March 6, 2006 21:22 - A Karaoke Hog's Comeuppance
I think we can all identify with the writer of this story....
It's 10:30 pm and the gang's here at Caf Japone, all my bridesmaids wearing matching pink "Bridesmaid" tank tops. Once my
sister secures the sparkly tiara on my head, out comes the handsome white thong that says "Bride" (rhinestone dotting the
"i") prompting my tables reprise of the all-too-familiar chant: PANties! PANties! PANties!" This is to communicate to me and
the rest of the club that I should put the panties on over my long black pants a daring look few could get away with.
Karen studies the karaoke songbook closely. The drinks arrive. Were deep in conversation when I hear a sound
that shakes me to the core, the tell-tale opening chords of Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I'm trapped in a corner and I
dont have time for everyone to get out or I may miss the first line. So I unceremoniously scramble under the table, Pat
Benatar calling my name all the way to the mic. My table stands and cheers. The crowd sings along. I deliver an
inspired performance. During the instrumental break, I break character to connect with the audience.
Before I start the next verse "the karaoke hog," aptly named by myself and others, whos been dominating the
mic all night, sidles up to me: "Can I sing with you?" This is in the middle of my song mind you.
"NOOOO!" I roar directly into the microphone and I whack him, literally smack him. "Get out of here!!" The
whole crowd feels gratified to see the karaoke hog humbled and publicly rebuked.
I belt the last few notes and return to my table as a hero.
March 6, 2006 21:23 - Closet karaoke fans get their party on
Nearly everybody sings. They do it in the car, the shower, and the most coordinated do it while walking. Most tend to sing
other people's songs, and this has recently inspired TV shows like "American Idol." Before these shows, however, there was
karaoke. Although typically found in bars, the game has found its way onto TV screens nationwide in the form of the Karaoke
Revolution video game series.
The game's most recent version, Karaoke Revolution Party, is available for PlayStation 2, GameCube and XBox. It offers 50
songs to choose from and includes a microphone. The party comes in when you opt to plug in a dance pad and try to dance and
sing at the same time. Players are judged on both footwork and vocal pitch, and the less skilled run the risk of being booed
off of the simulated stages they appear on.
This game is loved by those who want a form of entertainment at parties, but scoffed at by karaoke purists. Rachel Smart,
a psychology major, is one of the former. She first found out about the game when her roommate brought a copy home.
Smart says she likes the game because it's "more hip and up-to-date" than regular karaoke. "You can choose characters and
settings where you want them to sing," she says. "And real karaoke doesn't judge your performance, but this one does so you
can become a better singer with it." Those who have attended karaoke bars know this doesn't seem to be the goal of many
participants.
The only downside of the vocal judging is that tone-deaf players can have their songs terminated early. "I don't like that
because when you're just being stupid, you can't keep playing and having fun," Smart says.
Smart prefers to play Karaoke Revolution instead of going out to sing. "I can just play in front of my friends instead of
strangers," she says. "Strangers don't want to hear me ruin songs."
Some strangers might. What else would explain the crowds at bars offering karaoke night around Ypsilanti and Ann
Arbor?
Tony Trease, karaoke purist, can usually be found in one of these crowds. He says he likes karaoke because "all those rock
'n' roll dreams you have in the shower, you can act out in front of your friends."
Trease, a graduate student, plays karaoke at least two times a week at places like the Elbow Room and T.C.'s Speakeasy. "I
just like to sing," he says. "It's a good time, especially seeing other friends sing."
Karaoke bars are more suitable for Trease because singers don't have to pay to sing. This is one reason he says he doesn't
expect to pick up a copy of Karaoke Revolution. "Karaoke's free, why pay for it?" he asks.
Trease also likes the lack of vocal judging at his favorite bars. "How well you sing has nothing to do with karaoke," he
says. "I don't like it when people try to sing good. It's not 'American Idol.'"
Trease has noticed the karaoke night crowd at the Elbow Room growing slightly, and says this could be a sign of the game's
popularity increasing. He mentions other karaoke venues like Blue Karaoke in Ann Arbor, which offers private rooms and lyrics
in a variety of languages. Another option is Steve's Karaoke, a service that travels from bar to bar and offers a gigantic
library of songs. Local stops include Ann Arbor's Blind Pig and T.C.'s Speakeasy in Ypsilanti.
Besides a wide range of live karaoke options, the fact that Karaoke Revolution exists is a testament to the game's
popularity. The game has gone through four incarnations and a country version is forthcoming.
Whether you're a karaoke partier or purist, the options are out there.
March 9, 2006 22:43 - Karaoke On Demand!
Last night we had a discovery...Channel 1017 (if you use Time Warner Cable) is KARAOKE ON DEMAND! With songs ranging from
"Baby Got Back" to "Afternoon Delight" we were really, possibly unneccessarily, excited to find this.
Karaoke bars are expensive, and with this we can set up our own karaoke room. BYOB, nice clean couches to sit on, and no
fee whatsoever. The only setback is the lack of microphones. We guess hairbrushes could work, they did in elementary school,
but we're sure a motivated karaoke fan could also buy their own mic setup.
So there you go, Karaoke On Demand, plan your night accordingly.
March 9, 2006 22:45 - Karaoke Addiction
by Morgan McLaughlin Hornet Editor in Chief
March 08, 2006
My addiction could be worse. I could be throwing money away on drugs, or turning my brain to mush addicted to watching
television. But I cannot help myself, I cannot get enough. It calls to me whenever I turn on the radio, put in a CD or pop my
headphones in from my mp3 player. Im addicted to karaoke.
I think about it all the time. Ive gotten my best friend addicted. Iknow almost all the places in Fullerton that have
karaoke and on what nights. I know KJs by name (that would be like DJ but for karaoke). I spend many nights in many bars.
Sunday I say hello to Frank at Tuscany and Wednesday over at The Rail.Monday I can stand on stage at Continental. Thursday
I can expect to see Oscars leather jacket over at Florentines. Friday Chris always has my song history ready at Sunset
Lounge.
I have met so many people from my addiction, an entirely new group offriends. Hell, I met my fianc at karaoke. And these
people have a carefree attitude, something I crave when the day is done and the dregs of work need to be shaken off my
brain.
I dont feel stressed when I am at the bar, singing along to songs when someone else is on stage, I dont think about the
pages of copy editing that will have to get done, or the clients I have to train next week on a new integration.
I am free, channeling Pat Benatar or Jewel or Poison. I feel my soul when I sing At Last staring at the love of my life. I
feel lighthearted and fun singing duets from Grease and Dirty Dancing with my best friend at my side. I become this other
person when I am at karaoke.
This would bring one to worry. I dont have a problem with alcohol, but I am consuming a lot more of it now that I am
addicted to karaoke. Some nights I lay low, others, I close the night dancing on the bar. Have I become a bar fly? Will this
lead to being an alcoholic? I dont know.
What I do know, is that karaoke brings me up when I am down. I can go and sing my favorite songs in front of a group of
people who will not judge me if I am off key or mess up a tune. I feel free when I have the microphone in my hand, the glow
of the lyrics displayed on the screen. I am sure to receive applause when I finish and camaraderie when I get back to my
seat.
I have entered a whole other world of nightlife, and I love every second of it.
March 9, 2006 22:47 - BenQ-Siemens Shows CF61 Phone with Karaoke Support
The Benq-Siemens CF61 is a new clamshell style camera phone that the company introduced today at the CeBIT show in Hannover,
Germany. It has such features as a MP3 player with simulated 3D stereo sound and a 1.3 megapixel camera. A new feature that
we've not seen before is the ability to record voiceovers for photos that can be played back later when the photos are being
viewed. Also interesting is a Karaoke like mode for music playback where the song lyrics will display on the phone. No word
yet on what type of special music files are required for that, though. Music and photos can be stored on microSD (formerly
TransFlash) memory cards in capacities of up to 1GB.
The CF61 has a 1.8", 262k color display with a pixel resolution of 128x160. Bluetooth support and Java support can be used
together on the CF61 for multiplayer games. The CF61 also makes use of changeable covers so that you can style your phone to
match your mood or wardrobe.
BenQ-Siemens expects the CF61 to be on retail shelves some time during Q2 of this year. The company did not provide any
pricing information.
March 16, 2006 21:23 - Five things not to do at a karaoke bar
Five things not to do at a karaoke bar
1. Say you're never going to do it.
Whether it's a result of one too many screwdrivers or because your friends convince you to sing "Baby Got Back" with them,
at some point everyone in a karaoke bar is going to get up there to sing.
Just accept that fact and leave your inhibitions at the door.
"I swore I would never get up there. Then one day I found myself belting out, 'My Way,'" said Jeff Veach, owner of Veach's
Office Bar.
2. Bug the karaoke host.
Not only does it irritate the host, it may keep you sitting for hours waiting for your song to come up.
"The worst part about my job is hearing, 'Is it my turn yet? When's my song coming up?' " said Shelli Lamb, the host at
Veach's Office Bar in Jackson.
3. Just stand there.
Nothing's more boring than watching someone stand at the front of the bar giving a motionless, uninspiring
performance.
"There's a lot of people who get up there who don't at all know what they're doing," Hudson's performer Wendy Bostwick
said.
4. Pick a bad song.
Song choice is an art -- one that could get the crowd behind your performance, induce groans or even put them to sleep.
"Loveshack," by the B-52s, "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger and "Summer Nights" from "Grease" are out -- everyone picks those
songs, said hosts Denny Bostwick and Lamb.
"I like to pick upbeat songs that are Top 40," Hudson's performer Andres DeJesus said. "I try to be versatile -- not just
cater to one group of people."
5. Just stare at the performer.
A great response from the crowd will make a good performer better and could save your ears some trauma.
"When I get up there I tell them to get off their seats, stand up and clap their hands," Hudson's performer E.J. Trojans
said. "I hope that they show me a little bit of respect by doing that."
March 16, 2006 21:26 - Karaoke rocks their worlds
Three tips for becoming a karaoke superstar: Pick a song that suits your vocal range, round up as many friends as you can
bribe with cheap beer, and most importantly, don't be afraid to "bring it."
"I might hold back in the car, but on stage I bring it, totally," says superstar hopeful Derrick Valenzuela, 25. The
marketer from Mississauga focused on belting out Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" in his attempt to make it to next week's
final at the Gladstone's Karaoke Superstar Contest. The month-long contest, which continues tonight, is only in its second
year but is already a highlight of the city's karaoke calendar.
Playing off the ber success of the American Idol franchise, the Gladstone's contest was so popular last year that people
pestered the daytime bartender to get in the lineup. This year, co-host Peter Styles picks 15 names at random while a decibel
meter acts as judge to measure the applause for each contestant.
A sparkle-covered cardboard "Applause-o-meter," although impressive looking, angered contestants.
"They'd say, `Oh the arrow touched the 11,'" says co-host Stephen Eyes. "People take this really seriously."
In Toronto, karaoke is alive and kicking and you can get your fix in a bar or a box, on a boat or a bus, even with a side
of spaghetti. Musical styles range from Latin to hard-edged rock and you can belt out your favourites in nearly any
language.
The more variety the better, says Jonah Libster, a man with a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Toronto's extensive karaoke
scene. The 34-year-old has been a fan of karaoke (which sounds more like Karah-O-keh when pronounced properly) since
university and has made pilgrimages to "the motherland" Japan.
"It's all about participation," Libster says repeatedly during a Karaoke Meetup.com event he organized earlier this month
at XO Karaoke on Bloor St. W., where customers rent out karaoke boxes or small rooms for private parties.
An oft-heard phrase at Japanese karaoke sessions translates to "keep trying," he says. "The idea is, even if you aren't
very good at it, just keep doing it," he says.
The several hundred GTA bars and businesses offering karaoke can thank American Idol and its spin-offs for giving karaoke
its current cachet, says Libster. "Before, karaoke was just done by the odd geek who'd been to Japan and knew something about
it. That's changed and Idol has something to do with it."
With American Idol earning nearly double the U.S. viewers of the Grammy Awards last month, it seems natural that bars
would capitalize. The Gladstone's "contest" flies in the face of the spirit of karaoke, Libster says. While encouraging
people to come out, a competition also discouraging others from participating, he says. The contest got pretty heated last
year, said Libster, who made it to the finals. "There were some dirty tricks, like bringing in friends to cheer in order to
win," he said.
Styles says contestants only sing for part of the night, to give regular folks a chance to get up and sing. "We want to be
inclusive," he says.
And indeed they are. A group of college coeds cheer for one of their own but also dance and sing along with other
contestants . The crowd laughs along politely when one singer makes a joke after accidently singing through a musical
interlude during Kurt Cobain's "Smells like Teen Spirit."
For some contestants, this is all part of the dream. Yoko Yamamoto, a 29-year-old fashion designer and part-time model,
says she'd love to be on Bathroom Divas: So You Want To Be An Opera Star?, the Bravo! quest for operatic talent that wrapped
up its first season last month.
Horace Abel views the contest as early exposure for the self-released CD he'll be producing later in the year. "Deep down
we feel some producer's going to be in the audience.... Ever since the Idols came out that's what everybody thinks
about."
In the end, only four would make it to the next round and the grand prize of $1,000. Abel made it into the finals;
Yamamoto and Valenzuela did not.
But Valenzuela says he's accomplished his goal.
"I don't care if I win. I just want to beat people," he declares. "I want to prove that I'm better."
March 31, 2006 15:07 - Mic This - Our list of bad karaoke behavior plus a tip for the bar
by Corina Zappia
March 29th, 2006 7:16 PM
What crimes have been committed at Sing Sing?
photo: Corina Zappia
We admit it's a little sad and counterintuitive to create a list of proper etiquette for karaoke, a ritual that embraces the
tacky and tasteless, but lately we've been witness to such unmentionable transgressions, such gross violations, that the
Don'ts clearly need to be spelled out for some participantsand we have an additional one for bars too. So tape the following
rules to the mic, pass them out to your friends. Your near-perfect rendition of "Me So Horny" deserves only the most worthy
audience.
1) God doesn't smile on Stevie Nicks. Not on karaoke night. "Changes" is the kind of sentimental poo you unleash at the
high school talent showor your best friend's wedding.
2) Socially-acceptable hoochie fest? Hmm, maybe not. In the same way that some women use Halloween as an excuse to slut it
up, so too will they do the same with karaoke. Ergo: those sexy renditions of "Dirrty," "Voulez Vous Couchez Avec Moi" (i.e.
"Lady Marmalade"). Have you ever noticed the comparatively less self-conscious picks from many of the guys? Journey. Jovi.
Sir Mix-a-Lot. Something from the underappreciated Huey Lewis canon.
This disparity between the sexes always makes us a little sad.
3) Who let in the cast of Fame? Everyone has that one pal who can actually carry a noteinvariably the same friend who's
always pushing karaoke night to begin with. This is okay. Let them belt out their college-acapella version of Hootie or Tori
one more godforsaken time, because, hey, you're not a hater or anything. But we've been out when a 10-performer-strong party
of Tisch grads descends, and all of a sudden, everyone's listening to perfect renditions of NKOTB, or Toto even. We once
heard "Wicked Game" done so well that we half-expected Helena Christensen to materialize, sand-encrusted underoos, bored
expression and all. But lo, it's just some pud nonchalantly crooning dead-on Isaak while guzzling a bottle of bud, cheered on
by his equally voice-coached pals. Cheaters.
4) Nobody likes a songbook hog.
5) "But I didn't sing any songswhy do I have to pay?" This is like when you go out to dinner a friend's birthday, and
somebody has to "duck out" early and thinks $20 will cover their share. "But I just got a Diet Coke and an appetizer," you'll
hear later, when innocently inquiring why the dinner cost you an extra $80.
And so it is with karaoke parties. Walk into the rented room, and you're financially committed for as long as you're
there. It doesn't matter if you didn't singno one ever seems to sing quite enough at these things, do they? Just by being
there, you have partaken in karaoke magic. Now cough up for those shrimp wontons.
6) The boozin' must be cheap. Here's a Don't directed at the bar itself. Samantha Fox's "Naughty Girls" deserves all the
glories of a high school rec room and $2 PBR. Yet on Friday nights, Second on Second Karaoke actually charges a $5 cover, we
assume to pay off a DJ saddled with the Herculean task of manning . . . of manning . . . what, exactly? What you got there? A
deck? Press-play karaoke machine? Add to that a coat check and a two-drink minimum per booth. Their website even makes
mention of bottle service. I believe we've stumbled on Karaoke Fancy, as incongruous as slurping caviar off a Cheeto.
March 31, 2006 15:09 - Virtual Karaoke craze
by Mark Potts
March 29, 2006
Being the extremely talented ladies man I am, I find that the constant strain of pleasing women gets to me sometimes, and
I need a break. So, on some nights, I tell them that I cannot do anything, and I stay in and play Guitar Hero. This game has
become so incredibly addicting. I could not, for the longest time, think of another game that could surpass it, let alone
match it.
I was wrong, oh so deliciously wrong. At Best Buy last week, a piece of gold was radiating its warming light from inside a
bargain bin and I accepted this blessing into my heart with arms wide open (much like Scott Stapp). The game is Karaoke
Revolution Party.
This is the fourth title in the Karaoke Revolution series and, though I've never played the first three, I'd say this one
is the best.
The game is all about singing ability. If you cannot sing, you get booed off by the digital crowd, and rightfully so.
Those people paid good money to see the cover band you are the lead singer of and are expecting excellence.
This game is meant for large parties of people, taking turns at their favorite songs out of the 50 offered.
My song of choice? Either A-Ha's Take on Me," or Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You."
Let me say this, I don't like to beep my own horn, but when it comes to singing these songs? Well beep beep my good
friends, beep beep.
The game also features duets for those so inclined. But Sing and Dance" is the best feature.
Now, I've never given childbirth, and I don't plan to due to the male genitalia, but if I were to imagine how hard it is
to pass a human through my vaginal cavity, I imagine it's as hard as singing and dancing at the same time.
First of all, if you don't know the words, you're in trouble. Trying to read the words, hit the pitches, and follow the
arrows is a mental punch in the face. I tried it on Beyonce's Crazy in Love," and let me tell you, I nearly died.
But this game is more than just singing and dancing. It's about life, and the way we walk through it as if we have no time
to enjoy it.
It shows us that we need to slow down and smell the air, read a book or talk to our fellow human beings. It teaches us
that the world is a big place that we need to explore and learn in order to better ourselves. The game reveals an inner
desire to expand our minds so we can fully understand the environment we live in. It wants us to find peace and love and a
harmony that can only be dreamed of.
I'm sorry, that was all a lie. The game just wants you to sing and dance; it doesn't care about the crap, and neither
should you. Who cares about the world when there's singing, dancing and guitar playing to do?
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