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| Sister sings karaoke. |
I've been doing karaoke for six years now, and it is a pastime that I really enjoy, especially with my sister. Portland has some great venues for karaoke, and we've had our favorites over the years, with some changes. We've become quite opinionated as to what makes for a great karaoke experience.
Aside from the venue itself and the staff (a bad KJ can seriously break a karaoke experience), the crowd is what really makes for great karaoke. My sister and I love the sense of community that comes from a great night singing with strangers. Sadly, however, a bad crowd can completely ruin what was supposed to be a night of fun.
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| I sing George Michael. Not many fans in the house that night. |
This post was inspired by a particularly bad night of karaoke this past Saturday. The place was half empty, but the people who were present did not make for a good crowd. When these people were not singing, they were being really loud and obnoxious, or hanging out outside until their song came up. Portland, you can do better than that.
Therefore, I would like to share with my readers how you can kick ass at karaoke.
Karaoke Etiquette
1. Be a good audience participator.
- Be present for more than just your song- hiding out hen you're not singing is just not cool.
- Listen to the person singing.
- Face the person singing and look at them.
- If the singer calls for audience participation by clapping or singing along, do so.
- If the singer does something awesome, like a cool dance move, or a rockin' key change, cheer them on with a scream or a whistle.
- If there is a dance floor, get up and dance!Clap for the singer when their song is over.
2. Perform for everyone.
- Pick a song that the audience will enjoy, such as:
- something danceable (Footloose usually works here)
- something well-known (Don't Stop Believin' is a staple)
- something upbeat (anything Britney Spears)
- something dramatic (Total Eclipse of the Heart, but you have to really get into it)
- something between 2-4 minutes (please, no Meatloaf)
- Face the audience when you sing.
- Put your personality into your performance.
- Throw in some dance moves or power kicks.
- Point at the audience.
- Make eye contact.
- Don't sing only to the people you know.
- Encourage audience participation, like:
- Asking during the musical intro, "Are there any Prince fans out there?"
- Clapping to the music.
- Waving arms to the music.
- Getting the audience to sing along.
If you follow these rules, you are on your way to being a karaoke king or queen. Go forth and sing!
What do you think of these rules? Do you have any that you would add to the list? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
Bonus video of my sister and me Saturday night performing Hero. Notice the loud people in the background.
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