Trying To Find Happiness At Happy Hour: Rusty's Hacienda, North Hollywood

The whole shack shimmies!!!

We're leaving together
But still it's farewell
And maybe we'll come back
To earth, who can tell
I guess there is no one to blame
We're leaving ground (leaving ground)
Will things ever be the same again
It's the final countdown...
The final countdown
Ooh oh

Ah yes, nothing really captures life moments like the 80's power ballad...there's one for just about every major life event. Feeling lonely? How about Whitesnake's Here I Go Again? Training for a major sports event? How about Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger? About to leave your job of five years where you happened to meet some of the best people you've ever met in your lifetime (as well as some of the worst) to go elsewhere? Well how about Europe's The Final Countdown?

Oh and wouldn't you know it? The next couple of days just happen to be my final countdown to the last days of a five year stint that's been quite an experience. And what better way to celebrate those final days and to give me a proper send-off than Karaoke Happy Hour at Rusty's Hacienda? There, we could get happy on $2 margaritas, $1.25 beer, and half price appetizers AND actually belt out the real "Final Countdown" or whatever power ballad your tight-jean wearing, teased hair superstar-heart desires.


$2 Liquid Courage and half price happy hour snacks

Fortunately for everyone, we never did sing that song, but don't trip, that didn't stop us from going down the path of cheese. The 11 of us showed up at 4pm ready to rock , but the guys at Rusty's were a couple hours late setting the system up, which worked out to our advantage by giving us an extra hour to down some liquid courage before showtime. Not the strongest margaritas I've had, but for two bucks, who cares? Appetizer sampler platters consisting of hot wings, chicken taquitos that resembled egg rolls, cheese quesadillas, and potato skins were nothing special but like the margaritas, were so cheap at half off that we didn't give a rat's ass. The gratis chips and salsa were redeeming--the light and crunchy tortilla chips perfect for scooping up globs of a spicy, zingy salsa.

My friends started it up with Dolly Parton's 9 to 5, followed by yours truly crooning David Lee Roth's Just A Gigolo. We headed on down to the Love Shack, asked What's Love Got To Do With It, and were halfway there with Livin' On A Prayer. We put our best Britney moves for I'm Not That Innocent and played Scaramouch and Gallileo for Bohemian Rhapsody. Rusty's song selection is pretty good...they've got lots of songs in both English and Spanish, neatly organized in white three ring binders. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Pretenders' Brass In Pocket or I would have been special (so special!) and belted that one out too!


"I AIN'T GOT NOBODY!!!"

My solo finale? Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Were Made For Walkin', and that's just what they did as soon as these professional-karaoke-singers-slash-American-Idol-wannabes showed up and ruined our game. Good karaoke's supposed to be pure cheese, man--for acting stupid so you can have fun with your friends and blow off some steam--not for people who are trying hard not to get booted off this week. Show offs. But whatever, we had one helluva time that I'll remember forever.

We're heading for Venus (Venus)
And still we stand tall
Cause maybe they've seen us
And welcome us all (yeah)
With so many light years to go
And things to be found (to be found)
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so
It's the final countdown...
The final countdown
The final countdown (the final countdown)
Ooh ooh oh

(Rusty's happy hour is from 3pm to 7pm Monday thru Friday; Karaoke is Monday and Tuesdays from 2pm to 2am and Wednesdays from 10pm to 2am. Go and sing yourself silly!)

Rusty's Hacienda
6439 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 761-5176