Yet Another Karaoke Bar

On my way to work a few weeks ago, I noticed a sign in front of Orleans North that they would be having Karaoke every Friday night. This is obviously a ploy to drive more patrons to the bar. In the last ten years, this bar has undergone numerous name changes, and despite its fair size, cleanliness, and classy decor, it can't seem to develop a patronage of any sorts.

I actually wanted to check out this Karaoke evening a few weeks ago, but I have been ill with this nasty cold, and my voice has been shot. I am still coughing a bit, and my voice is still not 100 percent, but I thought I was well enough to check it out.

We made it to Orleans North shortly after 10:00pm. My predictions were correct; the place was empty. There were a couple people singing -- no more than three; the pool tables were vacant, and the only area that was busy was the Video Lottery Terminal area. Not one of the dozen or so machines were vacant. This would explain how Orleans North manages to stay open despite having an empty club. I needn't say that the VLT patrons were the least bit interested in anything else that was happening around the bar. A bomb could have gone off in the parking lot, and those gamblers would still be plugging quarters into those machines.

My thoughts about gambling (and problem gamblers) will have to wait until another post.

Getting up to sing a song here was no problem at all. In two hours, I managed to sing about a dozen songs, as the "competition" wasn't terribly fierce. The DJ called me up to sing my first song about 30 seconds after I submitted my first request -- Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride. I figured that I should still stick to some easy songs to get a feel for how my voice is healing. My voice was still quite shot at the previous night's Grease rehearsal.

Once I got used to the Karaoke system (and their hot microphones), I nailed the song. I kindly thanked the "crowd" -- the two or three people clapping, and the DJ then said something about me "making it to the finals".

Apparently in December, they want to have a "finals" competition with all the best karaoke singers who manage to wander into Orleans North -- complete with cash prizes for the top three contestants. I wonder what kind of competition this is going to be, given the low attendance. How will they choose a winner? I was snickering under my breath at the fact at how easy it was "making it to the finals".

This young girl sitting in the front promptly asked me if I could sing duets. She was specifically referring to Grease's Summer Nights. The question was of course, serendipitous given the fact that I will be starring in the play next week. I accepted her offer, and we were singing the duet in about fifteen minutes.

I did sing a bunch of my old "tried & true" numbers over the course of the evening. It has been years, but I sang Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama, as it's bloody easy, and I don't have to read the lyrics, as I sang this song three thousand times during my tenure in Legacy. I tried a few numbers that I have been itching to sing, but either the songs weren't available in the Karaoke database, or I was too chicken to try singing them in front of a large crowd. Example, to get up and sing Prince is a risky operation in Redneck Central. I gave When Doves Cry a shot. Though the song is not terribly high pitch-wise, it is much tougher to capture the nuances. The song that I was most pleased with my performance was Cheap Trick's Surrender -- those who know me also know how much I like the song.

My overall thoughts regarding Orleans North is mixed. I like the fact that I don't have to wait long, and I can sing as many songs as I please. On the other hand, I do miss the fan appreciation. I have spent so many nights playing and singing in dead clubs that it can get depressing. It plays mind-games on you. You start thinking that people don't like your music; or that people are ignorant and don't care for live entertainment anymore.

I may attend these rumored karaoke "finals" if my time permits it. I gave it a bit of thought this morning, and if I happen to win a cash prize, I will donate the winnings to the local food bank.