In many ways, Thursday’s free karaoke event at the Salt Shed Fairgrounds was like any other you might experience at your local bar.

There were the karaoke classics: Radiohead’s “Creep,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” the latter performed in a silly spoken-word style by a guy in red, white, and blue knee socks and matching sweatbands.

There was the singer who rocked the house with an impressive rendition of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” – and to add maximum drama, someone even blew a fan through the singer’s hair.

But at this party, dubbed the “World’s Largest Karaoke,” the singers were set to perform in front of a potential audience of 5,000 people – and attempt to break the Guinness World Record for a “freeform” karaoke event.

Timothy Hiatt/For the Sun-Times

A few hours into the event, which began at 5 p.m., the Salt Shed was still far from that goal, as the crowd was fairly sparse. But performers – many of them karaoke regulars and musicians – said they got a thrill, a confidence boost or just helpful practice from singing on the big stage.

“It was incredible!” said Cassie Prokop, the showstopper who sang the Celine Dion song. “I’ve been waiting for this (moment). I love karaoke. By day, I’m a buttoned-up lawyer.”

Prokop, 36, of Printer’s Row, said she arrived early and committed to singing several songs, including some by other divas such as Whitney Houston and Melissa Etheridge.

“My biggest fear was not being selected tonight.”

Timothy Hiatt/For the Sun-Times

Leading up to the karaoke extravaganza, singers could win stage spots by entering “satellite” contests at local bars like Carol’s Pub, Cafe Mustache and Hideout. Others bought $5 raffle tickets, with proceeds going to charities like Doctors Without Borders, Midwest Food Bank and Bandwidth Chicago. Most, however, registered in real time at the event and were notified via text message if they were selected to sing.

And the singers had plenty of opportunity to fortify themselves with liquid courage in the venue’s numerous bars, including one on the stage.

“The inspiration behind (the party) is simply to create a community event that involves our customers and our neighborhood,” said Bruce Finkelman, managing partner of 16 On Center, which owns the Salt Shed.

Although Finkelman said he doesn’t do karaoke, he has experienced the sense of community it creates at the Empty Bottle, another venue owned by 16 On Center.

“I’ve always thought it was great that people come out and support others who are breaking down those walls to get on stage,” he said.

There was a lot of camaraderie among the karaoke regulars in the Salt Shed audience. Singer Honorata Van del Sande said seeing familiar faces helped her during her performance of Laura Branigan’s “Self Control.”

“It’s the same crowd,” said Van del Sande, a longtime bartender at karaoke hotspot Alice’s Lounge. “It was scary, but it was great.”

Some of the singers on stage were also musicians and said they used karaoke to hone their skills.

“For me it’s a way of practicing,” said 38-year-old Ricky Liontones from Pilsen, who sang “Welcome to the Jungle.”

“Sometimes when my band has a new cover that we want to play at a gig, we all go to karaoke beforehand to try out what it’s like to actually sing it and see how people react.”

Timothy Hiatt/For the Sun-Times

Liontones also described the experience as “a release” from the stress associated with performing at a traditional concert.

“Karaoke is fun because I don’t have to worry about whether people buy my merchandise or not,” he said.

Kyle Charls said that performing on stage at the Salt Shed helped him complete his album.

“I’m doing this to build my confidence in singing and just to feel more comfortable being in front of people,” said Charls, 33, of Logan Square, who sang Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” “So this is probably the best thing I could have ever done.”

Like most traditional dive bar karaoke nights, the Salt Shed event attracted a positive and supportive crowd that cheered on the singers no matter how they sounded.

“The cool thing about karaoke is that everyone wins, whether you have a good voice or a bad voice,” Liontones said. “It’s really about how much fun you have.”