The Music Factory — Restaurant in Battle Creek

Their karaoke nights are THE best we've experienced (tied with louies trophy house in Kalamazoo with a slight edge over them). The vibe on karaoke nights is EVERYTHING!! We have yet to have a bad experience. The bartenders were always cheerful and pleasant. We never had to wait for drinks. Mix drinks were good! There is usually a decent amount of singers so go early if you want to sing a lot. Everyone is added to the rotation. Typically between 20-30 active singers minimally. There have been some "karaoke troupes" there some of the nights (had no idea that was a thing til now!) Everyone is positive and encouraging! Most of the people are amazing singers. A few aren't but what they lack in singing ability, they make up for in stage performance and they put on a show! It's a total vibe! The music selection is solid. We've never came across them not having a selection we wanted. Plenty of seating there from booths, to Hightop tables, to the bar. There is an outdoor area for smoking (enclosed on sides but not on top). Also has the cool factor since so many amazing bands have played on that very same stage over the years which makes it even more amazing! **My review is based solely on karaoke nights. I've only been there on one other occasion for a band but they do have bands there regularly and are known for having hosted some amazing talent over the decades. It us very...

I feel awful for the artists who played at TJ's Fall Brawl.

The poster clearly says doors 6PM show 7PM. Every artist was told this. Door guy was outside walking his dog at 6:15, 7:00 comes around and he starts asking for door fees. I'm already inside, so I paid my door fee and was asked how I got in because "doors are at 6 central, but 7 eastern." ❓❓

I feel bad for Misery Lane, they started playing at 7 like they were supposed to just to get told they "started early." It then later devolved into "well, the promoter isn't here, so the sound guy is running it, so there is no time schedule I guess" according to one of the musicians playing.

Bartenders don't ID you, but they'll periodically walk around and ask if you'd like another one. But be careful, because I'M NOT LYING TO YOU when I say that if you answer "yes" and have EVEN A SWIG left in your current drink, they'll tell you "finish that one first," and then walk away.

I feel awful for the artists who played at TJ's Fall Brawl, they got a bum deal. "WHERE ARE YOU AT BATTLE CREEK?" Umm, in the central time zone, apparently.

Edit: The gentleman I gave money to wasn't even actually watching the door. I'm not sure who I gave money...

This club is now owned by a second-rate hack promoting group called "Ardent Entertainment." They call it Planet Rock, but there isn't any Rock happening. Instead, they have pajama party movie nights, male strippers, karaoke and crappy 80's hair metal bands from the UK. All the while, they refuse to book any local acts without a guarantee of ticket sales. They don't promote their own shows worth a damn. The lead booker, a guy named Josh Toro, half-asses pretty much everything he does. His promotional skills are mediocre, at best, and his booking is a joke. This club is also located on a street corner in the middle of nowhere, with nothing nearby of note. They also talked about expanding the club and remodeling throughout the summer of 2013, yet, that never happened. The club is falling apart financially, and with the continuing incompetence of Josh Toro and his fellow colleagues at "Ardent Entertainment," things are looking grim. Avoid this place...