Word on the street is that The Baaa karaoke has ostensibly filled the Thursday night social calendar gap after reporting “lines out the door” since the start of 2024. Supporting the piss-fuelled antics of over 200 breathas a night, The Baaa’s karaoke has allegedly trumped all other competitors for Thursday night dominance – including the revered Pequeño Jazz Night. Though this is partially a consequence of liquor licencing which prevents Pequeño from having as large a venue cap as The Baaa, it’s no joke when Critic Te Ārohi states that karaoke is out to take the fucking belt.
To gauge the extent of the rapid rise, Critic Te Ārohi spoke with Alex Lister, a supervisor at The Baaa and head of the karaoke nights since 2022. Alex told Critic that “we’re finally starting to get back to pre-Covid levels […] it’s been steady but now we actually have lines out the door.” The venue’s capacity is 137 individuals, but Alex said that “we could have 100 people in and then have 100 different people in the next hour.”
The rise in numbers comes after social spectators of the University scene have pointed to a relative absence of viable social events catering to a large demographic of students on a Thursday night. Wednesday has Pint Night, Friday has town, and Saturday has the flats, but pundits have pinpointed Thursday as a key zone of contention for many students. The uncertain status of Thirsty Thursday is supported by (dubious) analytics which reveal that U-Bar statistically hosts less events per semester on a Thursday than they would on any other operating day.
Alex attributed the success of karaoke night to the fact that, “It’s its own unique thing. It’s like, we’ll let the hair down, get the house doubles out, and have a mean time.” Alex also admitted to partially manipulating his attendees, stating, “I always start us off and purposefully do the first song terribly […] cracking highs and shit. Half can tell I’m taking the piss, and half think ‘oh this guy’s trash’ so they have a go themselves.” A likely story, Alex.
Though The Baaa’s karaoke night has seen a significant increase in following, ardent fans of Pequeño’s jazz nights, which run concurrently with karaoke, were quick to jump to its defence. Henry, third-year student and jazz night lover, told Critic Te Ārohi, “Jazz night does deserve supremacy.” Continuing his argument, he said, “It’s not every night you get to see jazzers, including your Economics lecturer, tear it up […] literally, his hands were bleeding buckets by the end of it.”
Another fan, Nyla, told Critic, “Jazz night sounds more sophisticated […] I think you need that on a Thursday.” Alistair, a man wizened enough to remember the days when they had 10% Billy Mavs, posited that, “It’s all about different personalities […] I’ve got mates who I wouldn’t bring to Pequeño and vice versa, it all depends.”
Cutting a knife through the confusion of the battle for Thursday night supremacy, one student Nicki, said, “The people I know who go to jazz night are all really keen.” This and Alistair’s comment perhaps summarises the dispute. While The Baaa’s karaoke night may have triumphed in sheer numbers, nothing trumps the spirit of Jazz Night lovers (like seriously guys, chill).