SEATTLE — The latest karaoke lounge in western Washington is shiny, silver and on four wheels.
The Air Scream is a mobile karaoke room inside an Airstream trailer - the brainchild of event planner Kelli Bielema and longtime karaoke host Vanessa Restler.
"Think about, you're a teenager and you're driving in the car and you're screaming along with your favorite pop music with all your friends. You're getting that!” Restler said.
They came up with the idea while, predictably, drinking and singing at a bar. But their vintage trailer was outfitted to resemble a private room.
"You come in and there's an iPad. It works similarly to a traditional Japanese karaoke room,” Restler said. "Singers operate the whole queue all by themselves, they don't need a karaoke host."
It was an inspired idea they rolled out in 2020 at the very worst possible time.
"About two weeks before lockdown was announced by Governor Inslee,” Bielema said.
But these many months later, the Air Scream is back and arguably better than ever. There is now UV sanitation and individual covers for the mics.
"Karaoke's never been safer, honestly,” Bielema said. “This is the time to sing it."
Their catalog includes 46,000 songs to choose from – though the owners say most people stick to about 3,000 popular picks. "Don’t Stop Believin’" by Journey tops the list.
The Air Scream mainly caters to private events, where friends can pile into the trailer, laugh, and support each other.
"It's a moment to feel like a rock star," Restler said.
Bielema added, "It just brings me so much joy to do this. People are really excited to get back together and this is going to help nurture that."
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