Karaoke Forums

We are supposed to change the format of Thursdays at the bar I'm at most from karaoke to all dance music. I have known about this for weeks and I told the owner and my partner that I thought it was a bad idea, but they disagree and I didn't really care too much because my partner works 80% of the Thursdays, so I did not think I would have to deal with it. Really, I figured it would help my nights as the established, money-spending karaoke crowd they have on Thursdays would start coming more often on Tuesdays (my 100% night) and increase my crowd.

Well, my partner is on vacation this week, and the bar owner just told me last night that he wants to do a "dry run" of the all dance music this week. #($@@ right?! Now it is my problem. Singers are going to be upset because they'll expect karaoke, and I will have to explain to every single one of them that we are changing Thursdays. Also, a bar 5 minutes away has the same format on Thursday, AND they have cheaper drinks. The drink specials at our place are supposed to improve next week, but that does not help me tomorrow. Finally, the light rig was supposed to be upgraded and some dead bulbs get replaced, but that isn't done yet.

Eventually, in a month or two, this will probably be a good thing for everyone except the singers who want to come in and sing on Thursdays; but right now it's a headache for me. I don't play rap & hip-hop for 4.5 hours, and that is the expectation right now, 10:00 PM - 2:30 AM "dance music."

I am going to go from genre to genre a lot, as I'm pretty good with rock music that has a good beat to it, and the rock bands that play here on Fridays and some Saturdays love me because I entertain during breaks without blaring rap at the customers who are there to hear a rock band, and I get the dance floor busy while doing so. I can't tolerate 4.5 hours of loud r&b and I don't think the customers at this bar will put up with it either, they'll go down the road.

Anyway, I am half-way venting here, as I really didn't think this was going to be my problem to deal with; but it is at least for tomorrow. I tried to get them to change Saturday (which I work about half the Saturdays) from karaoke to dance music, as we usually have over 50 different singers signed up every Saturday and it is not easy to make them happy with karaoke because they all want to sing, but you take a music break and pack the dance floor and they forget all about karaoke for 45 minutes so long as there are hot girls shaking their booty up there. Oh well, I'll do it tomorrow and I probably will have fun, but right now I am pretty aggravated.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

WISH YOU LUCK

At my new show, they want me to be karaoke Friday night and DJ Saturday night. While I enjoy the Karaoke more than the DJ, I can handle the 4 and a half hours of dance music that is going to be involved.
Hope yours goes well.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

This is a 'classic' case of, "if you only did just (pick format here), we'd do soooo much better. Here's a thought, why don't the owner/manager let you do YOUR JOB and use the multi format that will keep the most people happy. Tell them to remove all liquor from the bar, they are only allowed to serve beer now (out of the blue), see how that works out....MrD

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

The owner rarely puts much stock in my opinion the first time around. Unless he feels like something is his idea, it takes him a while to decide to do something. It is nice that he is not afraid to make changes and try new things, but I am pretty sure this change is a big mistake. I don't know why anyone would want to get rid of an established, money-making crowd. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, right? Oh well.

I saw one of my regulars last night at a gas station. He asks if I'll be there tonight, and of course I say yes, but they want me to do all dance music now, no karaoke. "Well, isn't that why most people come out on Thursday? Why did they do that?" I think I will be having that same discussion with a lot of disappointed singers tonight. I told him to voice his opinion to the owner. I figure he doesn't realize how many people come there for karaoke.

I have been doing a door prize ($50) on Tuesday for the last couple of weeks. It gives me a good way to know how many people are in and out all night vs how steady the crowd is by a quick head count. We gave out 70 of those tickets from 11:00 PM until 1:00 AM this week, and I had 35 singers. Probably every person there got a ticket (who doesn't want to win $50) so that tells me that half the people there came to sing, or at least wanted to as long as they were already there. I need to think of more ways like this to measure how effective karaoke is for him.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ