NEWS ITEM: Cafe's 'Naked Karaoke' Upsets NeighborsOct 31, 8:37 AM (ET)
BERLIN, Conn. (AP) - You'll need to strip yourself of more than your inhibition and bare more than your soul if you want to take part in karaoke at the Berlin Station Cafe.
Cafe owner Marty St. Pierre says he was just kidding around when he advertised "Naked Karaoke" in front of his bar. Then he got volunteers. Lots of them.
"It honestly started out as a joke," he said. "But there were people signing up, so I just let it run."
But not everyone warmed up to the idea.
The cafe's neighbors called Town Hall to complain, and town authorities went to warn St. Pierre he could face fines or arrest if he operated the naked musical performance without a permit required under a town ordinance.
David E. Koskoff, co-owner of the building since the 1980s and a lawyer, is suing the town.
Koskoff also contends the business isn't "dirty."
"You're not talking about the Bada Bing!" he said, referring to the strip joint in the television series,
The Sopranos. "Nobody who knows our operation would think that suggestion is anything but funny."
