Karaoke!

[TroubleWolf]

So I've been going to karaoke on and off for over three years now, and I'm starting to become fairly well-known. It's not that I'm an excellent singer or anything, just that I try and mix things up. If everyone is singing country music, I'll pull out some hip hop. If everyone is doing 80's songs, I'll take it back to "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay".

There are two karaoke clubs that I go to regularly. Our Saturday night karaoke spot is the Fat Otter Street Pub, in the downtown area. Thursday night is at a place called Legend's, which is kind of a sports bar/college hangout. We have three different colleges within about 5 miles of each other here in Columbia, so just about every bar could be considered a college hangout, I guess... but I digress.

I got off work yesterday afternoon at about 4:30, and immediately headed to Legend's. I didn't start drinking right away, just had dinner and BS'ed with some of my buddies. The karaoke DJ showed up around 7:00 and immediately made a bee-line for our table. He's an older guy, really really nice, who talks about the time he spent in the Marine Corp in the 50's. So he comes over, starts pumping our hands, telling us it's great to see us... he's almost grandfatherly, in a way. I don't think he was ever married, no kids or grandkids, so his karaoke regulars are kind of a surrogate for that, I guess. He keeps all the slips of paper that we write our song choices on, and keeps each of the regulars' slips in a plastic baggy with his or her name on it. This saves time for most regulars who sing the same songs every week... my baggy is full, because there are only one or two songs I repeat each week.

The lights went down about 8:45, and Joe the Karaoke Guy called for our first slip. I started off the night with "Desperado" by the Eagles, just to warm up my voice. I should mention here that I smoke a lot when I drink, so my voice at the beginning of the night is a lot higher and clearer than at 1:00 in the morning, when I'm able to do Johnny Cash and Louis Armstrong songs. I know it's terrible for my voice, but it's a habit.

Anyway, there weren't very many people at the bar yet, because it was stll so early, so before I knew it, it was time to sing again. This time, I'd put in "Beer for My Horses" by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. I'd never done it before, but I thought it'd be fun doing both parts of the duet. It went over really well, people were laughing at my switch from my Toby Keith voice to my Willie voice, which is the whole point of singing a duet by yourself.

So I get back to my seat, and there's this guy sitting in the chair next to mine that I've never seen before. He's talking to my friends and writing in a little flip-out notebook, like you see in old movies where the guy has a funny hat with a card in the band that says "PRESS". I sit down and take a drink of my Parrot Bay and Coke, and this guy tells me he's a reporter, and that he'd like to ask me some questions about karaoke. We talk for about 15 minutes, and I guess word got around that I was beign interviewed, because people started stopping at the table and saying things like, "Oh, we love Big Poppa, he's the best!" And "This guy right here is a karaoke legend!" Honestly, it was touching that all these people knew me and took the time to tell a reporter how much they enjoyed seeing me perform.

The little interview was cut short when my name was called to perform. My biggest fan-favorite, "Big Poppa" by the Notorious B.I.G. was next. The place always erupts when the music starts, and I can't get out of the bar without performing that song. I always have 4 or 5 young, hot college chicks dancing in front of the stage area, and all the guys "throw they hands in the ay-ah if they's a true play-ah". I was feeling good last night, and I nailed the song, and everybody was going nuts, and it was one of the best feelings in the world to sit back down amid hails of applause.

Next thing I know, there's this girl sitting at our table, talking to me. She apparently recognized me from junior high, and thought she'd stop and chat. She's a year older than I am, hot as a firecracker on the fourth of July, and an absolutely beautiful singer. We chatted the rest of the night. I did "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty. She did "Home Wrecker" by Gretchen Wilson. Then we did a duet, "Summer Nights" from Grease. I think I'm in love with her...

All in all, it was a great night. Does anybody else do karaoke? SK, will there be karaoke at the Down South Meetup?

[Tarberetta]

That's cool!

I haven't done karaoke in a couple years. I remember I did once at the company picnic on a whim and folks here wouldn't leave me alone about it ever since. Suppose I should start up again sometime, or not

[Rottweiler]

I loooooove kroakey-okey! I haven't had the time in ages to get to a bar to do so. Prolly been about a years since I last belted out a tune. If I remember correctly, my last set was Queen's 'Crazy Lil Thing Called Love', Huey Lewis & The News 'Heart of RockN'Roll', Metallica 'Enter Sandman' (which got me by biggest ovation of the night - METTAALLLL! I tore that one up), Van Halen 'Runnin' With The Devil', and Tom Petty's part in the Stevie Nicks duet 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around.'

If there IS karaoke at the Shindig, I'm in for sure. It'll give me some time to stretch out my chords until then so I can represent Tone Death properly.

[TroubleWolf]

That's awesome, Rotty!

My friends and I have a three-part arrangement of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" we do that blows the doors off the bar. My buddy Rex's only part in the entire song is to actually sing the guitar riffs. It's absolutely hilarious!

[Half Life]

Karaoke bars rarely have any metal. I cant sing well, so screaming just fits me better. One bar once had "Sweating Bullets" by megadeath that i was able to do. Nowadays i dont go out much to bars or clubs anyway due to the family, but it was always fun when i did.

[Sebastian Kain]

"Say What Karaoke! at SK's house this summer! Tell a friend!

[Tsarmina]

Does anybody else do karaoke?

No.

Do I sing?
Only if the music is turned up loud enough so I can't be heard!
*wonders if she could get a certain someone who's visiting her state soon to sing*

Cool story Wolfie. Sounds like fun. Hope you have found a singing partner.

[Half Life]

Originally Posted by Tsarmina

No.
*wonders if she could get a certain someone who's visiting her state soon to sing*

Ha ha ha, best of luck there

[Solario]

While I don't do karaoke, I am planning on getting that karaoke thing for PS2, just because I've planned with my friends to get really drunk and then try it out.

[Randomus]

I used to do Karaoke when we had it in the cafeteria or auditorium at high school. Usually I'd put in a song and the DJ would play something totally different when I got up because he was an asshole, but I sang them anyway. Even all three times he started playing Christina Aguilera songs.

Never got me any ladies, though. Nice work, TW. Nice work.