Cat Club: In the Lion's Den

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

There is no better feeling in Karaoke than having a great sound system backing your vocals. The Cat Club has arguably the best sound system of any Karaoke joint in The City. KJ Bruce Rogers--a master of sound engineering--gets the sound right every time. I've never had a problem hearing my song when Bruce is around.

So, Wednesday night, 9pm to 2am, cheap yet stiff drinks, friendly people, a large space well known for 80's nights, and a friendly staff that makes you feel very welcome. Put it all together and you've got the Cat Club.

It has been a while since my last visit to the Cat Club. Since then, some new faces with good voices and an updated song list promised to add more fun and excitement to the evening. For some reason I felt nervous. After Rachel brought me a glass of soda and bitters--love ya' Rachel--my nerves settled down and it was time to sing. Yesss! Did I mention how much I love the sound system? It's awesome! Everyone sounded great, even those people who didn't think they could sing were pleasantly surprised. It's all about what you can hear Essay!

Let me give special mention to a few people whose performances I can remember from that night. Rachel and Anneke sang Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead"; Patrick performed a song from "La Boheme" but I can remember the exact song. He did it well; Sam sang a hybrid of Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise"; Janny and I harmonized to "Wild Horses", which is my new, favorite Karoake song.

Another successful night at the Cat Club. Good people, great music, good times. Thanks Friends. You can bet I'll be back more often. Cheers!





Related article: http://karaokeinsider.blogspot.com/2010/04/singers-pounce-on-cat-club.html

The Knockout Delivers A One-Two Punch

Monday, May 17, 2010

Monday. The most dreaded day of the week. Most of us hate the word because it reminds us of how much we  hate our jobs. Sacrificing a third of my day in order to make some A-hole rich while earning a mediocre salary is one of my favorite pastimes. Yeah, Woo-hoo! Sign me up! Sure, I would rather have rectal cancer but not all of us get to live our dreams. However, for those who can survive Monday's corporate ass punishment there is a reward...

The Knockout Monday Night Karaoke

What better way to bleed off some workday steam then singing Karaoke? At The Knockout this happens every Monday from 7pm to 9pm, and a special 7pm to 2am sing-along one Monday, per month. On this special evening, the awesome KJ duo of Bobby and John delivered the entertainment to a rotation that was anywhere from five to ten people all night long. The sound system is set up for bands and DJ's, so configuring the system for Karaoke is a no-brainer. In short, you will hear yourself on stage. John makes sure of that.

Paul, Scott, George, and I spent the first part of the evening taking turns singing amongst ourselves, while Claudia, Melissa, and Ed joined the party a couple hours later. Everyone had picked the right songs to compliment their wonderful voices. Scott and I harmonized to The Stones' "Wild Horses" and for the first time in my life, I realized just how amazing that song it really is. Melissa's seamless rendition of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughtta' Know" and Thea's killer "Spellbound" by Siouxsie and The Banhsees" rocked the house! These ladies Kick Ass!

For me, the best part of the evening was watching the bartender, Tracy--normally a shy gal on stage--out there giving her all with her much improved vocal chops. She certainly has come out of her shell, now we can barely keep her off the stage. Go Tracy! But where was Charlie? I'm sure he would have loved to see you up there on the stage, kicking some Karaoke ass!

To John, the owner of The Knockout, Dude, your club rules! I love singing here and will come back more often. Next time I'll bring even more friends! And let us all know when you get the Alt-80's night up and running. Can't wait to dance to some Dark Wave!