The very first time I sang karaoke, I sang Foreigner’s hit power ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” (Dedicated to Channing Tatum, of course) When I got back to the table, one of my friends said to me, “A for performance, F for vocals.”

Yeah, I’m pretty much tone-deaf. Are you like me? Can’t sing, but love to perform? Well, then Carleton Icon has just the thing for you because he wants you to let your inner icon out! And it’s all happening every Sunday from 3 pm to 7 pm right smack dab in Downtown Jersey City at LITM!

Iconic Lip Sync, hosted by the one and only JC superstar herself, Harmonica Sunbeam, is not a battle, so don’t expect LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen to be there. No, Iconic Lip Sync is all about the performances and most importantly, letting loose and having fun. No singing allowed here! But you better bring your A-game and slay those lip syncs because the May 1^st kick-off event debuted to a packed house. Eat, drink (check out of the Iconic Drink Specials pictured below), lip sync for your life, be entertained by the comedic stylings of Harmonica and dance your butt off to the sounds of DJ Scarface. You want a real Sunday FUNday?! Well, it’s waiting for you at LITM every Sunday. Make your reservations stat! I promise you will not be disappointed.

After the successful and fun-filled four hours of the debut event, I had some questions for the man behind it all, the creator of Iconic Lip Sync, Mr. Carleton Icon.

What inspired you to create Iconic Lip Sync? Were you influenced by Lip Sync Battle?

I sang karaoke for the first time at Talde and I didn’t like my singing voice, but I loved the feeling of performing. I wanted to create something similar to Lip Sync Battle, but with a live format and no competition.

 How difficult, or easy, is it for you to get an event like this off the ground and running?

It’s easy for me to put together an event like this because I’m a very detail-orientated person. I’m also lucky to have a great team of people around me to help bring this event to life. The only difficult part I see is making sure I bring something unique to the guests every week.

A team and location are always important. Tell me how Harmonica, DJ Scarface, and LITM got involved.

Harmonica and I have been friends for over ten years but have never worked together professionally. She jumped at the chance to host Iconic Lip Sync when I presented it to her. DJ Scarface has been a friend of mine for about six years and I’ve always loved the music he plays. He really knows how to get the crowd going. LITM became involved when I approached the owner, Jeylenne, about bringing the event to her restaurant and she loved the idea. She has been so incredibly gracious and helpful throughout the entire process.

 What do you do when you are not creating fabulous events like Iconic Lip Sync?

When I’m not dreaming up ideas for Iconic Lip Sync, I style hair at two salons, Blow Out and Hair Styles by Joseph. I have been a hairstylist for twenty years, and I enjoy creating custom wigs for men and women. I also spend a lot of time with my fiancé, Jonathan, our two dogs, Karma and Mocha, and the cat, Trixie. And the beach is a favorite place of mine that we love going to.

Do you have any other events in the works for Jersey City?

Getting Iconic Lip Sync off the ground has inspired so many more ideas for me. Nothing set in stone yet, so stay tuned!

You’re a Jersey City native—in your opinion, how has Jersey City changed?

It’s changed so much in the last five to ten years. I love seeing more people moving here, which means more small businesses can thrive. It’s been nothing but positive.

What are your favorite JC hotspots?

Iconic Lip Sync After Brunch at LITM (duh!), Porto Lounge, Pint and Hard Grove. I miss Hard Grove so much!

Links:

Follow Iconic Lip Sync on Instagram @iconiclipsync

LITM

140 Newark Ave

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 536-5557

Reserve a table at www.litm.com