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i can't be the only cat who gets *insanely* jealous when a weaker KJ comes along with their tired/predictable show and constantly gets big crowds

i don't want this weaker KJ to have no crowd or nothin'. i'm just scratching my head how someone gets standing room only crowds every gig, yet their show is one long struggle to sit through.

I actually don't know any kjs in my area like that. In my area, the ones who are inferior with zero hosting skills and/or bad sound usually get canned pretty quickly. We have quite a few very good kjs here, so the people know the difference.

yeah, i'm not gonna say where i'm at, but i noticed in my area, folks act like karaoke is a new phenomenon, even though it's been around here for decades. i guess it just wasn't in their neck of the woods. so folks can't seem to tell good karaoke from weak

one of the venues that the weak KJ packs is in a prime location. it's the only nightlife around. it's not a desolate area by no means at all. it's just that it's a rough area so by 9pm every spot around it for a mile is closed. and this particular venue is open to midnight--with food and drinks. crabs in a barrel.

I have been hosting for 4 years now and I can say with certainty that jealousy has never been something I have felt toward any other host. I don't care how well attended any other show is compared to mine. I make sure my house is in order and leave everyone else well enough alone. I have enough drama managing all of the venues, owners, staff, and patrons. There are a few other hosts that come to my shows semi-regularly and I always promote them and their shows. They work just as hard if not harder than I do and there are plenty of singers to go around here.

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-Chris

my jealousy is towards folks that are newer KJs who've been at it a year or less. i can't be jealous of older KJs who've been in the game. i salute and cheer for them.

seeing a rookie that i think haven't 'paid their dues' but draws large crowds with a weaker show is a kick in the gut for me when i know a handful of real hard-working strong veteran KJs who for a slew of reasons are struggling for just double-digit singers to show up

it's not that i don't want success for these rookies. i want the rookies to be aware despite their success, they still need to step their game up. rookies only. vets with "weak shows", get a pass from me.

My jealousy is for singers with better access to karaoke than I have. When I hear karaoke stories from big karaoke towns, I get wistful for it. I like a nice crowd, which I guess makes me weird. I'm good if I get a song or two in a night, but I like busy places.

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Co-host of The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly), a karaoke-themed podcast

Sometimes it's not the kj, sometimes it's the venue--good food, good location, easy parking, low prices, nice interior...

If you have the good location, food and drink prices, you don't have to be a great KJ. You only need to run a honest show and have the songs for the good folks to sing. I wish I could get into a spot like that so I would have to work so hard to have fun.

You just answered your own question - sort of. The weak KJ scored the most popular venue, or at least the largest drawing venue. HE doesn't pack the house, THEY do.

Best bet? Find another venue nearby and put on a kick - (@$%&#!) show. At first you will only get overflow from the overcrowded show who got tired of the long rotation. However, once these folks get the word out how your show rocks, more will come.

Better mousetrap.....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Around here, each host has their own crowd. I recently switched venues, and my crowd from the old venue came with me, and now I am getting more people as more get to know my show. This Friday, the place right up the road from my venue had a power outrage. A whole bunch of their singers came to me. I now have a bigger crowd because they liked me better than their host. I very much appreciate that. But, as far as jealousy towards other hosts? I have none. There is no reason for it. We all have our own customers, with some overlap between hosts. Besides, most of us around here know each other and we are all friends. We go to each others' shows when we can.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

And someday Smoothe, I will make it to one of yours (if I can stay up that late )

I have to agree that it seems to be a very friendly group of KJs around the Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice Florida area. I have had, on more than one occasion, 3 or 4 KJs at one of my shows and I have filled in for all of them more than once.

And you would be most welcome.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Hell I'd love to go meet Smooth and see his show if I got the chance. Differences in everything else aside, I think we actually have a lot in common music wise!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Went to my old bar last Saturday night. The guy running the show does a great job with the rotation, although I have had to point out twice to him that he called me up before the singer that had sang in front of me in the rounds before. Hey, mistakes happen but he really does try to run a consistent rotation. I'll give him a C for mixing skills. I have to tell him to turn my mic up or the music up at least once a night. The biggest thing that gives him a C: First two times up I couldn't hear me or most of the music well. The first time I just thought it was me, but the second time I paid close attention and noticed the HF driver was out on the monitor. So he was blasting everyone on stage with low frequencies. He does a great job interacting with the singers.
So all this matters because the bar was packed and he always seems to get a good draw. At one point, my worst night was better than his best night, but that was very much early on. So what else changed? Well, they finally fired a horrific bar tender and fired another clueless bartender. These bar tenders were more than just bad with poor service and poor drinks. I heard time and time and time again that they were over charging and adding drinks to peoples bill and I had my own problems with them. One of the things they would do is if you went up and ordered, say, three shots for you and two friends, they would make four or five and a bar tender or two would shoot them with you. Problem is, those shots ended up on your tab.
The bar also upgraded their food and the people preparing it, lowered drink prices (and it is not uncommon for the house to buy you a drink now) the service is excellent and my bills are always fair (and I do not hear others complaining like I did before). That's the way it was when we were packing it in.

So for me, a good show is a great start, but you need to look really hard at how the venue is treating their patrons.

It sounds like this guy is a "poor" and not a "good" KJ if he dissent pay attention to the mix or his equipment. I'm talking about entertainment skills more the anything as far as good, poor and great.

I am sure you would be damn fun to have at a show. You and I are into much of the same music. THOUGH we would fit in better at my Saturday fill-in show. There are more Rockers there.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

I would totally check out Smooth's show, as long as it wasn't in summer. I'm crying about our 85 degree days up here. I'd hate to think what Florida is like right now.

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Co-host of The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly), a karaoke-themed podcast

There are many elements that go into making a successful karaoke show. The host has to wear many hats and have what I call the total package to makes things work. The venue and it's customer base has to be in synch with the type of show the host specializes in, you really can't be all things to all people. My target market was the baby boomers and my show was basically a Golden Oldies family centered format. I worked six days a week for years until my retirement last Fall.

It is funny that you can do the same show in one venue and be a dud and go down the road with the same show and have standing room only. That is why you have to find your comfort level in doing shows and know which jobs to take and which one's to pass on. I was once asked by another host why I was almost always successful? The answer I told him was to choose very carefully the type of venue to work for. This takes a host being honest with themselves and knowing when to say yes and knowing when to say no. Usually I always had another host I could recommend to do the gigs I turned down.

By being true and honest with yourself you can build up your following and business. That is not to say you can't take a failing venue and turn it around, I have done this many times. In order to do that the host and the venue owner need to be on the same page. Also it helps if you have good staff that support what you are trying to do. My approach was to have everyone work together to improve the venue, since in that way all of us would profit. A big mistake KJ hosts make is to get the big head and think they can do it all by themselves, they can't. It takes a team effort. Many hosts forget the 4 Cardinal Rules of hosting.

1. don't be lazy.

2. don't be greedy.

3 don't abuse drugs, or be a lush.

4. don't use your gigs as your personal dating service.

These rules were given to me by a little Asian lady that sold me my first rig, and it served me well for 19 years of hosting.

Ya know.....

I hear a lot of folks say "I want to check out KJ X's show". I say it myself now and then, but I always check myself and remember that it is the singers that are the real show.

If someone were to come to my "show" in downtown Seattle on a Saturday night, they would probably have a blast. But not because of me. It would be because of the atmosphere at the bar and antics of the singers. My show gets so busy during this time of the year that I try to stay as far out of the spotlight as possible.

Or.....

They would hate it. Because if they show up after 10:30 they may have to wait more than an hour to sing and only sing once for the night.

It kind of depends on the type of karaoke person they are and why they are there.

Of course I still like going to other karaoke shows even if it is to have several dozen 3 minute conversations with the host about karaoke stuff.

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-Chris

It actually hasn't been that horrible, lately. The worst months are August and September. Now we get rain every day, and it makes the nights cooler.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE