Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Just talk about kJams stuff with each other, describe things you did that worked, talk about your setup, anything that doesn't fit into the other forums!
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jfbiii
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:22 pm

Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by jfbiii »

I'm not karaoke connoisseur, I'm a fun connoisseur. It's rare that I find a show someplace else that gets that. Often the "worst" karaoke makes for the best time. I train my patrons. I do a lot of unconventional things to spice things up. My show works for me because I have a fairly rare situation: the money to invest in my show regularly, and a location where I get to do almost anything I want because I've shown over the last five years that my instincts about my show are good for business. My show isn't fun for people who take karaoke seriously. It's a lot of fun for people that take fun seriously.

I'm always looking for new differentiating value-adds that make a show viable. Me, I try to get as many people up on stage in a night as possible. Because there's only time for 40–50 songs any given night, I encourage a policy that says, "you have a spot in the rotation, you do what you want with it." If you want 2 or 3 or a dozen people singing with you on stage (my record is somewhere north of 20 singing Sweet Caroline to close the show), go for it. I don't care how many times a given person sings, as long as the person who owns that slot that is ok with it.

I look for stuff that nobody else around me is doing: theme nights have been hit or miss, but when they hit, they hit big. Ides of March Toga Karaoke is a huge hit for me. People want toga karaoke way more than once a year, but I limit it. I encourage monologues for Toga Karaoke because it's a change of pace. I've read a few Shakespeare monologues and a few things from movies and gotten some regulars to do similar things...it's not a big part of the night but it's something different. People eat it up. Kazoo karaoke has been fun...50 kazoos makes for a different karaoke experience.

Movieoke didn't work out too well. A few people liked it but it was too difficult to manage well. Gong-show karaoke was ok, and people still ask for it, but it's a little too mean-spirited in practice to work out well. I made people buy whoever they were gonging a beer and made it so a person couldn't get gonged twice in a row and it was still too mean-spirited for my taste. People have asked for an American Idol-style theme night, but I hate American Idol and haven't figured out how I could do it and make it fun without people taking "criticism" the wrong way.

Christmas song paraody karaoke is a good one, too, but it's hard to get buy-in. Writing a good parody is hard work. I've had good results with "Cock-blocking around the Christmas Tree" and an absolutely obscene unprintable version of "My Favorite Things." Making a treasured classic dirty and sexual is a good formula for a hit. I've had people walk out on "My Favorite Things," which only made everyone else love it more.

I have a fast-moving show. One local guy doesn't even look for a disc until after he's called a singer. Ugh. Waaay to slow. I used to film my show and make DVDs for people. I have an awesome retrospective on a really popular guy that died. Now that's too much work to do it often. So instead, I broadcast on Livevideo every week on the internet and people can watch the show live. I bought LED lights to spice things up. I'm angling to redo the whole back wall to support a real stageshow-esque experience. Soon, I'll have stations up where people can manage their own playlists thanks to Dave.

If anyone has had success with different theme nights, I'd love to hear about it. I love doing cool stuff that nobody around here is doing. Heck, I like doing cool stuff just because I can, basically.

aantix
Posts: 41
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:49 pm

Post by aantix »

I'm not a karaoke DJ, but have thrown my own fair share of karaoke parties in college and with friends.

We've done a Goodwill party where the outfit you wear has to cost ten dollars or less from any thrift store. Must bring receipt(s) to prove it! We gave out prizes. You will get some hilarious outfits!

jfbiii
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:22 pm

Post by jfbiii »

That's a good one...people like the dress-up shows in general. And we have a couple of good thrift stores in the area, even though we aren't a huge town. Thanks!

Paul
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 6:52 am
Location: London, UK

Post by Paul »

I ran some very successful 'chari-oke' nights, that being charity karaoke.
What i did was have people make a donation to sing, and other make a donation to stop singing. part of the fun was that i controlled when i would cut a song, so an element of fairness and fun is called for.

I do know about you, but some of my regulars have songs they like to sing but don't go down well with the crowd - they're too long, too old and tired etc, chari-oke is a great time to revive them and you can make a tidy donation to give away, I have raised in excess of $1000

The key tho, is to control it yourself, with fairness and comic timing, I love the songs with a long intro, the singers puts some coins in the ice bucket (my prefered method for the kerching sound) then let the long intro play, then as they draw breath for the first note, kerching, and i chuck some coins in and kill the sound. of course I let them sing after.

I frequently have bidding wars with people shouting 'off' and 'on' at me.

If you have a fun crowd, I'd give it a go, prob not the best thing for the serious crowd tho.

Paul

jfbiii
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:22 pm

Post by jfbiii »

Another good one, thanks!

So they donate to sing, and then the song starts, and people can donate to stop the song. Do they have to donate more to stop? And this goes on during the actual song, right, not before?

I forgot that we did a Rock the Vote karaoke and registered 20 people two days before the registration deadline here. I had help on that one from some friends, but all the forms were accepted by the registrar the next morning when I dropped them off. That was the first time I had done something like that, so I thought it was pretty cool.

Paul
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 6:52 am
Location: London, UK

Post by Paul »

jfbiii wrote:Another good one, thanks!
So they donate to sing, and then the song starts, and people can donate to stop the song. Do they have to donate more to stop? And this goes on during the actual song, right, not before?
All donations during the night, and yes I would say if you want them off it will cost you nn, however if you keep it to change, then you tend to get a steady stream of on and off money as the singer progresses

jfbiii
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:22 pm

Post by jfbiii »

OK, I think I understand. Thanks for the idea. I might try to do that before thanksgiving and donate to a local charity that does food baskets.

williamshaker
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Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:47 am

Re: Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by williamshaker »

I love the songs with a long intro, the singers puts some coins in the ice bucket (my prefered method for the kerching sound) then let the long intro play, then as they draw breath for the first note, kerching, and i chuck some coins in and kill the sound. of course I let them sing after.
== Solitaire ==

DeusExMachina
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Re: Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by DeusExMachina »

SPAM

dave
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Re: Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by dave »

likely spam and yet still a fun conversation!

DaveT
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Re: Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by DaveT »

Curryoke nights i have done regular. Charge £10 a ticket which also gets you entry to the karaoke but also a chinese / indian buffet as well. usually the local restaurant will do a buffet for about £5 a head and deliver it hot to you. i then use they large hot plate dishes with the bio fuel candle/burners below them (you know the type you fill under the bowls with water to keep the food moist as well - cant remember the proper name for them). means you cover all costs and re coup some of the cost of the food warmers over a few nights doing it. Customers love it as they get fed as well as being able to sing

Dave (T)

dave
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Re: Karaoke theme nights and other show ideas

Post by dave »

:o

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