Sat, Oct 18 · 7:30 PM EDT
Happy Birthday Michael!! Let's get together to enjoy a night of karaoke, games, and end the night at one of the best dance floors in the city! It's been awhile since we've done a Boombox and Freeplay night, but they're always a blast.
Likely the only dedicated Karaoke spot in the city, Boombox is easily one of the best nightlife spots in Providence. The Japanese themed bar offers a huge catalogue of songs if you're feeling brave enough to take the mic, from iconic ballads to lesser known gems. Boombox is certainly somewhat on the smaller side, but honestly that's the best part. Instead of standing on a stage or a dedicated corner where it feels like you're performing for the crowd, Boombox is a far more communal experience. You can blend into the crowd if you don't want to be in the spotlight, or stand in the dead center of the room if you do. Because it's a little more casual, don't be surprised if the whole crowd joins in if your pick a well known song!
If you're hesitant to take the mic, Boombox attracts a fantastic clientele. Everyone is there to have fun, and we've never seen anyone booed or mocked in all the years we've been going. If you'd rather just watch, don't worry no one will pressure you to sing. Feel free to sip a drink and just enjoy the show!
Boombox has always had great drinks, but they've really stepped up their game in recent years. Their specialty cocktails are fantastic, our favorite is easily the Love Cat served in an adorable kitty mug. Their bar is a little on the smaller side, so ordering off menu for a cocktail may be a little more challenging but don't be afraid to ask. I'm sure there's plenty they can make. They offer beer, cider, wine, and of course sake. So you'll certainly find something to sip on. If you do want to sing, Boombox offers books with their song catalogue. However, you can also download the Heal Sonic app so you can just use your phone. We recommend the app so you're not constantly hunting down books throughout the bar haha
Let's check out Boombox first since it's usually a madhouse later in the night. It likely won't be too busy, so we should be able to get plenty of songs in. We recommend that you don't wait too long though. The list can fill up fairly quickly. We'll likely stick around for roughly two hours. We'll try our best to accommodate anyone with songs coming up in the next few minutes around that time.
After boombox we'll head off to Freeplay which is about a five minute walk from Boombox. Freeplay is another crowd favorite. The arcade bar offers plenty of variety when it comes to games. They have a ton of vintage cabinets dotted throughout. There's also skee ball, air hockey, pinball, and plenty of other games. All the games are free to play all night once you pay the $12 cover at the door. In the warmer months they also have live cover bands, so we may get lucky with a show. Plus, they offer one of the best dance floors downtown that we'll certainly head to later in the night.
Freeplay has multiple bars, so it shouldn't be hard to get a drink. We'll be honest, their not known for their fantastic cocktails. However, they have a full bar and can make pretty much anything that isn't crafty. Their signature drinks are a solid option. They also have plenty of canned cocktails, beer, seltzer, and cider.
We are posting a cap to RSVPs, we highly doubt we'll hit that number anyway, but it's just to be safe due to Boombox's size. In the rare event we hit the cap, you're still welcome to meet us at Freeplay after Boombox. :D
Please leave a comment or reach out to the host(s) directly if you have any questions. Boombox is small so it shouldn't be hard to find us, but we'll post a comment when we arrive. Once we move to Freeplay we'll also post a comment just incase we have anyone joining later in the night.
