Karaoke Forums

Hi everyone... It's little old me again. I don't get on much anymore, but I could use some advice on something I had mentioned a few months back. It's now time to make the decision.

As I had mentioned in a previous topic a few months ago I was contemplating quitting the biz. Well, it's finally come down to making a final decision on how I will be ending my run.
So, I have come here asking for some input from some of you who might be sympathetic to my situation or just want to add something.

I have decided that I will be ending my hosting days come this April (around Easter, which marks the end of our 'season', if you will). There will only be a few more guaranteed "good" busy shows between now and then,, one will be NYE of course,, the next should be St. Patricks day,, and the other one should be my 10 year anniversary party at one of my venues (in March as well).

Here are my questions tho.... Do I go out like a lamb, quietly and no hoorah's,, or should I go out with a bang and make it an "event"? If I go out with a bang, I was thinking of doing something special at my anniversary show,,,, I would have t-shirts made to give away (about 144 of them) and have finger food to eat... I would also invite "special guest singers" to sing basically the entire night... These people that I would invite would be some of my favorite singers that have/had supported me over the years... ALL good singers. Each of them would do a "set" during the show.. I would advertise the show as such, too. People who just came in to sing would find they wouldn't actually get the opportunity that night.. (this is the drawback part I know). This show would literally only be a few weeks before I ended my run, so I am not worried about any backlash. The bad part is spending all the money on t-shirts/goodies that I would never recoup,,,

The other alternative is just to fade into the sunset, never to be seen again in the karaoke world,, but without spending any money that could be spent better.

Now is the time I need to make the decision on which direction to go.. So, I am putting it out there for your input and thoughts...

Thank you for your time
Scott

Well Scott If your end of season is like mine you'll have to go out like a lamb. I have trouble getting 10 folks for my last show in April. Now this time of year I have a packed house.

It's not really the "end of the season",, it just really marks the beginning of spring/summer which is typically the beginning of the slow months around this neck of the woods. I do believe that if I gave them a "reason" to attend other than just a regular karaoke night, they might actually show up. I could be wrong tho.

Once it gets over 100 dig. around here it's over!

Here's my thoughts to Mr. Scott...

I would keep things simple. Don't go spending money of stuff like T-Shirts (that can cost you a small fortune, and as you stated, it's money you won't be able to recoup). Go to a nice Bakery, and order yourself a nice custom made cake. Have them digitally transfer your company logo (or some other artwork) onto the cake. Talk to the Venue Management, and see if you can coax them into offering discounted Food and Drink specials for that night.

Nice thoughts for sure,,, there is little food at this venue and it's illegal to run drink specials in Utah. Anything I do will need to come from me. I have a great relationship with the owner,, but he has really lost his enthusiasm for sure, ,which is one of the reasons that things have gotten to where they are. I am not getting any younger and want to spend time with grand babies now,, but I would like to do something to be remembered by,, "IF" it is all worth the effort. Cost is something I truly have to consider. T-shirts and food will cost me around somewhere around $800-$900 neighborhood and that would be money not invested, but not necessarily wasted,,, just depends on someone's point of view I suppose.

Instead of the expensive tee-shirts, how about getting a bunch of (adult) novelty stuff and have a bunch of raffles for the prizes. You can get a bunch of boxes of Gummy Boobs and Gummy D***ks, Boob Pasta, D***k Pasta, Male and Female shaped Tic-Tacs (T-Tacs and D-Tacs), anatomy shaped ice cube trays and cookie sheets, etc... The prizes would be great for a few laughs.

YES!!! I am a sick puppy!!!

Some ideas there to think about The bottom line and question is still tho.. Do I go out like a lamb or lion? And what are your thoughts about the guest singers?? Thank Cueball for your thoughts

Do whatever makes you happy. If it were me, I would go out big.

_________________
-Chris

With regard to the Lamb or Lion thing, I think you should just keep things simple (I guess that means Lamb). Plan your party... just don't try to throw too many things into it or you will probably end up working way to hard for (what will be) your last show, and you won't be able to have fun yourself.

I like the idea you stated about featured singers getting their own sets. That's one way for you to give back to them (for their years of loyalty). And even tho there will be some "Unhappy Campers" (some may get upset because they weren't asked to be a feature singer, and some may get upset because the multiple set singers may cause them to wait longer for their turn to sing), as you stated, it doesn't really matter because you're quitting the business (so it won't hurt you).

I would much rather have them (customers and owner) missing me than to not even notice I was gone. Give them something to talk about. If the owner can't discount the drinks, ask him to pay you more that evening then give him back the money for the party. There is always a way to get around the "no specials" problem if the owner really wanted to.

I haven't informed either of my bar owners yet. I won't do that for another 2 or 3 weeks. I feel I owe them enough time to either replace me or make other arrangements. I am not afraid of either of them just saying,, "you're done now then". The one bar that I will be having the anniversary party at might not even replace me at all. The owner and I have a really good understanding of each other, and I believe he is ready to call it quits himself. He has been quietly looking for a buyer for the bar, so I do not know what my leaving will do to that decision making process.

Both bars I keep gear there. One is a semi-permanent set up, the other is where I keep my portable gear and just set up each week. I will be either pulling all the gear out or selling it to each of the clubs,, their choice. Either way I will be selling all my gear except one small set up for my man-cave, so-to-speak.

Now as far as either of them offering to pay extra,, that will not happen. Anything I do for my last "hoorah" will have to come from my pockets. What I have to decide is,,, 'do I want to be remembered for what I have done, or just quietly ride off into the sunset'.

I used to be an umpire for softball/baseball for a very long time.. and the mark of a good umpire is this: When the game is over and it's time for the umpire to leave the field, does anyone notice? If there is nobody squawking at the umpire, then he/she did their job properly. I do not know if that is a good comparison or not,,, "umpire vs. KJ" ... But I do know that I have given the last 10 1/2 years of my life to someone else and their entertainment needs/wishes,,,,, and it's time for "me" now. I would like them to realize what I have given up, and I do not know if this party will do the trick or not. But it at least says "thank you" in a small way for them being there all these years and giving back.

I would definitely not spend any money on t-shirts or lavish prizes. The only thing that would do for you is drain your wallet with nothing to show for it.

I like Cue's idea. Get a cake, some balloons and make it a farewell party. It will be a lot cheaper and you won't go un-noticed.

You are a good host. It's a shame you live in an area that is of little or no consequence to your hosting skills.

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

Thank you Alan You are correct.... I feel I am a good host and the area is really not bar-friendly at all. I believe that karaoke is coming to an end in Utah. I cannot see how it will survive in its current format. Bars are closing at an alarming rate. Here is a small taste of what we deal with. I will talk about the county I live in only for a minute. I am 53 years old, and when I turned 21, there were 8 bars in the county covering an area about 60 miles long and 45 miles wide,, population then was about 17,000 in the county. All the bars were busy back then, they just weeded themselves out because they had nobody who wanted to take over at the time. Now, there are almost 30,000 residents in the same county with only 1 bar remaining, and it struggles badly,,, and it has a great owner (she is the right person to make it happen).

Between the strict liquor laws in Utah, the no smoking ban, increased fees to run a business, and general attitude towards bar-goers and drinking in general,,, has caused the decline of the social life in clubs and bars. Very sad,, and I for one have NO answers either. It's really a shame too.

I am not getting any younger, and I missed a lot of my kids' growing up, and I will not let that happen with my grandkids. I have only been fishing 3 times in the last 2 years and that is just not acceptable to me anymore. I am also tired of worrying about how slow it has become at the shows. And have no solutions for it. I give up. It's time to move forward into some less stressful years.

Yes, I still love the hosting part, but it's like when I quit playing softball,,,,, when I stopped enjoying what I was doing,, it was time to move on.

Now as far as the lamb or lion thing,,, I still have a decision to make... So thank you for your words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, you live in a region of the U.S. that's considered highly religious with the majority of residents being Mormon who shun many types of social engagement, which would include bars and nightclubs.

Ironically, based on stories from the Bible...

Didn't everyone drink wine? Isn't wine alcohol? Didn't all of the Apostles including Jesus drink wine at the Last Supper. In fact, didn't Jesus turn water into wine?

Wine, which is alcohol, was the beverage of early Roman times, right?

That's why it's so ironic that these Bible thumpin' folks in Utah (and some other states) would turn up their nose and condemn drinking. By doing so, you're also condemning what Jesus did.

I won't go on but I'm just trying to make a point.

Under the circumstances you describe, I agree that karaoke, and any other related form of entertainment is dead.

Like I said, you are a good host and love what you do. And since moving to another state is probably not an option for you, I don't see how you could continue under these circumstances.

I wish you luck and nothing but the best. Enjoy your grandchildren.

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

Back in the day... Water from shallow wells was and still is bad to drink, but wine with alcohol was safe to drink mixed with water. Getting drunk ..... Well we know what that's like. DUI's are bad too. So what to do ... drink at home...boring....Karaoke at home ....boring. The close to home neighborhood bar is a thing of the past in most towns. I don't have an answer to it all. ...... Down here in snowbird land we have club houses in our developments to have shows and Karaoke nights. It seems to work to bridge the gap. Most folks walk and some use the golf cars...

Neither lamb nor lion. Always leave 'em wanting more...

When the time comes for me ( not for quite awhile, I hope) , I believe I will neither roar nor fade, but simply blink out. Now you see me, now you don't. I would quietly give some notice to the venues but otherwise tell no one. Pack up after the last show and be gone.

Just the way I am.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

I know I have an answer earlier, but after reading back through this thread, I don't know what will happen when I retire from karaoke. I have an established business and brand name. It is something that could easily go on without me provided the right person manages it. I have always hoped that if something unexpected were to happen to me that it would provide to ongoing income for my wife and perhaps my children.

Now this has me thinking I need to get a hold of my accountant and other parties to see how the business could be passed on as painlessly as possible.

Thanks for this thread!

_________________
-Chris

Thanks Chris for expanding on the earlier thoughts. For many of us on this forum, and in the industry, this is their main sources of income. It is their "profession" and should be thought of in a professional light. However for me, it has been a second income, a hobby that pays. I don't need the extra income any longer, so that isn't really a factor. It has been only me (except for a short time that I did have someone to take some of the pressure off,, which added more pressure,, DOH!) My "brand" isn't such that it could sustain itself without me running it. So shutting down and walking away is the only real option. The thought has occurred to me that I should sell my gear to my competitor and let him have my 2 shows to increase his earning potential. He won't be getting my music however, that stays with me. I will figure that one out in the next few weeks as well.

Back to the question at hand tho... I really would like to do something special and different. The anniversary party is really a dual purpose,, but the general public does not need to know that. I could do the shirts or whatever I come up with and still quietly go into the night a few weeks later. It's only then that they will realize that I am gone for good. I also will be deleting anyone from my phone and facebook who has not crossed over into the "friend" zone. If they are just people I know from karaoke and not someone whom I have really come to love as a friend, then I will no longer have any reason to keep them hanging around. Calling it a clean break. I won't be second guessing myself and looking back and wondering if I did the right thing or not.

Two years ago I scaled back the bar karaoke to just one gig, concentrating mainly on private parties (where the money is). Last year on January 1st I decided to stop bar Karaoke altogether to devote more time to my band. I called it a "semi-retirement". No fanfare, just no more bars. But an interesting thing happened. The weekly Friday night gig I had decided not to replace me, but instead convinced me to work quarterly as they didn't want a replacement KJ. They now bill me as a special event and pay me accordingly. So I am working less than 1/8 the gigs, but my bar KJ income only dropped in half. Singing in the band and private karaoke parties the other weeks more than makes up the difference. The crazy thing is that the bar gig is now jam-packed every month, easily double the crowd we used to get. The owner turned it from an every week common thing into a "must go" special event...and we both love it.

So careful what you wish for! Like crabs in a barrel. You try to climb out...and they pull you back in.