the employees here. These people really take care of us every time we go. (Devin and Nico). 2.) The location is excellent (close to my place). 3.) Un-pretentious. This is not your typical L.A. joint. Rarely, do the snooty types come here. 4.) You can really have a night to remember here and get lost in good company. 5.) No "pro-types" or "try-hards" come here. You won't be judged if you suck, we all suck. No matter what, you will get love from the people here. I love the different feel of this bar. Its totally just a place to hangout, get wild, and meet other fun people that like to dance and get their sing on.

Vicky G.

The Gaslite is unique and pretty awesome. It gets crowded and you can't get your name on the karaoke list after a certain time in the night, but it is fun listening to what others choose, and it's a break from what usually plays at clubs and bars. Fun crowd, not pretentious, don't need to dress up. Also, the crowd is all ages from 21 to Seniors, which is a great mix. Bartenders are nice and service is good. Unfortunately they do not have food, however they do let you order from other restaurants and they have popcorn. Overall, not the cleanist bar, and parking stinks, but the experience is very worth it and very fun.

Svetlana S.

This place is unlike any I've ever seen before...in a good way! Free parking around santa monica as well as valet parking in the back. No cover, which makes this place even more appealing. When we walked in around 11, the place was packeddddd. We were lucky enough to find two seats at the bar. They have karaoke that you can sign up to sing while everyone in the audience dances to the songs and sings along with you. GENIUS! The MC got everyone hyped and played some dance music in between people's karaoke to get people dancing and in the mood. Depending on the songs people choose, it can really make or break the night. I noticed during some of the slower, sadder songs, most people in the audience were talking amongst themselves and not really into it; whereas during oldies or songs that pumped you up, everyone was dancing and singing along. The bar staff is really attentive and sweet. The drinks were even fairly priced compared to a lot of other bars in the area. I highly recommend coming here if your in the mood for a fun night, but for something different than the typical bar or club. I would say this is an awesome place to come on weekday nights as well to get out of the monotonous routine and sing a song or too or just listen and sing along!

Ashley M.

False advertising!! They have a sign advertising 6am open, as does the recording. They open at noon.

Michael K.

Went here on a Wednesday night and it was pretty perfect. Easy parking outside, not too crowded inside. Lots of fun singers who didn't take themselves too seriously. A great DJ. Decent drinks at a fair price. And the opportunity to sing the hell out of Air Supply to a crowd that's into it. Basically my idea of perfection. I'll be back!

Petey K.

If you like to sing, come on down. This place was used in the Funny or Die skit with Jewel. Place does get packed, so come early. I love the free parking and no cover charged. Price on drinks is a bit high for a dive-y place but hey they got karoke!

Matt R.

Meh. Maybe I'm getting too old (31), but I found this place to be full of 20-something d-bags and too loud music when I went on a Friday night around 11. Also, I paid $4 for each PBR, which is just ridiculous, even for Santa Monica.

Kristin C.

I love this place just for being its Hot Mess self, every night of the week. Yes, it may be small, and warm, and somewhat corny, but thats its beauty. One year for my birthday, I came here to conquer my karaoke fear. The regulars were a great crowd and I was able to blame my voice on the 3 baskets of free popcorn I ate. On the weekends, the crowd is usually very fun, if you disagree, maybe your the one not being fun...so have a drink and join in the Sing-Along extravaganza. GREAT karaoke bar!!! Don't stop believing..

Christine N.

When I first got there, it was a little barren and I was a bit disappointed. As the night progressed and more people started to fill the place, I started enjoying it much more. The crowd is super friendly, no hoity toity d-bags here...that in itself gets an extra star! There was a diverse group of people and although nobody was an amazing singer, we all sang together and still had a great time. At the end of the day, that's all you can really ask for, right? And the DJ was AWESOME. Played great music in between singers.

Lisa T.

My friend's review on this place mysteriously disappeared a day after it was posted, so I'm going to put in my two cents since we went to the Gaslite together last week...hopefully THIS review doesn't get removed, too. My experience here was absolutely HORRIBLE. My friends and I have been to the Gaslite many times before and always have had a good time, but after last week, we vow never to come back. We came on 11/7/12 and the bartender Steve was completely WASTED. We were waiting at least half an hour at the bar while he argued with a girl about her tab. The bouncer came in to deal with the situation and Steve started yelling insults at the patrons; the whole thing was insane. The cops were even called on him! I've never experienced anything like this. We all left at midnight or so because he seriously pissed off EVERYONE. Both my friend and I held back on writing a review because we all assumed that this guy would be fired and never be allowed to work in a bar again. We came back a couple nights later on Friday and brought some friends who were in town...and were absolutely SHOCKED to find that the bartender Steve was still working there!!! My friends and I left right away. We don't need to go to a place where the management clearly doesn't care about its customers and what kind of people work there. It's such a shame because we used to love coming here. So be forewarned - the Gaslite can be a fun place, but get out of there if Steve is working, unless you like being called derogatory names and getting horrible service from a belligerent bartender.

Bridget Ann S.

This is my go to place in Santa Monica on Wilshire and for karaoke! The two main dj's, Bard and Tre, are engaging and get the crowd going nearly every night. The bar staff is great! The karaoke list is okay - it could be updated with some newer music, but it is still pretty extensive. The main reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the drink prices are a tad high (although I love that there is no cover or drink mimimum) and the bathrooms could use some love. I enjoy dive bars - and this one is dovey enough to satisfy that need. The everchanging crowd anchored by some regulars make this a different experience every time you go. Come on down!!

M E.

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Chris M.

They charge $40 to sing a s Karaoke song. $40. I will never ever wait in line for this tiny, overpriced bar where you have to pay $40!!!! To sing one song.

Ashley C.

I witnessed an altercation there between the karaoke hostess and a girl who was trying to find out when she would actually get to sing. The hostess doesn't go in order of sign up, she lets her friends go whenever they want. I heard a girl ask when she was actually going to get to sing and the hostess freaked out and grabbed her wrist and hair and pulled her toward her like she was going to hit her. Then the hostess started pulling decorations down off the wall. The other people who worked there did absolutely nothing. One of the bartenders also tried to steal one of my friend's credit cards. She kept saying she gave it back. Finally we threatened to call the cops and then she threw the card at us. Literally threw it. If these are the type of people hired to work here, then I do not ever want to go back. None of us will ever return. There are some really great dive karaoke places nearby where you are respected. Do not go here!

Jessica C.

Went on a Saturday. Let me start off with something good - the crowd was fun and the bartenders were very attentive and friendly. The bad, which is really important since it's a karaoke bar... is the karaoke. I do karaoke often and this was so poorly run! The KJ was a tall, thin, blonde guy with sort of an emo haircut. Why play music so long in between songs? It delays everything. This place is NOT first come, first serve... this KJ would call someone that would not come up, go to the next person, and then call the previous person up again. I'm sorry, but if you are not around when your song is called, tough cookies. A number of times, I saw someone he looked familiar with come up and talk to him, and they would suddenly be up next. I would *maybe* go back if I just wanted a couple of drinks, but I will never choose the Gas Lite for karaoke again. Maybe other KJs that work here run things differently, but avoid this guy!

Nelson S.

Great song selection, non alcoholic drinks as low as $1, crowd is extremely supportive.

Alexandra H.

I don't know how people can stand the smell of this place!! It's horrible! It smells like beer, puke and, when you go towards the bathroom, like burned popcorn grease. I have been to a lot of bars that had popcorn machines, and none of them smelled pungent like that. I don't know if there's something wrong with it, or it never gets cleaned, but it's horrible. The smell is so awful it's hard to focus on anything else. One note though- all the people on here bashing the karaoke hosts because they had to wait too long to sing? If you want to sing at a busy karaoke bar, you have to show up early to sign up- that's just the way it is. You can't fault a place for waiting too long to sing. First come, first served- it's not a tricky concept.

Dawn C.

I love this place. The crowd is usually really friendly and warm and the dj is really nice. Friendly staff, good bartenders. Not exactly the place to go to relax but a good place to unwind and people watch, if going for karaoke. Gets really loud and crowded on the weekends but super fun for groups or a birthday. Good happy hour prices to get you warmed up before you start to sing your bad notes. No food here but they allow you to order, or bring food in.

Vivian L.

this place is super ghetto fabulous. great if you can get a seat and then just sit back and watch the bad singers as free entertainment!

Jethro P.

I don't know if there is another bar in SM that is a local hangout. I have been a total of 5 times and can always point out the same people that come here every weekend. The atmosphere is a combination of fun, odd, enthusiastic and carefree. I am not a karaoke person but I do enjoy the atmosphere from time to time. People really go all out here and everyone participates which makes it fun. You also have to be in a particular mood to come out here and fully enjoy yourself, I've sung once and it was fun but I like to be a spectator more often than not.

Amy C.

First, a simile: My first visit to The Gaslite was like finding out that the tooth fairy was my mother AND that she had stopped paying for my abandoned teeth (a.k.a. quite a let down). In other words, I had heard of this place through the proverbial grapevine umpteen times over the last few years. I never made it out to the random birthdays or nights out. Just recently I found myself in SM for a date night, and since my hubby and I are HUGE karaoke-ers, we felt the need to cab it here. When we walked in, we were shocked. Like jaw hitting the floor shocked. Gaslite is one big, shabby (but not chic) room with a few booths on the periphery. The walls are old, the bar is old, the equipment is old, and so on and so forth. The shock continued when we heard the first singer... and the next... and the next.... I guess since it's simply a karaoke bar we figured a great deal of the singers would be relatively good. Not so much. We are used to a sprinkle of good and bad, with a lot of in-betweeners. No such luck. We're talking some who are tone deaf and the rest who can't follow the lyrics for the life of them. Ugh. The saving graces were the strong drinks, eclectic crowd, and convenient location. We took a few dollar cab ride from 3rd Street and enjoyed quite a few cheap vodka/sodas. The crowd proved for some people watching. I'm not sure I'll make it back here... I'd rather cab it back to Woodland Hills for some reeeal karaoke............

Adrienne T.

My husband and I just got home from here, it was a blast! This happens to be Halloween weekend, so everyone (including myself) dressed up for Halloween. The place had a really cool vibe, great mix of people... older and younger crowd, I would stress on the younger crowd... lots of mid-late 20s. Possibly because it was Halloween... Very comfortable, low key, laid back place. There wasn't like a script being read for the karaoke rules, just really chill... which I love! We sat at the bar for 2 drinks and the bartender was great... very relaxed, offered another drink, but not too pushy about buying more. We went up front near the karaoke for a bit and had a great time dancing and singing, never felt like the crowd was out of control or anything. I would highly recommend The Gaslite for a fun, low key night out!

Rebecca S.

Great dive bar located in Santa Monica (more towards West LA) on Wilshire blvd. YES it is THE bar that Jewel made the surprise visit to and shocked everyone after revealing that it was in fact, Jewel herself singing one of her songs. So yeah, on that note, the sad looking sign that says "world famous karaoke" is true; their karaoke is sorta kinda world famous. Bartenders are cool, drinks are stiff, theres actually PARKING (!!), FREE POPCORN, patrons are generally cool and laid back, always someone interesting to talk to if you're flying solo. One thing thats strange is that they don't serve drinks like long islands or AMFs in a pint glass; you just get em in a weird oversized tumbler. I prefer the tall glass, but oh well! I personally kind of consider this place somewhat of a landmark... so yeah, if you're in Santa Monica or W. LA, stop by!!

Derek W.

A fun Karaoke Bar scene, dive bar scene and not over price. You never know who is going to get on stage and sing, but the Karaoke Host does a good job keeping things going and will help you out if you start to bomb

Carly P.

This place used to be one of my favorite karaoke bars in LA. However, I guess it gets totally packed on the weekend now due to the recent cameos of celebrities singing here for fun. My advice would be to go on the week nights. If it is mildly busy, it will take about an hour for you to get your turn to sing once you put your name on the list. That's just the pace it runs at and seems to be on par with other karaoke places I've been to. Don't expect anything fancy. This place is a dive bar with karaoke added to it. The regulars are great and the bartenders are nice. Its a great place for some fun any night of the week - just be forewarned that the weekends are PACKED!

Samuel C.

Stumbled in here during our sunday funday in Santa Monica. It was slow. But the patrons were freakin awesome... very friendly. I must have had two rounds bought for me... awesome. I really love that this place is so down to earth. lacking that snobby uptown attitude in hollywood... Jess... the bartender made me a flower out of paper! it was funny... part of a joke my friends told her about. They were bustin my chops for ordering a sangria in santa monica: it had orchid pedals n stuff... Drinks were absurdley cheap... 4 beers for 12 bucks.... wow. thats the price for one beer at drais hollywood. really. no really thats the price... I really like this place... i'm defnitely going to return.

Mary N.

Came on a weekday night just to check it out since I was in the area with friends. The place was full of older people, sprinkled with some young-uns having drinks and watching the game on their TVs, but it wasn't bad. Everyone was friendly and supportive of the singers and songs that were being karaoked. The DJ said that it was her first time working that night, and she was pretty good! Inbetween singers, she would play good 80s music and even sang a song or two herself. The dance floor was teeny tiny, but some of the older people had fun dancing by themselves. They also tended to come up and sing with you if they liked the song. The servers are definitely nice. I had a jolly rancher drink that turned out to be pretty good, and my friend asked for something citrus-y and sweet. They made her something that tasted like a lemondrop, and when she didn't like it, they made her a new drink right away. Their baileys on the rocks was also yummay. Oh, they also don't serve food other than the popcorn that comes out of their cart off to the side.

Rahul S.

I used to love this place and now it's just eh. The place gets way too crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. If you're going there to sing a song you're going to have to wait two plus hours not to mention it gets super hot in there. It's a typical dive bar and the bartenders do make the drinks strong, but if you actually want to sing there are many better places to go where the crowds are just as good.

Jake G.

Last week I ventured into The Gaslight for the first time in a long while and boy was I surprised. This place has gone downhill fast. I could go down the long list of things that have fallen into disrepair but I'll just mention a few: the bathrooms are horrendous, I could barely fit into the men's room because the door was jammed and the vanity is falling apart! Out in the bar, things have also gotten a little rundown. Starting with the GIANT crack in the mirror on the back wall. I thought it was going to break off and kill me! Fleeing from the shattered mirror to the cozy confines of The Gaslight bar, I was searching for the popcorn that I was so used to munching on when I karaoke'd the night away with my friends. But it was nowhere to be found. This was a major letdown. I know it's only popcorn, but hey, I liked it. Now for a little bit of the good. The service and prices are still great. I sat at the bar the whole night and ordered quite a few drinks - am I an alcoholic? I hope not! - and it didn't break the bank. Just $35 for five drinks including a healthy tip for the bartender Jess - who was great BTW! Bard the KJ was great too. This place may have fallen a little on the dingy side, but service hasn't been compromised. Still a great place to stop into for a drink or a sing if you're in the Santa Monica area. P.S. It's always great to have free parking :)

Natalia K.

If you're looking for a low-key bar for a fun night with a couple of friends, this place is perfect. Service: bartenders are great -- very fast and efficient and always attentive. Karaoke: ton of fun and doesn't put you in the spotlight too much; I can see how it might not be happening on a slow night, though, so I suggest going later in the week if you really want to sing. Dancing: small dance floor, but easy to make room and people are definitely dancing. Music: awesome. Crowd: really chill, laid-back people, all having fun. Always someone interesting to meet and talk to.

Shelby R.

I went to The Gaslite to sing karaoke for a friends birthday. As soon as we got there I signed my name up. I waited an hour and a half for my turn and when I approached the DJ in charge of karaoke to ask when I would be called, he rudely brushed me aside and signaled the bouncer to kick me out. The DJ was calling his friends up for karaoke the whole time and not giving other people a chance. I was so turned off by the way they operate the karaoke that I will never go back again.

Ting W.

If you don't come early enough, don't look for a place to sit. Gets very crowded. The good thing is theres a bouncer that controls the door so the bad part is, if you come too late, you'll be waiting outside.

Carol S.

I love coming to this place whenever i'm in Santa Monica. It's a low key bar that is amazing!! And it's a KARAOKE BAR!! There's free popcorn with different flavor toppings...YUM!! You can bring in your own food in, which is great because nobody lets you do that anymore. And the bartenders are as cute as they can get!! I love drinking here and watching other people try to sing karaoke on stage, LOL!! The bartenders are fast and they always remember what i've been drinking all night. Oh, and the drinks are super cheap! I think everyone should try this place out if they're around the area. Cheap drinks and people to laugh at. What more can you ask for?! :)

Anh P.

the gaslite...always a good time on sundays. it is def sunday funday :) the dj devon plays great songs in between karaoke sets that gets people pumpin'. very personable and also a great singer. I understand when people are drunk they don't hear their names being called..or they think they're being skipped.. but RELAX folks, we're all here for a good time and no need to be a d*ck about it.. it's singing okay. the bartender niko is awesome too! treat him right!

A W.

I was having an okay night up until the bill arrived. We got charged for 4 extra vodka shots! Not one, not two, but 4! I let the bartender immediately know that this was a mistake and we never had that many shots. He had the guts to stare me in the eyes and insist that we did have those. Apparently he assumed that we were probably drunk and would not remember exactly how many we had, but boy was he wrong. My group and I were 100% sure we did not order any of those extra drinks. Because it was a special day for me, I did not want to make a scene, so I ended up signing the check and walked out angrily. Reading some other people's reviews, I'm noticing that apparently organized crimes of this nature are fairly common at this place. If you don't want to go to a bar and walk out feeling tricked and deceived, AVOID THIS BAR AT ALL COSTS!

Lauren B.

(Disclaimer. I am not a karaoke fan. If you catch me karaoking, I must not know whats up from down. Basically, I cant handle these places for long and just don't like the cheesy clientele but, thats what you get at karaoke bars, right? ). Aside from this place being a bit grungy/old/small/run down, the Gaslite is pretty fun. They have just about every ridiculous song you could think would annoy those around you. Beers were pretty inexpensive and the dance floor was packed with single girls dancing in packs with each other. Fellas, if you happen have a sweet sweet singing voice and want to wrangle in some mediocre karaoke-loving ladies, this is the place to do work.

Denis S.

Came here to meet up with some friends on a Thursday night. Place was pretty full, but not so packed that you have to fight to get at the bar. Interesting crowd... Clearly some regulars, clearly some post-work young professionals, and a good spattering of douche-bags. I'm not saying it to be mean, I'm not trying to disparage, but there are just some people who might as well be wearing a sign. The guy who unbuttons one too many buttons, who high-fives far too many times, who has completely forgotten how to stop grinning and so many other signs. Come here to relax, come here to sing, come here to go party, but do not come here to drink. I got two different drinks and they were both horrible. It wasn't just me, everyone who got mixed drinks (and could taste them) regretted it. Stick with bottled beers here.

Luke S.

It's been a while, Yelp, but I'M BAAAACCK! For good reason... THE GASLITE, and all its potential. Owners, please read this!! As a thrifty Karaoke connoisseur (ie: cheap and picky as hell!) there's no doubt that this place has potential... Cool crowd, cheap drinks, and smells terrible. Everything I like in a dive bar! Some VERY IMPORTANT recommendations: 1) Turn it up! I was there on a Friday and it was pretty crowded, mostly people chatting with/at their friends at top volume. If you weren't right on the dance floor, all you hear is the yakety-yak (don't talk back!) Most of the crowd wasn't there to sing, just to hang out, and they only rushed the dance floor when their friends were up. It needed to be louder! 2) Get a second monitor that FACES THE CROWD. These people are too drunk to play the "What are they singing?" game or go look at the singer's monitor. NO SECOND SCREEN means NO CROWD SINGING ALONG, which means very little support for the singer. It's all about fun! 3) The KJ was amazing, but terribly overworked, and constantly bombarded with drunken inquiries. She can use an assistant on busy nights... and a raise. Or both. It's always appreciated when the lineup is shouted out (ie: "Now we have Joe coming up, and Shirley is on deck followed by Bob.") This also makes sure the next singer is ready for their song and doesn't have to shove through the crowd. I had a great time at the Gaslite, and appreciate places that have the guts to do Karaoke nightly! I'd definitely go back on a less-crowded night, but for now, improvements can be made.

Susan K.

My experience here this past week was absolutely HORRIBLE. I've been to the Gaslite many times before and always have had a good time, but after this week, I vow never to come back. I came on 11/7/12 and the bartender Steve was completely WASTED. I was waiting at least half an hour at the bar while he argued with a girl about her tab. The bouncer came in to deal with the situation and Steve started yelling insults at the patrons; the whole thing was insane. The cops were even called on him! I've never experienced anything like this. We all left at midnight or so because he seriously pissed off EVERYONE. I held back on writing a review because we all assumed that this guy would be fired and never be allowed to work in a bar again. I came back a couple nights later on Friday and brought some friends who were in town...and was absolutely SHOCKED to find that the bartender Steve was still working there!!! My friends and I left right away. I don't need to go to a place where the management clearly doesn't care about its customers and what kind of people work there. It's such a shame because I used to love coming here. So be forewarned - the Gaslite can be a fun place, but get out of there if Steve is working, unless you like being called a bitch and getting horrible service from a belligerent bartender.

James A.

A total dive bar and you can even sing if you like.

Vivian R.

I went to this place on Friday night, after my friends saw me perform with a jazz trio. They were inspired to do karaoke after hearing me sing. So we headed over to The Gaslite because it was the closest karaoke place near the location where we were at the time. What a mistake that was. The place was crowded and hot. The KJ was a complete Douchebag with a capital D. This wanna be white boy rapper/hype man Justin Bieber look a like did multiple things to annoy the crap out of us. 1. He played an entire track between every singer. 2.He put himself in the rotation multiple times when there were more than 40 singers on the list. 3.He sung and beatboxed over the singers as they were singing 4.He didn't go by the list, so you had to bug him to find out where you were. 5. The sound system was terrible I'm pretty sure he didn't know what the hell he was doing up there, and just turned everything up. The one thing that pissed me off more than anything was when it was my time to sing, he let the girl in front of me sing the song I chose. And when I came up to do my song, I chose a Metallica song. He took one look at me and asked "Are you sure you want to do this song"? Yes I'm sure (you jackass!) I took it he's never met a black woman who liked and could sing the hell out of a hard rock song. I had to school him with my performance. My friends sang their songs completely out of order and he tried sing over them. We left there disgusted. I hope the owner of this place reads this review. Get rid of this guy and hire a real KJ that isn't some moron trying to make this place his own personal rap concert.

May C.

Hanging out at The Gaslite in Santa Monica when I am in the area is a lot of fun. We all sing Karaoke and have a few beverages and soak up the atmosphere. Claire has excellent customer service and knows how to take care of her customers. See you next time!

James M.

this place was fantastic!! the people were great. Everyone loves singing and listening to others sing. So much support when a person goes on the stage to sing. This is a place worth coming back time and time again.

okame m.

I'm not usually a bar person, but for what it is, this bar's fun. Is the bar a little grimy? Yes. What you come for though, is the karaoke. Great selection of music for karaoke - everything from hip hop to classic to pop. No pretentiousness. Check your ego at the door and enjoy the eclectic group of people having a good time. What sets this place apart is the DJ. There was a great DJ tonight who handled transitions super well and backed up the singers when needed. He kept the energy going between songs and kept people on the dance floor. Not to mention, he had great style and rad hair which made karaoke seem just a little bit cooler.

Zoe T.

absolutely love this place. but i'm not a huge fan of how crowded it gets on the weekend. its no fun if you cant move. and its no fun if the wait to sing a song is a million hours. come on a weekday, and its good times. cheap drinks, and no judging on the terrible singing. ;-)

Nikki G.

This is a fun bar!! That being said, GO! xoxo

Keisha A.

I walked in for happy hour at about 6:30pm on a Thursday night and the place seemed a bit empty. It looked like one big red room with Christmas garland hanging, two very unique ceiling fans and a few regulars at the bar. It reminded me of what I imagine the Regal Beagle would look like in real life. The first thing I noticed was the smell of popcorn and sure enough there was a popcorn machine. Score 1 for the Gaslite, I love popcorn at bars! My friends and I sat at a large, round, red booth underneath a large HDTV - one of several in the bar. The Lakers were playing and it was all Lakers on all TVs. Score 2 for the Gaslite? Happy hour that lasts until 9pm! Happy hour 'til 9? Really?! Sign me up! $2 off all drinks and these awesome buckets o' beer. $12 or $16 for six domestic or import beers in a bucket. If I weren't driving, I probably would have purchased a bucket all for myself! Around 8:30pm once the Lakers game was over, the karaoke heads started coming out. There are some pretty dedicated American-Idol wannabes here and their enthusiasm is fun to watch. The woman who runs karaoke is actually a pretty good singer! By 10pm this little place was packed with people ready to show that not everyone in America's got talent. The only thing missing here is food. While they do sell hotdogs during football game days, other than the popcorn they don't serve any eats. They do, however, have a book full of menus and places willing to deliver to the bar including the Koo Koo Roo next door. Parking was easy - there's plenty of metered parking out front (availability likely dependent on your arrival time.) Fun place to go with a group - get there early if you want a place to sit before the karaoke crowd rushes in.

Whitney G.

Hmm, Gross. I'm all for a dive bar, but damn. The bouncer was nice, but immediately we found it odd he was sweating bullets. No cover so we figured, what's the catch? Oh, we learned... Big time. This night was a total bust. The place was mildly but not severely packed. It had some random chick dancing by herself on the dance floor with no shoes on. No one seemed the slightest bit interested in participating in karaoke (which they're known for), and most importantly the space lacked proper ventilation and the joint smelled of something sour/rotten. It was bad... it was all bad. Fingers crossed it was just an off night.

Margaret R.

Definitely a place where you think white college students go to. I felt like I was in a movie, where a white person returns back to his small town and this is the bar all the locals go to. A very fun atmosphere and packed! There's a karaoke stage where you can go up and sing. Also, the crowd is great because ppl just joyously sing along with whatever you song you picked. I think this is definitely a place to go back to.

Sarah C.

I was drug here a couple weeks ago for a friend's birthday party so I didn't really have a choice in venue. The place looked like a basement of a frat party I used to sneak in when I was in high school haha! Maybe I didn't enjoy myself because I arrived late and everyone was already smashed, but I think how much fun you have is directly related to how much you drink. Apparently this is a hotspot for one night stands, I couldn't even walk to the bathroom without being harassed 3-4 times. sorry gaslite, I won't be back.

Tony T.

This review is strictly for the karaoke DJ, Stoobie, I believe is what he calls himself. He runs by far the WORST karaoke in town. First off he plays a dance song in between all of the karaoke singers. The songs are always horrible, Stoobie sings over all of them and they make for really bad transitions into the karaoke songs. This also means you will wait at least 2 hours to sing. We got there around 10pm on Saturday and the place wasn't very full at all. The list had about 6 people ahead of us and we didn't sing until 12:15am. The worst and most offensive part of it all is that Stoobie takes pride in making sure no one out shines him. He does this by never turning your mic up past a whisper, the music is always 20db's lower than the dance songs and guess what . . . he never has the song you want to sing even though it's on the list. What is even shittier is that he's a liar. Turns out he did have the song I wanted to sing when some girl wanted to sing it. Turns out he has his own mic that is turned up very loud that only he gets to sing from. Turns out he doesn't even go by the list if some lame girl wants to sing a Brittney Spears song. What an ass! He is clearly the king of all douches. And that is saying a lot given the fact that this is Los Angeles. If you have any intention of really singing some karaoke, avoid this place like the plague. There are about a dozen other places around this bar that have proper karaoke set ups.

Angel M.

This is a cool place to go and hang with friends and listen to drunk people sing karaoke. Its really tiny and the and very dive bar-ish. The only reason I can't give it five stars is because the karaoke guy isn't fair... you sign up to sing a song and then he skips around on the list... my friends signed up to perform and we waited two hours and ee kept checking the list and she should have been up after 8 people but never got called.

Anh T.

You have to be a hardcore karaoke lover to hit up this place in the middle of the day. I am definitely not one of those people, especially because I only like doing things I'm good at...like napping and eating duck fetuses. I hadn't even finished my first drink, and my classmates were already crooning GNR on stage. This is probably why I don't have friends in school. I'm just not always "down" with what the white people want to do. Though this place is a hole in the wall, drinks were not the super cheap dive bar prices I expected ($7 for a vodka tonic), but the bartender was pretty nice. I also have no idea why this is place is listed under "dance clubs." There's hardly enough room for a Jenny Craig death match.

Heather F.

Jake from Malibu was doing the karaoke on Friday night. He wouldn't take requests for certain songs because he was "on page 3" of some karaoke list whatever that means. You weren't allowed to see the list to pick a song. This must be some LA thing. What kind of karaoke place doesn't allow a person to pick their song? I am taking my song skills someplace else that hopefully Jake the Karaoke Nazi from Malibu won't be in charge of.

Tim S.

Made the mistake of coming here on Dec. 18 when I guess there was a pub crawl going down on Wilshire in Santa Monica. It definitely wasn't worth the haul out there from Pasadena...me and West LA never seem to be on the same page. That night it was already raining hard, and after I found street parking down the block, I sprinted over to the Gaslite to find a line of people waiting to get in as if it was a Hollywood club or something. The bouncer did well to limit the number of people who can go in because the place is small and gets filled up easily. The kind of place where you have to push past people just to get to the bathroom, and if you're holding a drink, you'd better hold it way up in the air so as to avoid someone's drunken elbow spin-around. The bartenders seemed attentive enough. I didn't know at the time about this crawl, so I was wondering why there were so many people wearing Santa hats or pajamas. There was karaoke going on, and in between the DJ would play old middle-school era jams that would make all the drunken white people shout OHHHHHHHHHHH SH*T and proceed to dance furiously. Drink prices were alright. If you like really crowded dive-bars (at least on a Sat night) with a college-party feel, check this place out. Kinda feels like a smaller Busby's haha. On the way out, I noticed V Lounge (never been there) was just as, if not more, crowded...so the night I went might not be totally representative of a normal weekend night.

Jean L.

I come here more often than I like and for various odd reasons - once for Halloween, once just because, and the last time...I think just because. Hello, I think this means someone ought to open a good karaoke bar in west LA! You don't really come for the karaoke though. As others have noted, it takes an absurd amount of time for your chance to go up. Even then, the sound system isn't great. The place is tiny, the carpet probably hasn't been changed in over 20 years, and the red lighting...makes everyone look better. I think. The two best points about this dive bar: 1) No hassle getting in, despite the fact I've always been when there's a line. This last Sat, it was me and 4 men. Show me another bar that has a line in LA that will let in 4 guys and 1 girl at the same time, with no cover. Plus, the bouncer's always been really nice to me, letting us leave for a while to return if I forgot something in the car, etc. He only keeps people waiting bc the place is so small, and it's a fire hazard if it gets too packed. 2) The drinks can be really strong, if you want them to be. It's a dive bar. Just ask.

josh s.

Hands down the best Dive/Karaoke Bar on the West Side. Bartenders are fast, always remember your drink of choice, & will not put up with your shit. Karaoke starts at 9 every night. Get your name in early if you want to sing because the list can get backed up. This is one of those places that needs complete re-decorating inside but refuses to do so which makes it so amazing (minus the restrooms. Those are fucking gross). My nose doesn't work so well but I've had friends complain about the smell of the bar. Whatever, I just tell em to drink more. This is one of the only packed houses in Santa Monica on weekdays. You can imagine how the weekends are. Overall, the vibe here is awesome. Everybody comes expecting a good time. It also really pushes it how late they're open so when 2am is approaching, compared to Q's & Cabo locally that close at 12:30 or so, head over to NY&C Pizza to end your night/morning. You can also catch your favorite games on one of the many tv's.

Christine C.

Only memorable in the fact that the drinks were TERRIBLE, the crowd was annoying, the MC/DJ did not know how to transition songs between or in/out of karaoke, and played them way too loudly for such a small place. They also skipped over my friend in the list to sing... lame. I probably would never come again unless I were coerced, despite knowing what a staple in wild drunken karaoke times in the area. Maybe it's better during the day or earlier in the evening but usually then I have better things to do...?

Caroline S.

You want to be drunk to fully enjoy and embrace this place. But if you're not, their beer bucket (4 beers - $12) will help you get there... and a few more rounds will inch you closer to bravery to sing your rendition of Journey "Don't Stop Believing." It's free karaoke, so don't be wallet shy and drink away the stage fright and belt those tunes or loosen that belt to drink all that cheap beer!

Jackie R.

I love a good dive and The Gaslite satisfies. I love people who just are who they are. Those who frequent the Gaslite before 10pm (and you will know who they are) are just chillin and having a good time. They get the karaoke started when there are 12 people in the bar. Are they good? No. Who cares? Not them. Not me. It's fun and unpretentious with a fantastic mix of people. I've never had a poor experience with the bartenders, karaoke MCs, or the bouncers. I have a tendency to be extremely nice to these people however, as they do have the ability to give you (or not to give you) what you want. Other facts: - If you get there before 9pm $10 buckets (maybe $12) of beer. - You can reserve a booth for a large group if you call a few days in advance. - Get there early, bring a DD or enough cash for a cab home!

Sean K.

AVOID this place! I ended up here this past Sunday, March 4th, in the afternoon reccently when my brother and I had to be in San Mo for a funeral. Well, we were about two hours ahead of time so we drove around the block and found this place. My bad experience with this place DID NOT HAPPEN when I was there. It was after we left. A whole two days later. I'm checking my bank account online on Tues, the 6th, and I have a charge for $40 dollars from the Gaslite. I was checking it at about 11 or 12 that night and the charge was a few hours earlier. All we had was two of four-beer buckets, which our server Danielle said was $10 dollars each and my brother got the tip in cash. To the management of the Gaslite: I know my bankcard company has already called you, so you know what my name is and YOU KNOW I WAS NOT IN YOUR DUMP OF A BAR ON TUESDAY NIGHT. YOU WILL REFUND MY MONEY! To anyone thinking of going to this "place": Just don't do it! If you do and Danielle is your server make sure you pay in cash!

Ron H.

Came here with my coworkers and had a blast! The place is small and I heard it gets packed the later it gets. The bartender was super cool and the people singing were terrible- which is good because it makes you want to sing too! I am definitely coming back!

Tracy k.

I've never been to the Gaslite and NOT had a great time! It's always fun. It's a dirty little dive bar close to home that my friends and I can always gather at whether it be after a long day at work, a spur of the moment get-together, or an unplanned drunken-birthday bash. I've been here countless (literally countless) times and I've never had a bad experience. The employees are awesome and respectable. TIPS: This is not some swanky place to take a first date, it's a DIVE bar with karaoke! Don't go looking to be impressed by anything because it's not a 5-Star restaurant or club, it's a little hole in the wall meant for casual fun. Jeans & t-shirts... not dress-up attire. Go with a relaxed soul and open mind and you're sure to have a blast!

Vanessa L.

I love coming here after a long day at work! The atmosphere is amazing they have really good service here and the management is great. Everyone here is just looking for a place to relax after a hard day at work!

Lauren A.

We had fun...thanks bartender Steve! Good drinks, games & popcorn. Fun dive bar :-)