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Read the press release here.

Karaoke Taxi Party Is A Real Cab With Real Karaoke

 Karaoke Taxi Party is a taxi ride complete with karaoke.
Karaoke Taxi Party is a taxi ride complete with karaoke.
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Facebook/Karaoke Taxi Party

CHICAGO — Eric Michaels promises to deliver a unique taxi experience.

As owner and driver of Karaoke Taxi Party — which offers karaoke to its riders — Michaels does his best to make sure that happens.

Inside Michaels' white Toyota Sienna minivan is a laptop with more than 1,000 songs, a small TV screen to show the lyrics and a disco light for nighttime sing-along. An official taxi business, Michaels charges standard taxi fares — $2 per person, the meter starting at $2 and about $2.75 a mile after that. The difference in his cab: If you sing, you get a $3 discount.

"About 10 percent of the people don't sing," said Michaels, 48 and a father of four. "But most people definitely do. I get a lot of people who are surprised when they get in the cab and ask 'Can you actually sing in here?' "

 Eric Michaels drives his karaoke cab all over Chicago, with riders singing Spice Girls, Neil Diamond and more.
Eric Michaels drives his karaoke cab all over Chicago, with riders singing Spice Girls, Neil Diamond and more.
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Eric Michaels

Yes, you can.

Favorite songs of riders include "Sweet Caroline" and Spice Girls tunes. Michaels, of suburban Mokena, makes frequent trips to Beverly to pick up people on the Western Avenue bar scene. He said liquid courage is in full play on most of those fares, and the cab is rocking.

Michaels grew up playing in bands, and he is a karaoke DJ. He used to drive cabs part-time but thought he could use his singing and DJ talents to begin his own karaoke cab business. Karaoke Taxi Party debuted about three years ago, and Michaels drives his clients all over the suburbs and Chicago, including to Downtown, the United Center, Wrigley Field and both airports.

Michaels plans to expand Karaoke Taxi Party to include his other vehicles: a Lincoln Town Car and Chevy Suburban.

"I believe everyone has one song they can sing, and they just might not know what that one song is yet," Michaels said.

For more information on Karaoke Taxi Party, click here.

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