Detroit’s Strangest Night Out Might Be Puppet Karaoke

Yes, Detroit's Puppet Karaoke is as weird as it sounds-- and we mean that in the best possible way!

If you grew up on shows like Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, this might hit you right in the nostalgia. Founded by Detroit performer James Abbott II, Puppet Karaoke blends eccentric puppet characters with a full-on bar singalong atmosphere. If that sounds like your kind of weird, you’re not alone.

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As someone who used to run a karaoke night at a dive bar in the middle of Nebraska, I thought I'd seen it all-- but I've never seen puppets!

Can you imagine a puppet karaoke version of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" or "Hit Me Baby (One More Time)"? At Puppet Karaoke it seems less about perfection and more about the energy and the humor of it all.

I only just recently learned about puppet karaoke thanks to Detroit Tiktoker @Colin313 who shared a video highlighting one of Abbott's recent events:

My first immediate thought was "How do I get in on this?!" It seems like the best way to stay informed of upcoming Puppet Karaoke events is following them on Instagram or Tiktok. Honestly, it seems like one of those “only in Detroit” experiences you kind of have to see to believe.

I would totally make the drive from Kalamazoo to the east side to live out this childhood fantasy I didn't even know I had!