Renton, WA— Back in 2019, when I started building Renton Pride, a few members told me the same thing: if you want karaoke on a Saturday night, you go to Uncle Mo’s. It took me a number of years, but I finally went this weekend.
It’s just off the main S 3rd St strip, and quite a hidden treasure. I’d been once before. When the windstorm knocked out power across Renton in 2024, Uncle Mo’s kept its doors open and became a refuge for neighbors who needed somewhere warm to land and juice for their electronics. I came in for breakfast and a place to charge my phone, and I wasn’t the only one. The room was full of people doing exactly the same thing, swapping outage and weather updates over coffee or mimosas.
I walked in around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the place was packed. The stage sits under a big mirror, flanked by three screens for the lyrics, and strobe lights overhead. The bar atmosphere reminded me of the Midwest bars of the 1980s; nostalgic and homey, in the best way.
KJ Tiny was running the show, and the room had real energy. New singers got a warm welcome at the mic, and the crowd was right there with them: dancing, singing along, clapping for every performance no matter how it sounded— and there was quite the talent in the room. The songs jumped across every genre and decade: one round of classic country, then the whole bar, including the men, shouting the chorus to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
If you’re lucky, you’ll also get a personal serenade from Jerry the Entertainer. Jerry dresses suited up and polished, with shining red highlights on his white suit and matching shoes. He’s been around the block a few times, and he’s clearly having more fun than anyone in the room. That’s the thing about Uncle Mo’s on a weekend, the crowd ranges across every age demographic over 21, and somehow it just works.
About halfway through the night, KJ Tiny called a dance break. Cupid Shuffle. Wobble. Cha Cha Slide. More than a dozen people poured onto the floor to get their groove on.
I don’t usually stay out late, but last night I sang three times and didn’t leave until well past midnight.
Karaoke at Uncle Mo’s runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 321 Williams Ave S.