Karaoke Forums

I'm a KJ in Oklahoma. I like about 20 songs that I'm extremely comfortable performing, but I need to expand that number by alot. I do shows three nights a week, and I can't keep doing the same songs over and over again. My customers love it, but I'm getting burnt out on the songs. I need some older songs. I have customers of all ages in the bar. I need to be able to perform for all of them. Not just one age group.

What songs do y'all perform? I need songs for all age groups. Please Help.

Thanks so much.

I would suggest listing the songs you currently feel comfortable with.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

well known ones are a way to go, and other than that, what Marty said.

PERSONALLY, I sing from the heart, not a need to fulfill a quota. Oftentimes I have songs that are terrific storyteller-type stuff... or songs that mean something to me.

For instance... last night, someone came up to me and said "you're not singing songs at random, and they have a common theme... was that intentional?"

I smiled, took a sip of my drink, and said "VERY!"

Recommendation: Sing songs from your youth that inspired the bejesus out of ya!"

I read an interview with Tony Bennett in a newspaper not too long ago. He was asked why he thought he continued to appeal to so many people over so many years, particularly young people. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Sing from the heart, keep it simple and they'll get the message" In other words, if ya mean it they'll hear.

That's pretty much what Knightshow said. And he's right on. That's the approach I use.

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Jazz and Swing Live (as long as I do).

Matt hit it on the head..

The songs I put in the singer's showcase NOW..

are the songs I want to sing..

NOT songs I have to sing..

I can sing over 700 - 1000 songs if I really wanted to. (some not all that great)

But there some that rock the world too.

Find those songs ya like and rehearse tha daylights out of them and learn them, sing them daily! some day you'll master them.

Best of luck.

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Brian D.
(BHB)

I know what you mean, k. There are tons of would'be performers out there who pass because they think karaoke is for kids doing the new stuff. You kinda have an obligation to do something that will make them feel its OK to sing their song.

I'd suggest you do some second teir stuff from various genres so the patrons will feel free to do the show stoppers. In other words, for standards you might do "Come Fly With Me", a toughie that a novice shouldn't be trying anyway, and leave the much easier "Fly Me to the Moon" for that disillusioned guy at the end of the bar. Try "Matter of Time" so someone else will feel free to do "Dock of the Bay".

A fringe benefit of the strategy is that you'll screw up a little doing the tougher stuff and that will encourage more participation as well.

Later in the show you may want to cross the gender line to let the guys know its OK to do this. There's nothing about "Stand By Your Man" that suggests it HAS to be done by a woman. I think the women already know its OK to cross over. But I'd save the crossover routine for later in the show rather than the opening song, otherwise you might see a lot of people heading for the exits, and a lot of strange people coming in.

There is Not a single thing wrong with singing a female geared song as a male.. or even "Gender Bending" it, If you are close.

Heck I'd even try "Stand By Your Man" Even I think The Blues Brothers Tried it in thier First Movie.


Keep this in mind at all times..
Karaoke is supposed to be fun.. NOT A RECORDING INDUSTRY AUDITION!!

Best of luck to you and your shows!

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Brian D.
(BHB)

I'll give you some advice that I should take myself. I know a lot of songs...but I tend to get into a rut, singing songs that are on the top of my head, or songs that I know are crowd favorites. More often than not, I find myself singing something upbeat, just to break the string of ballads.

Anyway....sit down with your songbook, and make a list of songs that you know well enough to do, with some proficiency, any time. Make another list of songs you would like to do. Keep the list handy when you're working so that you don't just reach for the old stand-by's every time.

BTW....I've messed up more than one song in my time. I just laugh it off and tell people, "See, proof positive that nobody kills you if you can't sing a song". More than once I've had a first time singer tell me that they were inspired to sing after hearing me butcher a song. They knew they could do it better than me. I'm not insulted.....after all, my job is to inspire people to want to sing, not intimidate them out of it. That's not to say that I don't occasionally want to wow them....and I choose my best songs for those times.

My problem is that I sing alot of songs, and I know them like the back of my hand. I try my hardest to stay away from the popular songs, but in the club I work now, I was just a singer for a long time. Most of the Regulars remember me before I was the KJ, and they want me to sing alot of the same songs. FOR EXAMPLE: I get probably about 10 requests a night for "Redneck Woman." I probably sing that song twice a night in a five hour show. I'm so tired of that song. So I started sing Here for the Party and When it rains( also by Gretchen Wilson) and now I'm getting too many requests for the three songs. I sing alot of Pat Benatar and Janis Joplin. So I will sing their songs, but it always comes back to Gretchen Wilson. How do I work that out? There has never been anyone else in the club perform Redneck Woman, because the other women are afraid to perform it after it's been requested for me to sing too many times. I feel like I'm in a HUGE RUT, and I'm sinking deeper and deeper.

There is alot of Melissa Etheridge..

Most of the karaoke sites like the Priddis, Soundchoice & Chartbuster Manufacturer sites have a way to listen to the tracks online.

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Brian D.
(BHB)

the new Radio Starz discs... there's some Sheryl Crow, Pat Benetar, Dixie Chicks, Linda Ronstadt... a lot of previously unreleased songs.

Also, try a lot of 80's songs by higher pitched guys, like Steve Perry from Journey, Dokken, etc.

Geesh, didn't know you were a girl, k.

Here's 10 songs we can't the girls to sing at the club ... for whatever reason:

10. Wishin' and Hopin'
9. Baby I'm Yours
8. Crackers
7. Its Oh So Quiet
6. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
5. Johnny Get Angry
4. Hey Loretta
3. I Kissed A Girl
2. End Of The World

and the top song that everyone's heard of but nobody will try

1. Don't Sleep In The Subway

If you have a key changer, use it!

I've added a few songs to my list by using the key changer (usually lowering it for me)...but i've been able to sing a few extra songs and felt comfortable singing them.

Also Watch alot of Mtv, VH1, Cmt or what ever videomusic station pushes yer buttons.

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Brian D.
(BHB)

Have you ever considered just not singing it? I think that would take care of your problem. Just tell people that it's a popular song and you want to give others a chance to sing it.

As for getting out of your rut, force yourself to sing some stuff that you wouldn't normally do. I'm sure you've got a few songs that you've been wanting to try, so try them. Some will turn out good, some might suck, but you never know until you give it a try.

Anybody ever tried my favorite Karaoke Game.. "kamakazi Karaoke"

all the song slips (1 song per slip) goes in a 55 gal aquarium {or smaller and without the gravel water or fish please... })
and kj each draws one out at random for singer in the rotation. I have yet to see many walk away from this, it is alot of fun and the other KJ's I have Done this with have not been disappointed.

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Brian D.
(BHB)

We talked about doing this if we ever decide to have a contest. What's the use of singers coming in rehearsed? Every once in awhile a friend and I will do a karaoke challenge, where we open the book to a random page and one picks a song out of about 50 that he thinks the other will have trouble with.

As for Redneck Woman, if there's a regular that you think would do it well, why don't you suggest that they try it? Most of the time they'll take your advice, I think you'll find.

I've played that, but only in my infancy of my karaoke apprenticiship. My biggest problem I've got now is, I barely want to hear some of the singers BARELY singing their one or two songs... I definately don't want to hear them sing something they can't sing at all!!!!

Matt

Nothing's worse than hearing a singer do the same songs week in and week out, no matter how well they do it.