After all the years I've lived in this area and all the times I've visited Providence, I genuinely…read morecannot believe I had never heard of The Boombox. That changed this weekend, and I'm honestly a little annoyed that it took us this long to discover it.
The day started innocently enough. My wife and I were doing one of our usual brewery and cocktail crawls through Providence, and at this point in the evening we were walking from Westminster Street toward Federal Hill. It was around 11:00 PM, and after a day involving several breweries, I had reached the inevitable point where finding a restroom had become a priority. We happened to be passing the Dean Hotel, so my wife suggested that I ask if I could use the lobby bathroom.
We walked into the hotel, asked the guy at the desk, and he was nice enough to point me toward the restroom. While I was taking care of business, my wife, being the wonderfully nosy person that she is, noticed a door with red lights flashing around it and naturally went to investigate. I came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and she informed me that there was this really cool, divey-looking place behind the door where everyone was singing and that we absolutely needed to go check it out.
For once, following my wife's curiosity turned out to be an excellent decision.
We walked into The Boombox and ended up having one of the most unexpectedly fun parts of the entire night. The atmosphere is warm, upbeat and incredibly welcoming. It has that slightly dive-bar, slightly underground-club feeling that makes you immediately relax and feel like you're supposed to be there. Everyone seems to be there for the same reason: have some drinks, sing badly or surprisingly well, cheer for strangers, and generally have a ridiculous amount of fun.
And the karaoke setup is excellent. You pay just $1 per song to sing, there is an extensive songbook, and on a busy weekend night they have a system that keeps people moving through the rotation rather than leaving everyone wondering whether they'll actually get their turn before closing. There is seating along the walls, but once the place really fills up, expect to be standing. Honestly, that's probably the better way to experience it anyway. The energy comes from the crowd.
If you've never seen a 40-year-old Bavarian doctor grab a microphone and sing Blink-182's "What's My Age Again?" while dancing around like she's 18 years old, then you haven't lived. My wife absolutely owned that room. I have known her for a long time and have seen plenty of sides of her, but watching her completely commit to that performance was something else. We laughed until we hurt, and that's exactly what a night like this is supposed to be.
The bar is also very good. There's a nice selection of cocktails, beer and other drinks, and the bartenders know what they're doing. You can order a classic or try something a little more creative, and the drinks fit the atmosphere perfectly. You're not coming here for some quiet, contemplative cocktail experience, but you also aren't stuck drinking watered-down nonsense just because you're at a karaoke bar.
The staff deserve a lot of credit, too. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and welcoming, and there was none of that weird attitude you sometimes encounter at nightlife spots where the staff seem annoyed that customers are actually there. The whole place has an energy that makes you feel supported when you decide to get up and sing, which is important because most people need at least a little encouragement before voluntarily standing in front of a room full of strangers with a microphone.
It can definitely get crowded, especially on weekends, so don't expect to stroll in late on a Saturday and have your choice of seats. There are some seats around the perimeter, but when it's packed, you're probably going to be standing. They also have private rooms available for parties, which would be a fantastic option if you're looking to do something a little more organized for a birthday or group event.
What I love most is that we weren't even looking for this place. We were simply walking through Providence, I needed a bathroom, my wife saw a mysterious red-lit door and decided to investigate, and suddenly we had discovered what became one of the highlights of our entire night. Those are usually the best places, the ones you don't find because somebody told you to go there. You find them because you happened to open the right door.
Will we be back? Absolutely. One hundred percent.
The Boombox is one of those places where you can walk in not knowing anyone and leave feeling like you've been part of the party. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, good drinks, an enormous selection of songs and a crowd that clearly came to have fun. If you're in Providence and haven't been, give it a shot. Just be prepared to discover that your wife apparently has a secret career waiting for her as the lead singer of Blink-182.
