Karaoke Forums

So I finally graduated from college (33 years old) and I was offered a job in my chosen field that pays about three-times what I make hosting karaoke.

Before someone wants to wise-crack me, I started at 29.

Something has to give. I can no longer host during the week and my wife thinks I'd miss hosting if I gave it up entirely. Do you guys think that working 40 hours a week and keeping my regular Friday night gig makes more sense or keep my every other Saturday gig. These are the only two that I enjoy. Both owners are very good to me and I don't want to make anyone mad; they are in the same town. (Less than 1/4 mile from my house.) And they both pay the same.

One thing I've learned after being married for 15 years is "Listen to the woman." So I'm keeping one of them.

Can anyone give me some other things to consider (pros and cons) that I haven't thought of? Any advise would be appreciated.

first congrats on graduation...and in this economic climate, to get a job that you have just received qualification for, and have it virtually handed to you is fantastic!!
If your job calls for networking with people you work with or with clients, I would ditch the friday night job in favour for being available to have a drink with the guys/girls.

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Maybe find somebody you trust to kj one of the nights for you and if this person works out and in the future you want to fully retire from the biz,sell the biz to them.

Congradulations on your graduation.

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE LAST TUESDAY

I'd vote semi and which night would depend on how important my weekends were to me.

I'm 52. been a full time fire chief since 1990. Been with a larger second department since 1998. I use to have two hobbies; fishing and golf. Unfortunately nobody ever wanted to pay to watch me do either.

Started doing karaoke in late 1999. Been with the same place for the last 7 years. Up until about a year and a half ago I was doing Mon-Wed-Sat. The place is an hour away. It finally caught up with me. Had two mini strokes in the last three years. Finally let my Monday night go. And then finally decided 1 night would be enough to keep me happy. Decided to keep my Wed night. The crowd has always been better for me and it freed my weekends up to do other things; like rest! It also frees me up for private parties.

Late nights and early mornings can clash. Just try to find tha happy middle ground. Good luck.

Kelly

I have paired down from 5 nights a week and a fulltime job to 1 night a week at a gig I really love to do and have been for 5 years now.

I'm coming to the point that I may seriously consider giving up my only night due to the money I'm missing out on by doing the gig. If I work on Thursdays during the day and then do Thursday night I'm exhausted on Friday's and have asked my company to NOT schedule any appointments that day as I'm worthless the day after. I'm in sales and I can make 4-5 times what I make off of karaoke for 4 hours for the evening in commissions.

I'm telling ya its a real dimlema! I love my Thursdays but it's costing me $$$$

I feel for you! It is a tough decision. If you feel really secure with your new position then you owe it to yourself and your family to concentrate on your career. You are still very young and have plenty of time to do karaoke later if you wish. My advice is to listen to your wife.

Keep us posted as to your decision.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I've gone from two weekenights to 2AM plus fill in gigs every couple weeks on a Friday or Saturday plus on-call gigs ever so often along with regular day job to only being an occaisional on-call fill-in person. Too draining and turned me into a zombie the days after. Plus now with medical stuff---cant handle the late nights anymore.

So the answer is keep the busiest one night and find another KJ you can trust and hire him as a subcontractor to do that other night. or give him both nights and you be his fill-in when he wants a night off--say once or twice a month---that way you still get to keep your hand in it and KJ occaisionally without overburdening your existience. Share the gig on a 70-30 ration---70% nights his and 30% nights yours.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Yeah, a dilemma you’ll have to decide with your wife. Off the top of my head I’d think to keep one Sat night for a while and see how I felt later.

You may find later that you don’t want to continue it,

or that it’s a valuable therapeutic relief from the stresses of work, who knows.

Good luck either way, and congrats on the career.

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Hate is like taking poison, hoping the other guy gets sick

Stay flexible. I have a full time day job with a year and a half to retirement. My job got pretty demanding last year and I gave up my regular gig. Actually I gave it up because all I was doing was Karaoke and work. Things are slowing down now so I hope to do some advertising and pick up some private parties. I find karaoke fun and relaxing but it is still a job. The nice thing about running a show is that you can pick your own hours. Don't give it up just adjust according to your needs and schedule.

Looking to the future I plan on using karaoke shows to boost my retirement in a few months.

Congrats ! I bet you're relieved to finally be done with school.

I work a forty hour week and KJ 3 nights a week.

It can be done, but in your circumstance I'd say keep your Friday night gig or the night you like the best. Don't hang it up completely. You can always try it and if it is to much for you then hang it up. I'd say try it first before stopping all together.

Picking a night: It is hard working 2 jobs in one day, but if you can pull it off that leaves the rest of the weekend open. That is one thing that bothers me. I never get a break to do things with family and friends. Most people plan things on Saturdays, so at least you can have part of your life back.

If you keep Saturday. You'll be fresh for the night. You can sleep in Saturday morning. I think it depends on if you can still enjoy Fridays after working all day.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I work a fulltime (and often more than fulltime) job at home. We have done up to 6 nights a week - money was great but then life consists of karaoke only. My day job is intense and in order to keep my brain cleared for it, we're down to 2 nights a week. I gave up weekends because I needed to allow my brain and body to recover in time for Monday. Recently I have been asked to return to my Fri/Sat gig but have left them hanging until I decide the tradeoff - money & personal socializing.

I'd probably keep the every second Sat but train someone to do the other for you until you get into the swing of the new job (congrats, btw, on graduating and getting what sounds like a fabulous job offer so quickly)...then decide how much of a commitment you want to continue making to karaoke.

Thank all of you for your advice. I certainly won't need the money, but I think I've decided to keep Friday Nights going as usual. In addition, I have spoken with the "Saturday night" bar owner and she has agreed to a once a month Saturday gig, until the end of the year and at that point, I will evaluate the situation and make any changes that need to be made.

BTW I earned a computer science degree with a network security speciality, if you were wondering.

I think that is a really good compromise and kudos to you for being able to work it out with the Saturday gig as well.

You are young and can handle the extra hours! I did 5 nights a week + Fulltime job from age 47-51 and burned myself out. It was like 70-80hrs a week and basically I was working 7 days a week that whole time.

One night a week and a second once a month should be a breeze for you.

Good luck on your carreer!

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I really can't believe HOW MANY kjs here live such a crazy schedule with full AND Part time jobs!

WHY would a person subject themselves to 70 hours of work? What about the family or "quality time" with the spouse/significant other?

NOT JUDGING BTW...really. I guess i could understand if someone had BIG financial problems or Like ME years before- starting their own company.

I can IMAGINE, (and have lived) the physical and emotional burnout factor, but missing quality time with the wife or if someone misses their children growing up daily...it seems kinda weird to me.... sorry, just rambling, not judging..... J.R.

If you have to give up ONE of your nights...GIVE UP SATURDAYS for the following reasons:

Most Familiy functions you'll miss are on Saturdays
If you want to take a mini vacation you're weekend is still there (Sat and Sunday)
MOST DJ or PRIVATE parties happen on SATURDAYS and if you can score a private party once a month you are still ahead of the GAME.

Ideally since you are IN with the owners.....buy a 2nd rig and hire a host to run it for you ....you may still make some EXTRA money while keeping the gig in the event anything changes

You have a point. Guess I'm fortunate. My son is married AND away from home.
And my wife goes with me on my Wed night gig. Kinda of a night out for us. And I still have my weekends free to do what I want.

Kelly

I am a single mom with to grown girls (18 and 21). It's about the money for me. Putting kids through college is expensive. One of of daughters is on her way to becoming a veternarian. It will be worth it in the end. Now if I win the lottery things will be different.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

This would be only 45 hours three weeks and 50 hours one week. I know several people that work one job and work 50 - 60 hours a week on a rotating schedule. What a mess. Days one week and nights the next 6 - 7 days a week. I don't see 45-50 hours being a problem.

My family needs my support, first, then my time. And my wife stays home and raises all 5 children while I worry about the money.