Karaoke Forums

I'm looking for any ideas. The brainteaser is:

College campus show on the biggest drinking night of the week in a cafe on the first floor of the best live music venue in town (as rated by the local entertainment paper). The stage is fantastic and the room sounds great. The cafe staff is very enthusiastic, and we often pull two or more of the bouncers form upstairs to sing. Of course, the top management is a bit skeptical (It was the cafe manager's idea for the show). Otherwise, we have light to steady traffic from upstairs coming down for the bathrooms and ATM.

The problem is that no one sticks around. They paid $8 to $15 to be upstairs and they intend to stay there. It's also fair to say that parking can be difficult. This town has a huge Karaoke contingent, but Thursday has more options than any other night, including the #1 rated show (by the same paper) hosted by my boss across town.

I've been promoting like crazy - about 100 flyers a week, and I'm doubling that this week on other streets, along with handbills with two different themes on the campus proper. I'm tempted to attempt starting earlier to snag the last of the cafe's restaurant business, but I doubt that the management will go for that.

The object of course is to keep this show. We're coming up on week four, and so far we've had weak public support. Any sugestions on how to increase foot traffic and help the bar make a profit?

_________________
"C'mon people! We can get drunker than this!"

Before we come up with any answers (assuming we've got any) what happens upstairs and why are they paying to get in? Is there no seperate entrance whereby they can simply come to the Karaoke without paying?
Give us some more details and you may well get some advice.

Barry

_________________
Imagine!

That last post looked a bit brusque. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that.

_________________
Imagine!

If its at all possible, I think I'd try to change nights so as not to compete with the hottest show in town. Its almost like you're doomed before you even start with that kind of a schedule. If that's not possible, then yes by all means start earlier and try to hang on to some of the dinner crowd. I don't see you pulling away the people who've paid $8 to get into the show upstairs.

Just a few random thoughts...

Since you are in a cafe, is it safe to assume that all the alcohol is upstairs in the club?

Also, having karaoke in what you describe is the "best live music venue in town" is a bad idea in my book. The appeal of karaoke is that you get to see and even participate in "live" music, much of which is pretty bad. If this place has the BEST live music in town, who would want to hang around downstairs to hear what is possibly (probably?) the WORST?

Is the cafe an 21+ venue, or can you attempt to appeal to the 18-20 somethings that reside on campus? They may be willing to hang out there on the chance of meeting someone of the opposite sex who may tumble down the stairs in a slightly inebriated condition.

Changing nights seems to be the simplest choice, especially since the karaoke show that's killing yours is run by your boss.

Another alternative might be to try an "open mic" night to appeal to the college age crowd. So you might have to sit through some poetry readings about sad clowns or whatever, but it may save the show for the time being. Then as people get to know you (and hopefully LIKE you), you can ease back on the open mic and hammer the karaoke!

Good luck, I'm pulling for ya!

_________________
Spreading the karaoke gospel

sorry to be incomplete, here's more details:

Full service bar in the cafe. 21+ show. It has it's own entrance. Upstairs features national and local live acts 7 days a week. The most serious competition in this market is an established (the owner, Aki, brought karaoke with him when he immigrated form Japan) all Karaoke bar that charges a cover, charges per song, and overcharges on drinks. Our big draw is no cover and no charge. I'd love to do a 18-21 night, but the venue won't go for it. As for my boss's show, it's on the outskirts of town, serving on average 300 people (roughly 40-50 singers, if they can all get in). The original idea was to provide an overflow location in an area served by public transit.

Thank you for your advice, I look forward to anything else that you can think of. One recent development (I found out before tonight's show), there is another venue in the downtown market looking for a new karaoke provider. It seems that the current host has been, well... sketchy. I'm comitted to my current location for 5 more weeks, so I'll let you all know what happens.

Thanx again!

_________________
"C'mon people! We can get drunker than this!"

This is just off the top of my head but how about this?

Talk to the owner and see if you can run a Karaoke Contest. First place gets a monetary prize and a spot on the stage upstairs for one night. If the owner likes the singers talent then he can work it from there. Not only will that bring people in from upstairs but street traffic will increase also.
Just a thought

T.B.K

_________________
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!