The charm of this hole is not the toothless local yokel who's been sitting at the bar since 6am. It's not even the red and gold tinsel adorning the stage from Christmas of '78. The beauty of the Gaslite lies in the stiff drinks in combination with the above.

The dim lighting and large red vinyl booths make the Gaslite a perfect place for anonymity—at least until you sally up to the stage and do your best Madonna. On a recent Saturday night, a fellow going by the name of Hero gave us a rousing rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle" Long Duc Dong-style, which inspired another patron to jump up on stage for a duet. It was like Axl and Slash reunited. Lyrics are displayed on a big screen, though those who succeed in getting the party started on the dance floor may have difficulty reading them over the bobbing heads. There are about 20,000 songs in the karaoke catalog, and the eclectic crowd—made up of locals, UCLA students and middle-aged folks on first dates—is very forgiving.—Mai Dinh