Karaoke nights in Toronto are a wholly different animal than private karaoke rooms - the most obvious difference is the prospect of embarrassing yourself while trying to sing in front of a bar full of strangers vs. having a laugh singing badly with a group of your friends. While spots like Disgraceland, Parts & Labour, Unlovable, and The Steady inject karaoke into their calendars, tons of bars in the city offer a dedicated night (or nights) to singing, which attracts a dedicated following.

Here's a day-by-day guide to karaoke nights in Toronto.

See also:

The best karaoke bars in Toronto
The unofficial guide to karaoke bars in Koreatown

SUNDAY

The Old Sod (2936 Bloor St. West)
Host: Jeff Smith
Located in Etobicoke just outside Royal York Station, The Old Sod is the second-oldest Irish pub in the city. Karaoke starts at 10pm and is hosted by dedicated (30-year) industry veteran Jeff Smith, who keeps things running smoothly. Most importantly, he always ensures the sound quality is just right for every singer. Featuring a huge selection of songs, The Old Sod's karaoke night includes a lot of indie/alternative and British songs that many other places don't have. Regulars mostly frequent this pub, so it's a bit like Cheers (you know, where everybody knows your name), but with karaoke. Note: they also have a karaoke night on Tuesdays.

Also on Sundays

• The Beaver (1192 Queen St. West), 11pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10 pm
• The Loaded Dog (1921 Lawrence Ave. East, Scarborough), 9pm
• The Black Bull Tavern (298 Queen St. West), 10pm-2am
• Two Bite Saloon (840 Bloor St. West), 10pm
• Toby's Pub and Eatery (411 College St.)
• Kornerstones Bar and Grill (1601 Birchmount Rd., Scarborough), 8pm (also Wednesdays at 9pm)

MONDAY

Toby's Pub and Eatery (411 College St.)
Host: Jason Rolland
Pass the Sneaky Dee's crowd at College and Bathurst and head east to Toby's for karaoke on Mondays. Host Jason Rolland is one of the better-known hosts in the city and maintains an up-to-date online catalogue of songs. He's also active on social media - participants can find high-quality photographic evidence of themselves singing posted on Facebook, just in case you don't recall belting out "I Will Survive" after three shots of tequila. The wireless mics may sacrifice the overall sound quality, but it works with the dancefloor-like stage setup, which also encourages audience participation. Drink-wise, Toby's has enticing specials for liquid courage, such as $11 mini-pitcher cocktails of your choice with three shots.

Also on Mondays

• Sneaky Dee's (431 College St.), 10pm
• The Moose & Firkin (7600 Weston Rd., Vaughan), 10pm
• The Unicorn (175 Eglinton Ave. East), 10pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm

TUESDAY

Baby Huey (70 Ossington Ave.)
Host: Richie Rich
The average karaoke patron at this Queen and Ossington spot will more than likely drunkenly sing choice cuts by mainstream artists like Adele and Big & Rich (whether these song choices are meant to be ironic or not is still up for debate). The bar itself is fairly small and Tuesday's karaoke night is more about the atmosphere and party-time environment than about scouting for future headliners at Massey Hall. They also use wireless mics here, allowing for less entanglement as the heap stirs about. The party starts at 10pm.

Also on Tuesdays

• ROUND (152 Augusta Ave.), 10pm
• My Place in the Beach (2066 Queen St. East), 9pm
• Crews & Tangos (508 Church St.), 10pm
• Legends Sports Lounge (774 Danforth Ave.), 10pm
• The Bar with No Name (1651 Bloor St. West), 9:30pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm

WEDNESDAY

Hurricane's Roadhouse Restaurant (963 Bloor St. West)
Host: Shawn Meunier
Wednesday's karaoke nights at this Bloor and Dovercourt bar tend to be very well-attended with a loyal following. The smallish bar gets pretty full for karaoke, but host Shawn Meunier (voice of animated host 'Lion' on Kids' CBC) always manages to keep a fair rotation. Unlike some of the places that tend to attract a crowd of budding singers trying to find a way to work on their chops in a low-pressure environment, Hurricane's tends to be full of average (or less than average) but enthusiastic singers just looking to have a fun time. Drink prices are fairly reasonable.

Also on Wednesdays

• Bambi's (1265 Dundas St. West), 10pm
• The Groove Bar & Grill (1952 Danforth Ave.)
• The Thirsty Fox (1028 Eglinton Ave. West), 10pm
• The Abbey Pub & Steak House (989 College St.), 10pm
• KITCH (229 Geary Ave.), 9pm
• Hoops Sports Bar & Grill (458 Yonge St.), 10pm
• The Duke (1225 Queen St. East), 9:30pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm

THURSDAY

The Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton St.)
Host: Steve-O
Karaoke at The Monarch at College and Clinton usually takes place upstairs, but is moved downstairs occasionally. Host Steve-O previously worked together with Jeff Smith (The Old Sod), so they have a very similar selection featuring lots of alternative and British songs. This night seems to attract some rather eccentric singers, including a very elegant-looking woman who sings old standards like "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline. The drink specials are highly affordable - $4 for singles of Jack Daniels or Jameson.

Also on Thursdays

• The Duke (1225 Queen St. East), 9:30pm
• The Real Jerk (842 Gerrard St. East), 9:30pm
• The Dog's Bollocks (817 Queen St. West), 10pm
• Fox and Fiddle (1535 Yonge St.), 10pm
• Fox and Fiddle (27 Wellesley St. East), 10pm (also Friday and Saturday)
• Fox and Fiddle (4946 Dundas St. West, Etobicoke), 10pm
• On the Rocks (169 Front St. E.), 9:30pm
• Marquis of Granby (418 Church St.), 9pm
• Savoy Restaurant (1166 Queen St. West), 10pm
• Sunrise Bar & Grill (1416 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough), 10pm
• Crews & Tangos (508 Church St.), 10pm
• The Office Pub (117 John St.), 9:30 pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm
• Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West)

FRIDAY

The Office Pub (117 John St.)
Host: Master Jason
Located near St. Andrew Station, The Office Pub tends to attract a more mainstream crowd, especially on a Friday (karaoke starts at 9:30pm). They also host karaoke Wednesday through Saturday, with a dedicated karaoke section on their website. Unsurprisingly, Fridays tend to draw the largest attendance: if you're just looking to get out for a fun-filled night of karaoke with some friends and don't feel like booking a private room, this is a great place to try it out. Sound quality is average - it can be difficult to hear yourself when the bar is busy, but that tends to be a common problem at karaoke nights. Beer selection is fairly good and drinks are reasonably priced, especially for the area.

Also on Fridays

• Revival (783 College St.) (Hip Hop Karaoke takes place the third Friday of each month)
• The Dog's Bollocks (817 Queen St. West), 10pm
• Fox and Fiddle (4946 Dundas St. West, Etobicoke), 10pm
• Mayday Malone's(1078 Bathurst St.), 10pm
• Oriental Taste (329 Queen St. East), 9:30pm
• The Black Bear Pub (1125 O'Connor Dr., East York), 9pm
• Hoops Sports Bar & Grill (4207 Keele St., North York), 10pm
• Franki Boys Sports Bar And Grill (1752 Victoria Park Ave.), 10pm
• Kramer's (1915 Yonge St.), 10pm
• Jimmy's Place (1950 Gerrard St. E.), 9pm (also Saturday)
• Hoops Sports Bar & Grill (458 Yonge St.), 10pm
• On the Rocks (169 Front St. East), 9:30 pm
• Sunrise Bar & Grill (1416 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough), 10 pm
• Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen St. West), 10pm
• Mimico Pub & Grill (349 Royal York Rd.), 10pm
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm
• Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West)

SATURDAY

Spirits Bar & Grill (642 Church St.)
Host: Shawn Meunier
Also hosted by Shawn Meunier (does this guy ever sleep?), karaoke night at Spirits in Church Wellesley Village has many of the same positive aspects as Hurricane's. Given its central location on a Saturday night, Spirits' karaoke night tends to attract a very, ahem, spirited crowd - lots of energy and lots of enthusiasm, along with some excellent singers. As bars often do on karaoke nights, Spirit's has some decent drink specials on Saturdays - $4 Caesars, $4 Jameson, and $9 mini-pitchers of Moosehead.

Also on Saturdays

• Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen St. West), 10pm
• Mimico Pub & Grill (349 Royal York Rd.), 10pm
• The Grover Pub & Grub (676 Kingston Rd.), 10 pm
• Winners Bar and Grill (2181 Lawrence Ave. East, Scarborough), 10pm
• The Abbey Pub & Steak House (989 College St.), 10pm
• On the Rocks (169 Front St. East), 9:30pm
• Kramer's (1915 Yonge St.), 10pm
• Franki Boys Sports Bar And Grill (1752 Victoria Park Ave.), 10pm
• The Groove Bar & Grill (1952 Danforth Ave.)
• Fox and Fiddle (4946 Dundas St. West, Etobicoke), 10pm
• The Office Pub (117 John St.), 9:30pm
• The Duke (1225 Queen St. East), 3:30-7:30pm (and after the live band's set in the evening)
• Fox and Fiddle (280 Bloor St. West), 10pm
• Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West)

Writing by Wini Lo and Logan Rathbone. Photo via Hip Hop Karaoke on Facebook.