Karaoke Forums

Edited (for obvious reasons)

*wow, haven't had to do this much editing in quite some time*  LOL

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I think as an act of kindness and respect for prior years of service at this venue---perhaps the KJ owners should have this link sent to them and let them get a clue about what kind of a real problem they now have on thier hands and find it out for themselves.

Or at the very least speak to them directly as a concerned customer and let them know that this is now a topic of discussion on this world-wide forum.

Then wait and see if the situation doenst change or improve.

Then you will have an answer to what they really think about this situation that they have created for themselves.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

As to Charmin's question about allowing and/or encouraging the girl takeing off her clothes--there IS SOMEONE who would have something to say about it----and that is the COMPANY'S HOME OFFICE. All u need do is simply get on the company's central home website and post a complaint. You can BE SURE that someone will be on the phone inquiring IMMEDIATELY. ANYTHING that would IMPUNGE the companys name in that sort of a subject you can be SURE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED----if nothing else the potential for sexual harrasment liabilty is astonishing!

Additionally I really doubt that the venue is ZONED and LISCENCED by the liqour commision as a TOPLESS bar---another agency that would be very interested in it.

And in the same vein the KJ with the lewd and lasvacious remarks is treading a fine line in that area also, both from OFFENDED CUSTOMERS AND the BAR STAFF---placing the KJ Owner into a liability situation since by paying him and allowing him to continue to work for him/her it is being allowed and condoned and even promoted---since he's the "ATTRACTION" of the show.

That particular venue had better watch itself and keep it clean(as it used to be) given the very nature of the business they are in.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

You brought up some good points Kurt.  I tend to forget this is a Denny's too, not just some place on SE 82nd.  LOL  I am going to talk to the owners or at least the night manager (who rarely pops in for very long), just to clue them in.  Then can form their own opinions from there.

Go in with a small disposable type hand-cam.  Film A/V excerpts of him. Get a few others that are behind you, approach and ask the owner to watch this bozo WITH YOU (his paying customers).  That's exactly what I'd do.  Just film him from a discreet area in the bar.  Either that,  or go in with about 15 friends and stand to both sides of him, and behind him.. and mock everything he does... Turn it into a Marxx bros routine and I'll come in with a cam and film it !  I grew up around this type facetious biting ill-willed humor.  In fact in a 50's band I was in the director (who was a gifted musician albeit a total A**hole) used to do that same thing to us.  Difference is I was actively drinking in those days, KNEW what this clown was doing so one time I wrote "immitate this" on my buttcheeks somehow using mirrors and magic marker and when I knew he was behind me doing that face-making routine I dropped my pants mooning the imbecile.  In time, I trained him to impersonate others instead of me.  There are ways to deal with certain people.. But sometimes street sense works best.. In this case,  I'd confront the owner, or have a group approach him telling him simultaneously "enough you aren't funny dinkleberry".

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

And thats jsut it Don-this isnt some lousy rundown  HELhole bar---its a full line national franchise restaurant with small bar/lounge attached to it. So there's always some corporate level looking over they're shoulders. In fact its one of only two with bars attached in the entire state. And what really bothers me on a personal level about all this is that its been featured in at least 3 west coast karaoke  magazines articles that Ive done about them(KS mag included, Portland and Seattle). And Ive always enjoyed my visits there.  So why is it going wrong??????  :?:  :(  :bawling:

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I agree with Swingcat's approach. Do it at the corporate level and that will get action quickly. As he said, Denny's only has a few locations in their chain that have bars attached. This would not be behavior's that would be tolerated. They have an image to protect.

Any other upscale bar would "86" the gal for going topless and dancing on the table. I would definitely think in a small town like Canby for sure.

I think I may stop out there sometime this month and witness this behavior I would be curious to see how the crowd reacts. It's only about a 15 mile drive for me. Hey while I'm out there is there another Karaoke Venue in town? If so where and what nights etc? Hey Swingcat you wanna go with?

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Are Denny's out there Franchised ?  Assuming-so how much say would Denny's corporate have given such a scenerio ?   Wouldn't one have to take this up with the Franchisee ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

What is the ultimate goal here?  To get the KJ fired?  Why?  Sounds like business is good.  Is this a personal vendetta?  You lead off this thread with ... "In my opinion".  You mentioned management and staff have asked him to tone it down, isn't it ultimately their call what happens to this guy?  If they don't follow up with any consequence, isn't it management that should be called into question?

If the place is packed, the KJ is doing his job ...  just 'cause you don't like his style doesn't mean you should go on a crusade to topple him.  Haven't you ever seen the story of 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?'  Poor misfits.  Maybe there should be an island for misfit KJs.  There are tons of places to go and sing karaoke (or host for that matter).  Do you or a friend want the gig?  Is that part of this equation?

For the record ... I see tons of T&A at my shows, and yes in some instances I encourage it.  For those that don't like it, church is always an option.  Sing in the choir!

If you bring a camera in to film him he probably will take it as a compliment and act even crazier. Pull out a camera and people feel the need to perform for it. If this guy has half the ego you say he'll give you plenty to film.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Scott, if you and Kurt decide to pay a visit to the bar, let me know so I can try to be there and meet up with ya. (except... this friday is no good for me, I'm babysitting)
And yes, we have another pretty nice place about a mile up the road, towards OC... called the Spinning Wheel. Real laid back, kinda country western bar, large dance floor and pool tables and restaurant & everything. The KJ there is (On 2nd thought, PM me if ya want to know his name... shouldn't put that in a public thread without his ok) , very nice guy and runs a very decent/fair show.  I've pretty much switched over to going there, except for an occasional pop in to Denny's to see some friends there.


I think the biggest problem with this is that other people ARE starting to get tired of it. Last weekend I was down the road at the Spinning Wheel, and halfway through the night the Denny's head bartender showed up. Not such an unusual event, they often bar hop on their nights off- but this was her night to be working. Odie informed me she left BECAUSE of the KJ that night. She's been with Denny's so long... if she complains to the owner of Denny's, he'll take her word for it and the troubles might already be over as we speak. (type.. whatever)

Now, when you get a head bartender walking out on her job because ofa KJ's rudeness... that's not good. And I'm sure there are newcomers who have walked out shaking their heads and wont be back.

Croakdog- You're off the mark. Odie does not KJ, never has... he doesn't even own the gear to do so. He's just a silent observer at karaoke, but has been going to this bar for a while now. So, no, he's not trying to gain the KJ gig from this guy.

It's not even this guy's gig. The people who own the KJ business hired him to run their equipment part time, and he's eventually become their full time person here. So, all that would happen is they would hire someone to replace him. Heck, there's about 4 people who are regulars there who have ran it for them in the past, so for them to have a fill in KJ would not even be a big deal. It's not the karaoke owner doing this though, just their hired hand.

Actually, if someone wants to "formally complain"... I think the karaoke owner might be a good start. I do believe a firm talking to is all he needs and he'd lay off the rude & lude jokes.

I would kinda hate to see him go actually, I like him... as long as he pays more attention to his job and quits the sexual comedy act. I know, I know Odie, you don't like him... but other than that scenario he's an ok guy. I think he's just maybe gotten a bit too comfie there and slacked off the customer service portion of his job.
You gotta admit, it's a rowdy bar most of the time, and also home to all the local hoochies... maybe he feels that's the best way to fit in?  :whistle:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

On your mark, get set ... where in the world do we get off trying to ruin a man who's having fun and packing a bar?  

If there were only a few places to sing karaoke I could see a problem.  The head bartender walked out on her job because of the KJ?  Sounds like she's got a different set of issues.  I'm not going to give up my day job because I don't like my boss' boss.  The whole corporate thing here cracked me up.  I presume there is a manager at this Denny's and if enough people are in your same frame of mind, write a letter, sign it and give it to him/her.  Want to play hardball (cause you've got nothing better to do?)  CC corporate.  

You know why there are hundreds of channels to choose from on television?  Because not everybody likes the same thing.  You don't like the show, find another one.  It's not the KJs job to cater to everyone.  All of us KJs know that.  Singers are a funny bunch, it's a good KJ that can keep a bar packed each night he/she works (and put up with all the bitching).  Hell if I could keep the bar packed and only have 10 singers a night, I'd be happy.  Who needs all the bitching?  Karaoke nights are supposed to be fun.  

Some (@$%&#!) because they don't sing enough.
Some (@$%&#!) because they don't like the KJs rotation skills.
Some (@$%&#!) because the KJ doesn't mix.
Some (@$%&#!) because the KJ doesn't do his show like the guy down the street.
Some (@$%&#!) because there's too much country.
Some (@$%&#!) because there're too many oldies.
Some (@$%&#!) because the KJ doesn't get new CDGs.
Some (@$%&#!) because they can't bribe a KJ (or that others do so).
Some (@$%&#!) because they feel they're entitled to make the bar/show they're own.
Some (@$%&#!) because the KJ plays music during the show.
Some (@$%&#!) because they don't like karaoke.
Some (@$%&#!) because the KJ talks dirty (maybe if the KJ was a hottie and she was talking dirty to you, it'd be different, eh?).
Some (@$%&#!) because they're just bitchy.

For one, not everyone at the bar is there for karaoke, two, karaoke singers aren't the only ones that need paying attention to.  And three, how many people come to see this guy's show because they like it?  The fact that each show is different gets a lot more people interested in karaoke.  If all shows were vanilla, karaoke would suck and there would be less places to sing and a lot of KJs looking for work.  Some people really need to understand that karaoke is a form of entertainment like the jukebox, pool table, convincing cleavage-minded waitress, or dartboard, there to get people to spend time and money.  How come nobody bitches because waitresses dress like sluts or manipulate drunk people?  Not all dress or act like that, but most do.  They do it to maximize tips.  If the bar is packed on karaoke nights, the KJ has no reason to change (and the barstaff ought to be thanking this guy).  Hell my barstaff voluntarily pays my tab at the end of the night out of their tips.  The owner just gave me a raise to not go somewhere else.  Not everybody likes my show, I say some stupid things.  But the place can take the business I generate to the bank. My unpredictability is what a lot of the people like about my show.  I don't have room in my rotation for people who think they're entitled to shape my show or whine to management because they think they're the only one's that matter.  I get paid to sell beer and whiskey.  I continue to KJ because it's a party twice a week for me and I have fun with it.  If it ever becomes a job, I'll turn my show over to someone else.  If this guy is an issue for the establishment (or the KJ's boss), they need to handle it, not the singers.  Maybe it's the management that sucks, because if the manager has already warned this guy, and he hasn't changed and the bartenders are quitting because of him, management isn't doing their job.

I'm not dogging on you Odie, I don't know all the details.  Maybe this guy has some serious BO and needs a shower too, that would prove offensive to me.

I see a lot of myself in this guy and I think he's getting a bad rap.  I'm taking a strong stance because I'd like to see people accept more responsibility and pass less blame.  

If you don't like what you're seeing on TV, don't (@$%&#!), change the channel.  If you don't like your TV, read a book.

Oh, but he IS a hottie;) Very much so.  :whistle:


.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

First off, I'm not interested in getting our current KJ fired.  He's actually a friendly, nice enough guy. It's just his KJ'ing style I'm not crazy about. Sure I wish management could get him to refrain from all the sexual joking around. Some customers are getting tired of it all. Compared to the way our previous KJ's did their KJ routine, his approach seems out of place at Denny's. I've been going to this place regularly for nearly four years. It's hard to tell just what management wants these days.  I don't know if they fully realize how he's performing as a KJ. But if this is the entertainment approach they do want because they think it livens up the place then I'll live with it. I do wish he would also focus more on mixing the sound, organizing the songs, basic things like that though.  

I was just hoping to find out if this kind of KJ'ing style is common. Just wondering if my opinion was in a minority.  His comedy style would be fine at a comedy club, I just wasn't sure about it at a karaoke club.  I haven't gone to that many karaoke clubs and this KJ'ing approach seemed a little odd. But maybe it's more common then I thought.

I don't know.  A little too skinny isn't he?  LOL

Trust me, I'm not a conservative prude.  LOL  I just think there's a time and place for everything and Denny's in Canby, OR just doesn't seem like quite the right place for this.

You know, it's not really that much of a bother to me. Most men are a bit lewd everywhere ya go... you have to expect a certain amount of stuff like that, in a bar setting especially. But- it really is going to cause someone's boyfriend or hubby to take action one of these days. He goes over the top at times. Which is why I prefer not to hang out there much... why would I invite the trouble? Because, trouble it would surely be if he were to make one of those remarks/suggestions to ME within earshot of my hubby.

I have seen ONE other guy who was MUCH worse... I've only been to that place the one time. His was cursing constantly over the mic.... very obnoxious. But, the crowd and bar tenders didn't seem to mind it at all....???

Okay, back to work for me... I'm getting bored with the subject. Maybe I'll bring (oops... Edited his name out)  online here just to show him how popular he's gotten.  LMAO

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Okay, absolutely no repeating that I said that.

He's handsome... Just making a statement. (More like being a smart aleck I guess cause of what Croak said.) I mean, he is maybe a bit of a catch and some girls might would be impressed that he bothers to flirt with them. That was my point... that nobody is complaining because he's not good looking enough to bother with.

Capiche?

And yeah, if this were in downtown PDX, I'm sure all would be well. Denny's in Canby- not so much.  :no:

Now sshhhh... don't reply to me Odie, I have work to do;)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Interestingly, attendees at a show don't realize the power they have - if the majority of the people are offended, all they need to do is first time complain to the owner; second time, complain with their feet - walk out and spend their money up the street.

I went to a show recently where the sloppily dressed, loud-mouthed host cussed LOUDLY (his system was WAY TOO LOUD FOR THE ROOM) and in fact never got one sentence of his mouth that didn't contain the F bomb or other nasty stuff. No need to do that, I figure. I would go there occasionally because they had advertised karaoke 7 nights a week (I don't always reserve weekends for fun) but I just don't find blasting bumper music, a cussing host, and nonstop poorly done DJ talk, enjoyable enough to consider going back. It is an in-house system and he works there (other than KJ'ing)...the other person who runs it on the other nights was literally wearing pyjamas last time I went in - I wondered if we had walked in on a dress-up night. Seriously, pyjamas and slippers...Guess it takes all kinds.

I would tell the manager they hired a jerk & be on my way down the street folding my money back into my wallet & wondering where else to spend it!

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

HEY!

You're hanging with the wrong crowd, then! Sheesh!