Karaoke Risk

Last week in Stamford ,CT, a young woman was beat up in a karaoke bar by 6 women. Yikes! I’ve heard of getting the ole hook from bad singing, and maybe even a loud gong, but never beat up.

There are times when someone commandeers the microphone and can’t be removed. All they are capable is bad singing and for some reason they don’t know how bad they are, or they don’t care…or they are drunk…or they are drunk, so they don’t care. All combinations are possible. Anyway, I know when these people take the stage, I too feel like beating them up. But I never realized that was an option.

Most of the incident isn’t funny, but you have to admit….on some twisted Kat level it is. The 6 who did the beating probably weren’t music critics anyway, most likely they were just thug girls out on the town…looking to roll a few karaoke bars.

So have you ever exposed your voice in a karaoke bar? It does take a lot of nerve and alcohol…not just for the person singing, but also for the people listening. After a couple of g and t’s, or v and t’s, you really think Beyonce is in the house. You even get up and boogie….okay, I only did that once.

But I have sung karaoke twice. Once in a remote location in upstate New York between Skaneateles and Syracuse. There was 4 feet of snow on the ground, and the place had 15 pick-up trucks parked out front. My friend Tracy and I were so good…they wanted us back every time there was 4 feet of snow on the ground and 15 Ford F10s out front. Wait, that’s a compliment..

The other time I revealed my voice was in Cancun…because the ‘Cancun 10’ made me do it. You know Carrie Underwood’s song, “Before He Cheats?” Well, I did a great job of butchering that song….but with all the tequila and margaritas served…no one noticed how many notes I missed, how many keys I was in and out of. Or that there was a glitch in my pitch …as long as the drinks kept flowing…no complaints.

Now I’m finding out that singing karaoke is risky business. I guess it depends on what establishments you frequent. Next time I sing karaoke I plan on staying away from the rough crowd and singing it safe: Best for me to stick with karaoke with “Prudence at the Rusty Years Retirement Home.”