I KJ four nights a week, and on one of my off nights I still love to go sing myself... not have to worry about rotations, or drunks, etc.
Anyway, there is a local show that I'd heard about, but never had the time to go, but Sunday night I made time to go sing with "Karaoke with Martine" at Dellis' resturant in Rosedale, Md. I so glad I did.
Its always kinda neat to walk into a karaoke bar you've never been into before, but know just about all the singers there. There was Denise and Samatha... a mother and daughter team that just rocks the house. Sam is only 15, a cute little blond with an incredible booming voice. Her and Denise do the Kelly Clarkson/ Reba McEntire "becouse of you" SPOT ON! And they rock individually as well.... American Idol calibur.
But then there was Jennifer, a hot little brunette who as been to American Idol twice. I can't believe she hasn't made it onto the show, she's unbelievable. She did "If I were a boy" and a couple of others that had everybody whooping and hollering.
There was Ron and Matt, two twenty something "players" who sing well (Ron does an incredible "Sweet Child O' Mine"... which usually NO ONE does well). The two of them harmonise well together. These guys have figured out that chicks dig guys who sing, and try to pick up every cute girl in the bar. Sounds corny, but I can personally vouch for their success!
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There were a lot of folks I'd seen around but didn't know, but EVERYONE was awesome. I felt a little intimidated! Go figure.
So I put on the fedora, and for my first number I did "Zoot Suit Riot". This good for two reasons... its a peppy song, and while everyone was just awesome, the rotation was a little too "ballad" heavy. I do this in my show all the time, and am super comfortable with it, and I always get a cute girl to dance with me while I sing. Its a no-brainer. Boom, big applause and high fives around... Ok, I'm comfortable. Whew.
I wanted to try something new, and had an itch to do Smokey Robinson's cruisin'... The Huey Lewis Gwyneth Paltrow version from the movie "Duets". For my partner I asked Denise, who like me, had never done it before. Unlike me, she hadn't been singing it her car for the last several days and was going to do it from memory. God bless her.
As good as individual singers are, I love a good duet. Two good singers playing off of each other chokes me up everytime.
So the two of us go up, look at each other kind of nervouse, and the music starts.I shouldn't have worried, Denise is a complete karaoke professional... She totally had her part... The Huey Lewis part is a harmony, and I was pretty sure I had it... but who knows for certain till you hear yourself with the other person.
Well, we had it! Probably the best feeling in the world... we kinda looked at each other and smiled, cause we knew after the first verse we were on. The sweet thing was the cheers from the bar as we sang certain ad libs, and just enjoyed singing with each other.
The bar went nuts when we finished, high fives all around! Warm fuzzies for me!
An incredible night of singing with some of the best singers in the Baltimore area. That's why karaoke is an art form. People getting together, not for money, or contracts, or fame (well maybe a little bit), but for the sheer love of the singing and the music (and for some the girls...
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