A bowling pin continuously twirls on top of the Always Means Fun (AMF) Xtreme machine, while small Sponge Bob key chains dangle inside the plastic casing of another. The flashing lights and music from the toy machines lined up near the entrance tempt customers as they walk into Kegler's Bowling Center.
On a Thursday night after 9 p.m., bowlers gather at the Kegler's Brew Pub for Karaoke Night. Singers step up to the microphone in front of the bar, and sing to eager listeners who enjoy drinks and snacks at the surrounding tables. A screen displays the words to the songs, and a middle-aged man with a long beard and a black T-shirt operates the karaoke equipment on a small table.
Sporting only jeans, a button-down shirt and a modest half ponytail, 22-year-old Scottsville native Laura Morris sings like a star.
Whenever she finishes a song, she receives an enthusiastic round of applause. She enjoys performing songs by the Dixie Chicks, but is renowned among her fans for singing "The Rose" by Bette Midler.
"I'd like to be a singer, but it's hard to get noticed out here," Morris said as she relaxed at the bar after her performance.
While Morris comes to Kegler's every Thursday to let everyone hear her beautiful voice, others are not as well endowed.
"I cannot carry a tune in a bucket." Charlottesville resident Dale Payne said.
With the laid back and relaxed atmosphere of Kegler's, anyone can give karaoke a try.
"Sing if you can. Sing if you can't. I come here to bowl, and then I pretend I can sing," Payne said in a jolly tone as she enjoyed one of several drinks that night at the bar.
Although Payne said she prefers to drink bottled Coors Light, Kegler's also runs its own brewery. Through the glass windows near the bar, three 275-gallon stainless steel tanks with copper sheathing process beer.
Kegler's brewmaster Dave Brockner is responsible for the brewing of three types of beers from the wort stage, a syrup of wheat, malt and barley, into drinkable beer.
One is a honey wheat lager and another is an amber ale. The third type of beer is a marzen, a hearty German lager, which was created in time for Oktoberfest.
"I process the beer from brewery to the tap," Brockner said. "I brew it for four hours, ferment it for three to four weeks, cold filter it, put it in storage tanks, carbonate it and prepare it to be served."
Many patrons come to Kegler's for karaoke night at the bar, but bowling remains the main attraction. Spanning the width of the building, 48 lanes are equipped with a computer system and a screen to display the score.
"I am very proud to be back," said General Manager Kevin Counts, who returned to Kegler's in May after taking three years off. "This is one of the most beautiful bowling centers on the East Coast."
Kegler's was started by a local partnership in 1987. In 1998, AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc., the largest bowling company in the world, bought the center. With this purchase came many improvements such as the brewpub, an arcade and billiard tables.
"We are here to provide recess," Counts said, regarding the company philosophy. One of the more popular times to bowl is from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"We call it Extreme Bowling," Counts said. "The room is black-lit like a dance club. We have laser emitters, a fog machine and we pump the music up."
Counts said U.Va students are price conscious so the most popular time for students to come is for the All-You-Can-Bowls. From 9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, the price is $10.99 per person plus $3.50 for shoes.
Shift manager Edward Burns has been working behind the register for nine years handing out lane assignments and shoes. There are separate shoes for men and women, but they all have a leather upper, a leather sole for sliding and a rubber heel. Bowlers are required to wear shoes, but who would decline the opportunity to wear the festively colored red, white and blue footwear?
A line of high school students and couples forms on the other side of the counter. But Burns is patient with each customer. He continues to hand out shoes and lanes while collecting shoes and spraying them with AMF Century Fresh Care shoe spray.
"I've been trying to eat this all night," Burns said of his cold hot dog and soda after handing bowling shoes to the last customer.
When Burns catches a free moment, he enjoys watching patrons bowl.
"The funniest thing in the world is when you are sad, come in here, get a hamburger, and sit down and watch people bowl. Somebody will do something to make you laugh," Burns said.
He has seen people bowl between their legs, backwards or lying on their stomachs and pushing the ball.
Occasionally, a U.Va. student will streak through the bowling alley which also adds to the excitement at Kegler's. Many people bowl leisurely, but there also are several leagues that practice during the week. Now a freshman at Piedmont Community College, Andrew Grymes has been coming to Kegler's to bowl since he was 6 years old.
"My dad would bowl on Friday nights and I would tag along," Grymes said, recalling the times he sat and admired his father bowl.
"I started out bowling in the youth league, and now I bowl in the Friday night mixed league," Grymes said.
He did not bowl during high school, so this is his first year back. But he still hopes to beat his score from five years ago of 261 out of a possible 300.
"I have a traditional technique. I pick up different things here and there from watching TV and being here," Grymes said. "The only secret is to keep doing the same thing as often as possible. You want to keep one technique and improve it."
Coming from his more superstitious side, Grymes said he has a lucky towel that he uses to wipe off his 16-pound, burgundy bowling ball.
Though Grymes strives for personal improvement, he admits to trying to show off to other bowlers around him.
He reminisces about one time when only Grymes and his friends were at Kegler's before some other people arrived.
"I tried to impress them," he said. "After I released the ball, I slipped and my feet flew up in front of me, and I fell right on my butt."
While there are competitive leagues for serious bowlers, Kegler's maintains a relaxed atmosphere as friends come together to bowl, sing and enjoy each other's company.
"Our job is to do the work, and your job is to have the fun," Brockner said.
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