July was a vacation month, and despite seeing some possible opportunities, I didn’t make it to a Karaoke bar while I and the family were out of town. Though we did see a sign for “Strip Karaoke” at an establishment of ill repute in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I don’t think that would be anything like the Karaoke experience I usually write about, so I’ll let someone else research that particular “style”.
I did make it to Paradise Burger Company in Rockwall last Thursday, though, and found the place still packed to the gills. The waiting list was over 30 singers long, but Totally Twisted Karaoke’s DJ Robert O kept things moving smoothly. Officially, this gig is only supposed to last the summer, and would likely end after the last Concert by the Lake on August 18. But the owners of the Paradise would be foolish to quit having Karaoke at this point. The patio is always packed with customers who simply would not be there if they weren’t listening and waiting for their turn. Anyone who turns his back on a whole swath of customers deserves their fate.
That’s more or less what happened across town in Oak Cliff, at Decanter Restaurant and Wine Bar. I did my best to find the positive aspects of my Karaoke experience there on its inaugural night, in hopes that things would get better. They didn’t. The owners expected something for nothing, and didn’t get it — you want Karaoke, you gotta pay for it. Apparently, TTK weren’t the only folks who said “See ya!” to Decanter... it closed its doors abruptly after just eight months in business, and yanked its Twitter and Facebook feeds for good measure. Here’s what I said in reply to the Oak Cliff Advocate blurb about the closing:
I can’t say I’m all that surprised. I visited Decanter when they started up Karaoke, and while the food was great, the heat in the bar area up front was stifling — and that was back in June. I gave a brief review on my Karaoke blog, and tried really hard to cast the night in a positive light, because sometimes thing break.
But the way you treat your partners is completely within a restaurant’s control. Without going into detail, I can say that the owners treated the Karaoke hosts shamefully, refusing to stick to their agreements. You can’t stay in business like that, no matter how delicious your goat milk cheese appetizer may be.
This could be a great location, and I hope someone moves in soon. And I hope they bring Karaoke — Barbara’s Pavillion is fun, but North Oak Cliff can surely support more than one Karaoke venue!
But it’s not all gloom and doom on the Karaoke scene. On Friday (8/12), ABC television will premiere “Karaoke Battle USA”, a reality show that follows contestants through four regional competitions (including Houston), and culminates with the championship rounds at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. This event should boost visibility of Karaoke, which in DFW is still largely relegated to late-nights at seedy bars. And there’s a local connection, too — TTK DJ Robert O and Angie, a frequent singer at Paradise Burger Company, both went to Houston to compete. You can see Angie in the video at this page on the Karaoke Battle USA site, at about the :50 second mark.
Meanwhile, I didn’t have a chance to issue an Inbox Update last month, but here are some highlights from the Totally Twisted Karaoke newsletter. I highly recommend you hit their website and sign up, because they don’t just give an event listing — each issue includes useful and/or funny information about the Karaoke subculture.
* Schedule: 7 shows crammed into 5 nights a week, with more in the works (according to Twitter). See their full schedule on their site.
* On Wednesday, August 24, TTK will be performing for the “Yelp Elite”, a selection of the most prolific social mavens in DFW. I wasn’t invited — I’ve never Yelped except when I hit my thumb with a hammer — but I’m sure it’ll be all over Twitter that night and the next day.
* The Dallas Tavern Guild, an association of bar and club owners serving the GLBT community, is holding the finals of its “Voice of Pride” talent competition on Sunday, August 14. Included in the finalists are “Spare Parts” — Robert O (TTK DJ) and Angie (his duet partner at Paradise Burger). Tables are $100 for 4 people, so it’s too rich for my blood, but it should be pretty awesome.
* Leah was a guest on KVIL’s “Not So Perfect Parent” radio show on Sunday, August 7, and is hoping to get an audio file to make available. Meanwhile, there’s a quick writeup at the radio show’s website
* Finally, TTK presents “5 Essential Tips” to surviving Karaoke night as a singer, courtesy of TheKaraokeChannel.com’s Karaoke Lounge.
Tags: Decanter Restaurant, Paradise Burger Co, Totally Twisted Karaoke