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X-mas Karoling

I think November burned us out. I know after Thanksgiving, when we'd done three shows in a row, I just wanted to crawl in a karaoke-free hole and sleep. But once we pulled our December selves together and started making some more videos, things looked cheerier. My current temp position allows me to log many hours typing lyrics--enough for 20 new songs this time around! One of many benefits to being the disposable one at the office.

I have to say that the Longbranch Inn has been one of my favorite venues for KU, and the Christmas show yesterday cemented that opinion. We were a little worried when nobody was there by 9:30, but Bill and his crew showed up just in time to get the party started...and it was all downhill from there! We didn't expect such a boisterous crowd, especially given that most of our regulars headed for granny's house this week. Thanks to everybody who came out to make it a memorable night! Word's getting out...

We're looking at getting some regular shows set up so we can have a home base or two. Right now it's looking like the Longbranch and Headhunters are in the running. Headhunters is great for KU evangelizing, with all the Red River foot traffic, plus it's fun to exercise the punk end of the songlist. We've felt comfortable at both these places, because the staff is friendly and the regulars grok what we're trying to do. Our idea is to have one show at LB and one at HH every month, with maybe a wildcard location thrown in somewhere else. Does anybody have other suggestions for regular spots?

Kaleb and I are headed to Milwaukee over New Year's, so don't have too much fun while we're gone. Upon our return: January is looking like an ideal month for Championship Round Number Two! Polish up those mix tapes and log some practice hours in the car!

The results are in

on the Let's Karaoke experiment. We've always wanted to start our own business, but hadn't considered karaoke as a serious possibility (the KU is more fun factory than capitalist venture...) Our goal: to find out whether doing a "regular" karaoke show might be beneficial in any sense. The answer? A resounding no!

We rented some karaoke CDs and combined them with our punk/indie list. We rented a machine to play them. We built a sandwich board for the sidewalk. We put up fliers, called in the reserves, and hawked the show like carnies to the few people passing by. We endured canned versions of Queen and Def Leppard and Vanilla Ice--heck, we welcomed them enthusiastically--alongside our beloved Minutemen and Fugazi and Elvis Costello. When nobody but the drunks and a few hardcore friends showed up, we sang ourselves hoarse to keep the show going. And after all that selling out, we barely broke even--had to haggle with the guy for a lousy fifty bucks the last night, just to cover the cost of the rentals! Sorry, man, but we're not volunteers, not with this lineup. Lesson One: this is the biz, and in the future we'll play with a contract and collect up front if there's money involved. Time to be hardasses!

While Sake on Sixth was a fun little venue under certain circumstances, we found these shows to be neither profitable nor particularly enjoyable, especially when compared to our usual unusual shows. Big thanks, though, to all our friends and neighbors who showed up to test the theory, especially the crew that first night! If you're ever throwing a house party or a bar mitzvah and you want to hire us with some bonus songs on the side, we're oh so very game, and that's a different story altogether.

But don't expect another Let's Karaoke until I start pissing platinum.

posted by kaleb |

The BENefit

Thanks to Ben for having us and putting together a great bunch of people for the show at the Long Branch Inn last night! Great venue, especially once people located it...I saw at least one car drive by twice before finding the Long Branch and parking. No names though.

Pictures from the show are up on the site, as well as some from the JANE/DKNY party during ACL. Take a look and check your technique! Highlights for me were:

- The new venue! We're gonna have to work out some more shows at the LBI soon. Thanks to Kevin and David for great bartending, and especially David's patriotic rendition of Anarchy In The UK.

- Everybody getting into the recent additions...Jerry doing Old 97's "Timebomb," Tom singing Love's "Alone Again Or," (not to mention the ever-stellar "Waiting Room"), Valerie's "Valerie Loves Me" by Material Issue and of course Ben's impassioned "My Coco" by Stellastarr. Hannah and Angel both knocked out Hot Hot Heat's "More For Show" with panache, too.

- Doing a benefit show for the first time. We're ready for more, so if you or someone you know needs to organize a fundraiser for a worthy cause, call us and let's work it out...we don't charge for fundraisers. "Patrick Mallard" hopefully got a shot in the arm, and we wish Ben the best of luck with his movie.

Kaleb

posted by kaleb |

...we have a Champion!

...and Calvin is his name! Congratulations, hombre, enjoy the prizes, the traveling trophy, and most importantly the prestige that goes with the Karaoke Underground Championship.

Y'all sang some pretty terrific songs last night, I don't think the energy level has ever been higher. Thanks to everybody who came, sang and clapped for the winners, and thanks again to Factory People and Waterloo Records for the great prizes.

NOW, I wanna hear what you thought of the show. Hannah and I can't help but have an awesome time, but we acknowledge the possibility of bias. We're gonna make a post for reviews for every show from here on out...tell us what ya think! (Check out the schedule page for our September show dates too.)

posted by kaleb |

web suggestions

what do you like and not like about the website? what should we add?

posted by kaleb |

show stoppers

who's got the best moves?

posted by kaleb |

Songs that didn't work?

Here's a list of the songs on which our backbreaking work was wasted.

posted by patrick |

Song requests

Post comments here to request songs for karaoke underground.

posted by patrick |