Karaoke is a very minor thing . . .

The BBQ Pit
1

For the love of christ it’s a dumbass tradition that is supposed to be funny because of how bad your average person is at singing. It is NOT a serious art form. It is meant to be light hearted and fun. If you go up there and miss a muther-fucking note, woopty fuckin doo. Don’t come off the stage saying “Damn I really blew it. I can’t believe I fucked this up.” and almost crying.

For christ sake Karaoke host guy, do you have to sing every fuckin’ third song? Is this your one true place in life to shine? I’m glad you and your girlfriend have a routine worked out for every third song on your list, but give me a fuckin’ break. And real nice to see you not letting certain folks on the karaoke list. King of your little fuckin’ karaoke world. It’s a goddamn Karaoke night at a goddamn bar in mother-whore-humpin’ Brooklyn!!! Let the damn girl sing the fuckin’ song!!!

Sorry bout this folks, but I got dragged to a karaoke night at this bar tonight, and everybody was taking it way to seriously. I guess I’m a little sensitive because I used to host a Karaoke show at Paramount’s Kings Island in Cincinnati. I’d cheese my way through a version of “The Wanderer” and then let the kids have at it. Unless there was some girl all by herself who needed me as her partner for “Summer Nights”. Thank god that’s over. At least it paid four times my rent a week when I was 19 and had dropped out of college.

But tonight reminds me of some of these idiots who tour the “Karaoke Circuit” trying to outdo everyone. I saw a motherfucker one night bring his own goddamn Karaoke music for the guy to play. Crazy. Let it go people. . . .

Now Blackjack, that’s something to get passionate about.

DaLovin’ Dj

2

You ever spin in New York? I’m gonna be in New York shortly, can you recommend some cool shit to go to? I mean, I lived there not too long ago, so I can find some stuff to do, but a little different flavor from the industrial and goa trance that I am used to might be cool.

Erek

3

What are the dates? I spin mostly reggae and hip-hop and have several gigs coming up (which is good, cause most of my September gigs got cancelled for obvious reasons): A reggae party this Friday, A benefit for the Survivors of the Trade Center on the 6th of October, A couple halloween parties, a gig at the elbow room in the West Village with like 10 bands (Independent music festival), and a couple odd gigs out here in Brooklyn.

If you’re not into hip-hop/reggae, there is alot of great funk, drum and bass, trip-hop, two-step, and the like which I can key you into. Just let me know what days and I guarantee there are some phat DJ’s bumpin’ in the city those days. God I love this town . . .

DaLovin’ Dj

4

Ah, the DJ calls the Karaoke black. I’m sure you’ll agree that spinning is an art-form. But somehow Karaoke doesn’t qualify. They’re both performances designed to entertain.

Although I’m not fond of Karaoke myself.

5

To be a master turntablist (I am not yet a master, but give me another year or two of practice - these decks are starting to open up to me) is far harder and more impressive then to sing the words of a song as they flash across a screen.

I guess it can be called an “art”, but not a serious one. There can be an art TO it, like all things in life, but the vibe is supposed to be goofy with Karaoke as far as I can tell.

DaLovin’ Dj

6

I’m laughing because just about 90% of what the OP says is true! :slight_smile:

My wife and I love karaoke, not that we take it seriously, it’s just fun to go up and act like assholes. Plus, I find going out kind of boring, it actually gives you something to do at the local belch and beer besides stare at your beer. She can actually sing, but when I get the microphone after 3 minutes the place is surrounded by dogs.

Your right about the DJ singing, though some DJs are excessive with this, and others aren’t. Usually this is only when he doesn’t have a pipeline of requests coming in. Usually it’s good if the DJ is a crappy singer (my one buddy runs karaoke, and he can’t sing, but he does it anyway). This makes the audience think “I can sing better than THAT guy.”, and hopefully the slips pile up.

You are right people sometimes get too into it. I remember 10 years ago I went to a karoke competition where my freinds cousin was in the finals for a trip to the Bahamas. She did “Gloria” and got beat out by a guy who dressed in a grape costume who did “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. He won, and she threw a hissy fit, yelled at him and the owner of the bar and said she was never coming there again, and basically made a total embarrassment out of herself.

The only things that annoy me about karaoke is because I can’t sing very well, sometimes other people get to go up twice before me even though I out my slip in first; it’s fucking karaouke, not a singing contest, I’m actually kind of offended by this.

One time I got up to sing at 10:30, put another slip in. After about an hour I was getting ready to go home since it looked like I was getting passed over, no biggie, if I suck that bad, I’ll go home. The DJ came over and kept saying, your on soon, you on soon, kept playing dance songs, bringing other singers up over and over again, until I just left at 1. I made sure that I told the bartender why I was leaving though, and that the dj’s rudeness was costing the place money.

The other pet peeve is when I finally get called up, some drunk starts heckling you saying you aren’t singing it right, and comes up to the stage and grabs the second microphone and takes over the song! If it’s a good DJ, and this has happened to me, he will stop the song, and politely ask the drunk to leave, and let you start over again. otherwise the DJ risks losing control of his equipment.

I also once threatened a guy on the mike who was shining a laser pointer in my eye.

7

Well, if Karaoke isn’t art, then neither is what NSync and Britany Spears is doing, ie singing words that some one else has written over music that some one else has performed.

I wouldn’t disagree with that.

Personally, I love karaoke. But I wouldn’t call it art either.

Karaoke makes baby Jesus smile.

8

Karioke in itself isn’t a bad thing, we actually have a karioke machine at work that we use as a therapeutic tool in order to improve people’s speech. The results have been nothing short of marvelous.

I like Karioke, after enough whiskey and smoke I sound pretty good. I actually had some young ladies toss underwear at me once, that was funny although the ex didn’t find it all that amusing.

And then there’s the dark side of Karioke of which Dalovin’ one speaks. Karioke fundies. Fanatics. People who think they’re really good when really, it’s often just a whiskey induced illusion.

The secret is to drink copiously yourself, then everyone sounds good.

9

Band Name!

d&r

10

This happens much more than you think. I went to 2 places that were doing karioke in the same night and BOTH DJ’s were acting like jerks. The first one would ONLY play country music, eventhough his playlist listed all sorts of musical styles in his library. The second would take your requests, but then never call you up if they didn’t like the song you picked. Even worse, they once called up my friend, but purposely started the song in the middle instead of the beginning so that he would have to leave. Then, the bar owners got angry because the DJ’s were being jerks, and the DJ’s started openly making rude and crude comments about the bar owners.

11

very funny stuff here! i agree with the OP! people take this shit WAAAAY too seriously!

my wife ran a little bar in the middle of nowhere and the only dependable draw was karioki (cant spell or even copy anyone else!) night. the guy who put it on was a “disabled” cop (his work ethic was injured in the line of duty) who would sing about every other song! we started calling it “the joe show”. folks thought they were auditioning for broadway fer’ christs sake! it was pretty fun, especially the drunker you got.

made the mistake of singing “emotional rescue” by the stones at Sam’s Town in vegas (redneck cowboy joint) complete with a little mick jagger strut and dance. (i was pretty damn drunk, but i do a damn good jagger imitation) i thought i was gonna get lynched! you shoulda seen those cowboys giving me the evil eye. it was alot like the scene from Bob’s Country Bunker from the Blues Brothers.

my wife and i like to duet on Love Shack- i also do a mean Fred Schnider (i swear im not gay!) he’s easy to do, because he dosen’t really sing, just kinda talks real loud and funny.

12

Every once in a while you’ll luck out and go to karaouke on a BAD night. 2 months ago I broke my record and sang something like 10 times. The bar was trying karaoke for the first time ever and NO ONE was singing, except everyone at my table.

It go so bad that the bar owner (who we know) was begging ME to sing, and even bought us a round of beers for helping the poor DJ out. Trust me, if you ever hear my singing voice, you will understand that begging me to show off my golden vocal talents is about as depreved as it gets! :slight_smile:

That is the only time in my life that I was actually paid to sing. :cool:

13

Damn, my first Me too post.

Me too.

I always found karaoke at it’s best when the singers were really good or drunk and horrible, but unconcerned. The Although I’m monotone, I think I’m really talented, so I’ll just sign up and sing every fourth song for the whole evening folks are quite the fun spoilers.

To any dopers that enjoy Karaoke, this doesn’t refer to you, as I’m sure that you either sing like the angels or are drunk and horrible, but don’t care. :smiley:

14

After several beers people get the irresistable notion that they can sing things out of their vocal range. My favorite was a friend of mine up sing “R-E-S-P-E-C-T … This song is too high for me!”

15

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Just listen to that digital quality sound, you can hear the tinkle of bar glasses, background conversations, and that guy at the bar screaming “shut your hole!”. We even got him to sing on this fabulous CD.

Yes, these are the people you went to listen to last weekend at Bob’s Country Bunker and imagine how much better it is going to sound when you can listen to this heartfelt music IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!

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16

The first thought I has when I saw this was: Elvis!!!

ts and I have been to a local karaoke club a few times, and there’s this guy who brings in his own CDs. NOT karaoke CDs, mind you. Actual Elvis CDs. He then puts on a pair of King-esque sunglasses, and a blue scarf, and sings along with the Elvis tracks, the whole time moving like Elvis the Pelvis. He will bring CDs of songs that the karaoke people already have in their selection. But he won’t sing theirs. Only his. I guess the King has to provide accompaniment.

17

“Boxcar Willy sings Devo”.

:smiley:

18

Again, me too.

However, I seem to have found the exception. Whilst spending a wedding weekend in Erie, PA, my friends and I discovered P.I. Knights, and wonderful little dive that seems to have karaoke each weekend night. Everyone seemed to be involved, everyone applauded each “performance”, a few people were really good but didn’t show off, and a very large majority of people did it for the humor.

I also discovered that ‘jazz hands’ will improve any attempt at performance. Especially during “I’m Just a Gigolo”.

19

heh, “jazz hands”. Haven’t heard that since Musical Thater class in college.
I guess I’ve had good luck so far with my karaoke. I’ve only been a couple times, and I had fun, and the worst that happened was listening to a tone-deaf drunk guy try to sing “If”. It was cring-making.

20

Well, [bSuperdude** beat me to it, but the local bar has Karoke on Wednesdays and Saturdays and it’s usually okay (notice the emphasis on “local,” although the bar is, literally, around the corner from one of most busy bar areas around it only draws a small “locals” crowd.) The “Elvis” guy is way over the top: he has the *ba-da-baaaa, ba-da-buuuuh…" intro music and he makes his entrance from the bathroom hallway to the swirling search lights and all that but what are ya gonna do, it’s all good fun.

The thing that irritates the shit out of me is the MC. One, he’s terrible. I mean really bad as in no tone and no sense of beat whatsoever. Sure, it makes the rest of us mortals look great, but damn. The other thing is that he, or his girlfriend/wife (I don’t know which) are on about every third or forth song. I know I’ve gone up and complained to the bar owner about this before. It’s one thing when no one is singing or putting up requests, but when he’s got a stack of slips up there and he’s still jumping in with his butchering of “I’m a Fireman”…grrr.