Karaoke Forums

The bar serves who they serve. I create an atmosphere that is loose, fun-based, and not talent oriented. I do not cater to divas - check my sig - but rather to those who like to party. I make a POINT of helping people understand that karaoke is NOT about great singing, it's about having a great time.

The HOST sets the mood and the attitude.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

if they only want the free water than they are better off leaving. they bring absolutely $0 into the bar and take up (at 9 singers) over a half hour every round that the venue is paying you for. what kind of an argument is "i want free, if you don;'t do that then i will go elsewhere with my other freeloading friends and take someone elses stuff for free, that will show you"?

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I disagree here. That may apply to a DJ, but not necessarily a KJ. The KJ can not control what each and every person there wants to sing. Do you, Joe? Thus, the mood is pretty much set by the people in attendance (specifically, those participating), and not by the KJ.

I send out an email every week containing photos and a short story about a featured patron ( a different singer or non singer every week) and in big bold letters I have the following message "THE ENERGY IS IN THE MUSIC YOU SING"

zzzzzzzzzz

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Most bars are in business to make money. Water drinkers and people who don't order food are certainly not making for the bar money. They are just taking up space. Personally, if I owned a bar, I would not be catering to these freeloaders. People have to realize that business is business. If you're not going to support the establishment, then don't go. No great loss.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

If I owned a bar, if a patron wanted water they could BUY a bottle of water for let's say $2.00 each. A soda would be $2.00 for a 20 oz bottle, or $1.50 for a tap soda. If people don't like it, too bad. Go somewhere else. I see nothing wrong with that. I have paid for water before. Sometimes, when I go out, I don't feel like drinking all night, but I am HAPPY to buy water bottles. We have one bar around here that WILL give away free sodas to a designated driver, but will charge everyone else.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

A DJ sets the musical mood, but a good interactive Karaoke Host sets the personal tone. By lifting the spirits of the patrons one can sort of guide the process by which they pick their songs. This doesn't mean someone won't throw buzz kill song in now and then ( Wind Beneath My Wings comes to mind. Someone usually died if that one comes up...) but the effect can be minimized.

If someone were to ask me how I do this I don't think I could explain it. Reactive personality? Whatever it is, I think it is more felt than learned.

Humor, upbeat rotation break music, building a personal rapport with each singer, etc... are all part of it, but I think there is something else, whatever it is....

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Being devastatingly handsome doesn't hurt. !!

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Yes. I absolutely do, because I have seen it happen over and over. People will flock to a true entertainer. And they will show zero allegiance to the name calling idiot sitting on his a$$ for $50 and beer.

That's the truth buddy.



Exactly. The market is ripe for a show. Entertainment with actual personality and high quality sound.



You obviously have no high quality shows in your area. Maybe you should try to be that guy.



If you truly believe this, then you deserve to be kicked out on the street. Don't cry when it happens. Look in the mirror.



Then that only means that single rigger has bad books, bad equipment, no advertising, no word-of-mouth and are a boring name calling jerk-wads. Who's fault is that?



I suspect these owners would rather have 100 people enjoying a fun show, telling all their friends and spending 10X the money from a true personality than the talentless bozo calling names for 25 rednecks.

Some don't mind being bottom feeders. I do.



Wow. If Cheesecake Factory is the bar, that explains a lot. Aim higher. Instead of being the Spam Musubi on the corner, try being the Nobu in town. A high end, quality entertainer providing a high quality product. Maybe then you wont be replaced by TGI Friday's.

Look. Even in small town USA there are "expensive" restaurants compared to all the rest. Why? They provide a high quality, unique experience for those that care. Special events. People who want to make an impression. Karaoke is no different. If you want to cater to drunk frat kids drinking $2 Bud Light Lime, that is your prerogative. But there ARE people in every town who want more than that. You just need to give them a place to go.

If you set your sights on being just like the five jackass KJ's in sneakers and stained t-shirts sitting on their a$$ in a booth calling names, then that is what you will get. Try aiming high and see what happens. Of course, you have to have the chops and equipment to actually be able to pull it off.



Joe and I don't agree on much, but we agree on THIS. How many multi-riggers have replaced little-ole one horse Joe? ZERO. Why? Because he puts on a high quality show with personality. He takes pride in his show and gear. HE is the draw. His patrons don't say "Lets go to karaoke night", they say "Lets go see Joe Chartreuse".

You can get a BS, no-name $50 name caller anywhere, but there is only ONE Joe Chartreuse Show. He brings it because he gives people something more.

Bazza, ou are very judgmental, almost to the point of being obnoxious. johnreynolds may have called you out on your OPINIONS, but he didn't deserve the hurrang you just gave him. Let me tell YOU something. You talk about KJs in Tee-shirts and sneakers. I am from a small town. We don't HAVE any fancy places around here. All our bars are small to mid sized pubs with local clientele.

I remember when I was on Long Island and we had places like The Handlebar and the Driftwood Inn. Those were classy places and if you hosted you better be dressed to the nines. Down here one would look ridiculous and out of place were they to do that.

I run a good show. I have people that come to see ME, without fancy clothing, but with decent equipment, a reasonable and building music selection, and a friendly, rather comedic personality.

You beating the crap out of John, (verbally, of course), does nothing but inflame the situation. You could really use some lessons in tact.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Hurrang?! Huh? I was just doing the same. Double standard much?



Did you even read my post? Because you just recapped practically everything I said and made my point. You obviously bring more to the game and THAT is why some cheaper, multi-rigging, boring name caller won't steal your show!



I beat up no one but the no-talent, $50 a night name callers, but thanks for the lecture.

i wish you were right here, but you are not.
go into most venues with the name calling idiot sitting on their (@$%&#!) and you still have a lot of singers. most really don't care. WE do, but a majority of regular Joe's just dont give a crap as long as they can sing their song.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

That is the truth!! Very well said!!

BTW, Bazza, I sit on my (@$%&#!)!!! Yes, that is right. If I were to stand all night I would be crippled by the end of it!!! I have a TERRIBLE back, and I REFUSE to take any pain killers. So yes, I sit!!!

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

i think he was more talking about the ones who sit the whole night with their mic on a stand with the stupid flex arm so they don't have to move from their seat. i think anyone here would make exceptions for medical issues no matter what you need to do to get by. medical and lazy are two different things.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

That makes total sense. I know, at least for me, atmosphere can affect song choices. A party atmosphere lends itself to a certain type of song. An "old man bar" lends itself to another. I'm definitely more likely to sing something like "Sixteen Tons" at the latter than at the former.

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

I agree with Joe's statement 100%. I do believe it is a little harder to maintain a flow as a KJ because we are at the mercy of the song selections and the singers, but we can still do a lot to guide.

Three weeks ago at my downtown gig, a group of early 20 somethings came in wearing matching T-Shirts and sat right up front. I recognized one in the group and we exchanged pleasantries, but I didn't ask about the occasion for the matching shirts.

It was a slower night, so the group was able to sing quite a bit. Mostly individual songs, a few group, but remarkably, all fun and upbeat songs. The rest of the patrons were having a good time as well.

About midway through the night, as one of them finished singing, I finally asked them - OVER THE MIC - what they were celebrating. The singer still had a wireless and OVER THE MIC explained that a good friend of theirs (Steve-O) had recently passed away. They all went to different karaoke bars together and had been in to my place on a few of the uber busy nights and had a great time. They had decided to celebrate their friends life by doing karaoke.

Needless to say, I wasn't prepared for that answer, nor was the rest of the bar. Two of the girls had already started to tear up so I walked out, put an arm around them and said something to the effect of "I commend you for celebrating your friends life instead of focusing on his passing. I know when I leave this earth, I want my friends and family to remember and celebrate all of the good times we had". I finished up hugging everyone, headed back to the stage and said, "So here's one for Steve-O! Everyone Join in!"

I queued up "Celebration" by Kool and The Gang and we had the entire bar singing.

It could just as easily been an ender for the night....

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-Chris

It's not because of the host totally it can be several factors Bazza, it could be as simple as you have worked the gig for years done a great job, the venue just wants a change. It could be the crowd you attract isn't the type of client's the venue wants. It could be a change in owner's or management, wanting to get their friend in. It could be that the venue wants to control it's costs, it's profit margins are being squeezed and they want a cheaper service. There is more than one reason, it isn't as simple as you make it.

Good job Chris, that's the attitude that will always create success.