Let ground muffle the sound

Anyone who has been to La Cave restaurant knows that one of its

charms is its dimly lit, basement setting, the ambience of which is

unparalleled in Newport-Mesa. But who knew that another benefit to

the underground locale would be its sound-dampening qualities?

La Cave is at the top of the list of places that feature karaoke

-- that never-ending phenomena in which people get up on stage and

sing, good voice or not -- in Newport-Mesa. But at La Cave, the

decibels are cranked up a notch now that it has a band, Cover Me

Badd, playing instead of the typical karaoke machine.

We might think, “Yikes,” but plenty of other people are more than

happy to step before an audience and wail away with a version of ...

well, you name it, someone is bound to sing it. And that, of course,

is the charm. Especially when the singing comes from well

underground.