This Boise karaoke lounge closed ‘due to circumstances beyond our control’

If you were pondering the idea of booking your holiday party at a downtown karaoke lounge, start humming a sad song.

Voicebox Karaoke, 781 W. Front St., has closed.

The Portland-based chain pulled the plug on its Boise location at the end of October, sharing the news on Facebook.

“We are devastated to announce that we will be indefinitely closing our Boise location, at 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, due to circumstances beyond our control. ... Your love and support has been astounding, and we’ve loved having each and every one one of you as our guests.”

Details about the circumstances creating the closure were not provided.

Voicebox Karaoke continues to operate in Portland, according to its website. But a Fort Worth location closed at the same time as the Boise lounge, offering a similarly worded note on Facebook. And a Denver location shuttered in June.

When Voicebox Karaoke made its Boise debut in December 2019, the grand opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce. The entertainment destination offered eight private suites in downtown’s BoDo district, each equipped with TVs, microphones and 71,000 songs chosen via remote control. Suites were rented by the hour. As the chain says, “perfect for birthdays, bachelorette parties and any excuse to get friends together.”

Voicebox Karaoke included restaurant service and, crucially, a full bar — to help give amateur singers the liquid courage to stretch for that skyscraping Whitney Houston note.

Despite the closure, karaoke is still a longtime tradition in Idaho’s capital city. For years, Idahoans have belted out songs in front of friends and strangers at neighborhood dive bars.

You’ll find plenty of crooning — and sometimes cringing — at places such as Terry’s State Street Saloon, Overland Bar and The 44 Club.