Karaoke

[Orbert]

I almost put this in the Musicians forum, since I'm a musician and tend to approach everything from that perspective, but I guess this is more of a general public thing.


I did some karaoke yesterday for the first time.  I like to sing, but despite singing in bands and tenor/baritone in the church choir, even taking some solos, I've never considered myself a "lead singer".  Well, not since 1981 when the band let me take lead on two songs, neither of which was horrible, but which convinced me that I was really meant more for harmonies and support.

Anyway, they started doing karaoke at my church on Sunday afternoons once a month, just another off-the-wall fun kinda thing to get people to come in and do things.  I went last month but told Rives (pronounced "Reeves" - the guy who organizes it) that I was just there to enjoy the music and singing, but I would not be participating.  I seriously doubt that most of the music I like is in the database, and I can't sing lead on most of it anyway.  (I wasn't going to attempt "Close to the Edge" or "In the Dead of Night" and no one would sit through it anyway.)

But he's been working on me all month, and I thought maybe I could do a few Harry Chapin songs, maybe some James Taylor.  Stuff in my range.  He's got it all set up with some reverb and plenty of low end, so people's voices tend to sound better and fuller than you might think.  Most people sounded pretty good.  If you're signing in tune, you're doing better than a lot of people.  So fine, I did a few songs.

What a strange experience!  I was amazed at the tech, taking what sounded to me like the original recordings but somehow removing the lead vocals, so someone could sing them instead.  But when I went up to sing, I realized that the tracks were all sound-alikes.  Cover band stuff.  Okay, it's like singing for a cover band.  Same key, instruments are doing pretty much what I'm used to hearing, I just need to supply the lead vocals.

Unlike working with a live band, however, if you get lost or miss a cue, the band doesn't adjust; it just keeps going because the "band" is prerecorded.  There's no give and take, there's just the track.  That threw me, as I have thousands of hours playing live music but basically zero performing to a track.  But the chorusing and EQ on my voice made it sound pretty good, and I knew the songs well.  I only missed the one cue, which was annoying because it was one of my favorite lines, but WTF.  People said I sounded great, but they say that anyway, so I have no idea how I really sounded.  But it was an interesting experience.  60 years old -- 61 this year -- and it's important to keep trying new things.

Rives asked me if I was coming back next month.

[hefdaddy42]

I like karaoke, but rarely get the opportunity.

[pg1067]

In 1990, I dated a girl whose apartment community was next to a bowling alley that did karaoke on at least Friday and Saturday nights and holidays.  That was our go-to for most of the time we dated.  My #1 song was Dust in the Wind (Kansas), followed closely by Babe (Styx).  I did Paperback writer once in a while, but it was a real challenge figuring out which harmony parts to sing.  There was a guy who hung out at the bar regularly but never sang (reminded me of Seamus McFly from Back to the Future III) who kept bugging me to do some Guns n Roses.  I resisted because I knew I couldn't pull it off.  Finally, one day, I guess I had enough beer in me and gave Paradise City.  I barely held it together.  I've always disliked GNR, so I didn't completely know the rhythms of the vocal melodies, but I threw in enough "whoa, whoa" to keep it together.

After we broke up, I stayed away but returned occasionally.  My wife and I have done it a couple times, but she's not big on going out and, while she has a great voice, she doesn't like singing in front of people.

Last time I did it was at a company holiday party.  We rented out a bowling establishment in downtown LA that had semi-private karaoke rooms.  I saw some of my colleagues in one walked in.  The most surprising thing I found on the song list was Surrounded (DT).  I gave it a try, but I couldn't handle the "once lost but I was found" section and couldn't come up with a satisfactory adjustment of the melody to make it workable.

I'd definitely do it more if I knew more people who'd be into it.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I like karaoke, but I always feel bad when I go with my friends because we’re all professional musicians and trained singers.

[axeman90210]

The window between me not having enough alcohol to attempt karaoke and too much alcohol to attempt karaoke is impossibly narrow.

[Cool Chris]

Not something I ever really cared to do, or listen to, but did partake maybe 5-10 times in my younger days. My go-to song was White Rabbit. A nice, short song that will sound familiar to most people, even if they can't place it. And since there is no expectation I would ever sound like Grace Slick, no one was going to hold me to a faithful rendition of the original vocals.

[Orbert]

When I got home, I told Mrs Orbert that I guess I didn't "get" karaoke.  She said "What's to get?  You get drunk and sing songs and make an ass of yourself, but it's all in good fun."  Right, but how does that work if it's in a church on a Sunday afternoon and there's (presumably) no alcohol involved?  "No idea."

I've only ever sang while playing piano/keyboards, or holding a black folder in front of me.  I didn't know what to do with my hands.  Most people held the microphone, but that didn't feel natural.  Nor did holding it, stand and all, so I stuck them in my pockets, which is probably not the correct answer.

[Mladen]

I had been playing guitar and keyboards for years before attempting to sing. Like, sing for real. Some friends of mine dragged me to a karaoke place back in 2014 or 2015 and I started really digging singing in front of people. Karaoke is meant for fun, but it actually helped me gain confidence in my singing. Nowadays I cannot go to a karaoke bar, people think I'm too good for it, which is ridiculous. 

[King Postwhore]

I love karaoke.   I love singing and like the spotlight. Fun to do at parties and with friends. 

[XJDenton]

The window between me not having enough alcohol to attempt karaoke and too much alcohol to attempt karaoke is impossibly narrow.

Ah, the Ballmer peak.

Karaoke is good for the soul.

[Orbert]

I had been playing guitar and keyboards for years before attempting to sing. Like, sing for real. Some friends of mine dragged me to a karaoke place back in 2014 or 2015 and I started really digging singing in front of people. Karaoke is meant for fun, but it actually helped me gain confidence in my singing. Nowadays I cannot go to a karaoke bar, people think I'm too good for it, which is ridiculous. 

Now there's a twist of fate!

Now that I've done it, they asked if I'd be back next time.  I kinda feel like I "should" but that doesn't make sense.  I mostly thought I was doing it for me, you know, trying something new.  But apparently people liked it and want more, and to me that's just bizarre because I don't consider myself a singer.

The window between me not having enough alcohol to attempt karaoke and too much alcohol to attempt karaoke is impossibly narrow.

For me it's cannibis, but the window is a bit wider.  If I get a good buzz on, I'm willing to try anything; too much and I'm still willing but not able (and unaware of that fact) but there's a pretty good window in between.

[Stadler]

One of the local bars in Florida, where my parents used to live, does karaoke.  I haven't done it there yet, for various reasons ("Can't Get Enough" from Bad Co. is my go-to) but it's usually fun.  It sometimes loses it's luster when you get that one person that clearly thinks this is an audition for American Idol, but usually it's all in good fun. 

[Harmony]

Karaoke is a mixed bag for me.  It really depends on how deep the options to select from are.

My best experience was doing a duet with a good friend to 'Separate Lives' back in the day.  We knocked it out of the park.  Good times.

But I really enjoy pulling up some obscure song that not many people know.  Because then when I fuck it up, not many people know.   

[Mladen]

I used to get a kick out of selecting metal or obscure rock songs and freaking people out. One time, they cut us out in the middle of Turbo lover because they couldn't take it anymore. I also once sang Subdivisions and the next time I came to the bar, they erased the backing track from the computer. They didn't want us rockers or metalheads ruining a nice pop karaoke night. 

[TheCountOfNYC]

I used to get a kick out of selecting metal or obscure rock songs and freaking people out. One time, they cut us out in the middle of Turbo lover because they couldn't take it anymore. I also once sang Subdivisions and the next time I came to the bar, they erased the backing track from the computer. They didn't want us rockers or metalheads ruining a nice pop karaoke night. 

See that’s when you really fuck with them. You do annoying songs like Surfin’ Bird and What’s New Pussycat or something you really can’t sing (like singing Emotions by Mariah Carey as a male but try to sing it in her range). They wanna ruin your fun, you make your own fun at their expense.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, in fairness, only part of the fun of karaoke is singing yourself.  The bigger part is watching/listening to others participate, and that fun is drastically reduced if people insist on singing songs that no one else knows.

I don't mean you should NEVER do it, but if you do it repeatedly, then I don't know, man.  Just my two cents.  Just read the room.  If you have a lot of people in the venue who like the same shit you do, then let it fly.

The times I have done, I have stuck to pop or rock songs that are generally well known, and always had a good time.

[Stadler]

Well, in fairness, only part of the fun of karaoke is singing yourself.  The bigger part is watching/listening to others participate, and that fun is drastically reduced if people insist on singing songs that no one else knows.

I don't mean you should NEVER do it, but if you do it repeatedly, then I don't know, man.  Just my two cents.  Just read the room.  If you have a lot of people in the venue who like the same shit you do, then let it fly.

The times I have done, I have stuck to pop or rock songs that are generally well known, and always had a good time.

I'm kind of with you on this.  I'm not sure what the pleasure is in alienating a room.  To each their own, I suppose, but for me, the best part of music is the communion, the inclusiveness. 

My local bar doesn't have karaoke, but they have the "Touch Tunes" jukebox.  It's one of those places where the box is a lot of older country, southern rock, etc.  And one of the cooks - he's a cool guy, I consider him a friend, even though he's young, like 22 - insists on putting on death metal.   It's about 50-50 whether the bartenders (who run the show) hit the "kill" switch, and it sort of ruins it for everyone else.