Work Place Karaoke

So, this is not really karaoke, but it is fun! What a great place to work! I wonder if they still work there?

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/26/office-karaoke-video.html

ET, Coolest Karaoke Girl
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com/blog
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com

10/27/2009

“Katy & Company”, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson, AZ

So, this post isn’t about karaoke, but bear with me, please.

Last night, September 6, 2009, Lisa, Loren, Sheryl, Tammy, Sue and I all went to hear a fabulous band called “Katy & Company,” at Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort, in Tucson, AZ.  I have had a couple of occasions to hear them and they are just wonderful! Katy Martin is the lead singer and her band is composed of Doug Martin, (keys),  Howard Wooten (guitar), Mike Levy (bass) and Alejandro Canelos (drums). Doug and Mike sing a little bit of backround vocals as well.

As a rule, “Katy & Co” usually just play corporate gigs, but occasionally they perform for Loews. Since they have quite a following, they really pack the place. Their choice of songs is mix of 60″s – 70″s R&B with newer material mixed in. The sound is balanced and not overwhelming. Katy’s voice is clear, bluesy, mellow and soulful. The band has a great beat and the dance floor was never empty.  What a blast!

Katy sings all of my personal favorites and many of the songs that I sing at karaoke. Now, I am very particular about those songs. I know how Aretha, Bonnie, Dusty and others sing those songs – I know how I sing those songs. It actually hurts my ears to hear some karaoke singers butcher them. But Katy, she takes them to a whole new level. Don’t get me wrong. I am not comparing her to a karaoke singer. She makes those songs her own.

Katy and Doug Martin (sans band) play Monday – Friday for happy hour (5:30 – 8 PM), as a duo or ‘lounge act’ in the same lounge at Loew’s. The lounge act is a scaled back version of their band performance. Now let me be very clear, scaled back does not mean watered-down, in any sense.  The happy hour is just more of a quiet gig, no drums, percussion or guitars. Many of the songs are the same - melodic, bluesy, and soulful – but unplugged.

If you get the chance to catch them, do not miss it!

ET,  Coolest Karaoke Girl
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com/blog
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com

Papagayo’s Cantina, Tucson, AZ

 Last Saturday, August 29, 2009, Sheryl, Ivan and I went to karaoke at Papagayo’s Cantina, on Sunrise Dr, in Tucson, AZ. We were actually heading over to Hacienda del Sol to catch a band called “Genevieve and the LPs”. As it turned out, they were cancelled at the last minute for another band to play – pretty tacky, huh? So we went to Papagayo’s.

What a great time!  Papagayo’s Cantana is a friendly neighborhood bar (that is way out of my neighborhood). We had a fabulous time! The place is very small and most of the singers are regulars who show up every Saturday. There were a lot of very good singers and a couple of very bad singers. Usually, and I don’t have to tell you this if you have ever been to karaoke, it is the other way around. Karaoke was provided by “Y Not Karaoke Entertainment”. I haven’t been to one of their shows before. The system was actually pretty good, but the song selection was lacking a little and they had quite a few Music Maestro discs (not as well made, less expensive, but okay) and not much Sound Choice  discs (very professional, but very expensive). The KJ was friendly, helpful and kept things moving along smoothly.

Anyway, a great time was had by all. I will definitely return.

ET Coolest Karaoke Girl
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com/blog
http://www.coolestkaraoke.com

Oldfather Inn, Tucson, AZ – 8/18/09

Glad to be back at home and singing in my favorite local bar, the Oldfather Inn. Tuesday, 8/18/09, I was joined by my adopted niece, Belina, and my good friend, Sheryl. Belina pooped out early but Sheryl and I closed the place down. Oldfather Inn is a great venue. The sound system is killer. Len has given up his slot after doing karaoke there for many, many years. He got married and needed a life. So now Tim has replaced him. Tim does a great show and sings a lot of Led Zeppelin. Sheryl and I both like to sing the blues so we steal each others songs. But I really think she steals more from me than I do from her. I guess I will have ot work on that.

More later. Anyways. it’s good to be home!

Elizabeth

Coolest Karaoke Girl      www.coolestkaraoke.com

Back in Tucson, AZ & Ready for Karaoke

It has been great seeing my family and basking in the beautiful beach setting of Topsail Island (Mayberry by the Sea).

Two weeks is a long vacation, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Now to return to the real world and the blazing summer of beautiful Tucson, AZ.  More later!

Elizabeth,

Coolest Karaoke Girl      www.coolestkaraoke.com

Gilligan’s Karaoke, just off Topsail Island

On August 2, 2009, I went to Gilligan’s for karaoke. Gilligan’s is an off-island bar, just before the causeway. It is probably the nicest place, as far as the physical facility. It is big and I have been there in the past when it was packed. This was a Sunday and the weather had been kind of crappy for most of the day, so that night there was hardly anyone there and no one was singing, except me.  I sang 3 songs and left. So to be fair I decided to go back on Friday, August 7th. This time, there were a lot more people and they continued to pour in after 10 pm. I was again the only one singing for about 3 songs and then the rotation got very large. 

I went with my sister-in-law, Carol, and nephew, Zak Schwartz. Zak is a young student at East Carolina University and an actor, singer and musician. He’s very talented. He sang a version of Desperado that the Eagles could only wish was their’s. But with the long rotation, we eventually decided to move back to the island for a closer location to home. All in all, I have to say that this is new favorite place at Topsail.  Hmmmmmmm? I seem to say that about every place I go here. Are they getting better or am I just converting to a Topsail Island attitude (“Everything’s cool, man!)?

Home Port Restaurant & Pub, Topsail Beach, NC

A few years ago, I visited Home Port Restaurant & Pub, on Topsail Island, NC for karaoke. It is the only bar (that I know of) on the south end of Topsail Island and it only has karaoke on Friday nights. I just remember it as packed, terribly smokey, with bad sound.  I have since decided that the salt air here must be really hard on the sound systems. Often, the equipment is very good and the KJs are very experienced, but the sound is still really off.

Anyway, last night I went to karaoke at Home Port. I didn’t show up until late; and yes, it was packed and pretty smokey. But it was one of the most friendly karaoke shows I have ever been to. This is a small island and many of the people own their beach houses and use them regularly. I went alone – you can read in an earlier post how much my husband hates bad karaoke. Anyway, these folks were so friendly. They were there with their friends, their spouses and adult children and were generally celebrating life. Everyone seemed pretty buzzed, but not obnoxiously so (remember, I don’t drink alcohol anymore). I had a great time. They tolerated the drunken group sings and clapped like crazy for the good karaoke. The KJ was very good and the  sound was as good as the room acoustics would allow.

I had a great time and will definitely go back next Friday. See you there!

ET, Coolest Karaoke Girl: www.coolestkaraoke.com

Hula’s Karaoke, Topsail Beach

Last night I went to Hula’s on Topsail Beach, NC. Okay, so not the best time I have had there, but still the best karaoke I have found on the island. It was really, really drunk in there – mostly a large table of guys (marines, I think). Being a recovering alcoholic, I remember how much fun I thought EVERYONE was happening when I was showing how stupid drunk I could be. No matter what you tell yourself, NO ONE sounds better singing when palstered. Also, screaming into the mic doesn’t make you more clever and entertaining. But I guess that most people don’t care; that the purpose of going to karaoke is to get plastered and make a fool of yourself. Too bad. They are missing the real fun in karaoke. Oh well, just another night in paradise.

Topsail Beach karaoke

So now I am getting ready to sing karaoke in Topsail Beach, NC. I am looking forward to it, but dreading singing in a smokey bar. I am pretty spoiled since it is illegal to smoke in a bar in Tucson, but I will perservere because I really love singing karaoke. I spend a couple of weeks at Topsail most years and have sung at Gilligan’s, Hula’s and a couple of other places. Actually, for a small island (only 26 miles long) it has a large number of spots to sing at. Always fun. More after I go!

Karaoke, Vegas Style

Ah, 5 days in Vegas! I really love singing karaoke in Vegas. This includes, of course, singing at Harrahs in the lounge. This is probably my favorite karaoke of any I have done. TJ, the karaoke host, is the most professional I have ever seen. There are a few Vegas regulars, like Eddie the Hat, my husband’s personal favorite, but most people come from all over the US and the world. There are usually some really amazing singers to sing with, so it can be intimidating to people that don’t do karaoke frequently. I think I can hold my own. Anyway,  I will be posting some pictures of the fun.

Karaoke – in the eye of the beholder!

Singing Those Birthin’ Blues

Wow! I have just come off of a lot of work at my J.O.B. Working outside of the home is not my idea of fun – but let’s face it, high-risk infants do not come to my home to be born, so I have to go to them. Almost one year ago, one of my co-workers quit and they still have not replaced her, so I have been working more. I am a respiratory therapist in a Special Care Nursery and really love helping bring new born high-risk babies into the world and am developing some skill in that area.

But, when I get off work, I really want to sing!  So, off to karaoke I go (assuming I don’t have to get up at 5 AM). Fortunately, I have a karaoke setup with over 2000 songs on CDGs, as well as online computer singing software on my computer and my laptop; so I can sing whenever the mood strikes. But it really is more fun with a group. I have already consumed my quota of alcohol for both this lifetime and the next , so I do not drink, but do go where the karaoke is – bars. I especially like to sing karaoke at the Oldfather Inn and the Stadium Grill, in Tucson, AZ and at Harrahs! Lounge in Las Vegas. Some of my favorite singing companions are Beli, Lupita (and all of her family), Joe-Rod (aka Fr Joe), DJ Len, Steve, Cute-Little-Katie, Mike and Buck. And Veronica is the best waitress Oldfather Inn ever had!

Since singing karaoke and birth are my passions, I have committed to bringing www.CoolestKaraoke.com to life (my own new-born). At this point, the content is not what I want it to be, but I am working on it. If you would like to send an article on some aspect of karaoke for submission to my site, just email it to me at et@coolestkaraoke.com. I will be happy to take a look at it and see if it fits into my master plan.

Well, that’s all for now.
Love ya,
CoolestKaraokeGirl ET