Gay-friendly club MetroGruv on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue is a slightly different haven of vocal embarrassment than your usual karaoke scene. Instead of burying your head into the songlist book or your vodka cran, MetroGruv wants your eyes on the talent(?). The club's Thursday night karaoke sessions come backed with smoke machines, lasers and stage lights. Singers live out their rock-star dreams as they pretend the 30-or-so chatting attendees are really 30,000 screaming fans.

[MetroGruv Nightclub, 8 p.m., no cover, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253. 761.1550]