Empty Orchestra tends to focus on brothel-style rokehouse experiences, but really applauds establishments like Winnie's, Village Voice's 2009 Best Karaoke House, though we'll say that there is none exactly like this one. The queen of dives nestled on Bayard street, Winnie herself is the crusty karaoke auntie who sternly administrates your roke selections by having you wait out the two-drink minimum in your dingy booth until she calls you up and sets in the laser disc (with the two handed requisite) & dials in your paper written selections onto the old-school box big screen. If the book says that a certain call number was I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston, but what actually comes up on the screen is All The Man That I (Ever) Need - Whitney Houston, you can expect Winnie to hand you the mic anyway with a look that reads, "Tough." You sing for the two friends you brought & the often older Chinese uncle-ish regulars, & it ends up being the best impromptu awkward happy hour. The weekends at Winnie's are less sketchy rogue karaoke style, as unfortunately nothing this great can be kept secret for Saturday Manhattan folk.
Today's New York Post calls out folks just like us who over-consider roke stylings with no heed to performer potential in a great fluff feature with !quotes from Winnie! & other roke waitstaffs on what they call "scary-oke." Here's the great superlatives list in the article that is all too familiar to a roke veteran:
"The song that makes people think they can sing really well (when they can’t): Proud Mary by Tina Turner
The song that makes people think they can dance really well (when they can’t): Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot
The song that makes people order more drinks: Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations — U2 Karaoke
The song that’s best to express a secret crush: Summer Nights from “Grease”
The song that clears the place out: All By Myself by Celine Dion
The song that brings the bar to a complete standstill: Any girl who can sing Alone by Heart really well"
Catch the full story here, Blame That Tune, which also offers up a few names of roke spots that EO is yet to explore...!!
Thanks Matt S. for passing this link.
-G
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
This is not what we encourage.
I recently learned about the cringe-worthy phenomenon of chatroulette, & yes this is impossible to listen to as well as watch so beware. Here's how our favorite activity takes strange shape in a sloppy dude with a web cam. Who is this ridiculous person, who are his parents, what are his hopes & goals. Make sure you keep your eyes on the cheerleading chat text.
This particular human behavior trainwreck brought to me by Karen A.
-G
This particular human behavior trainwreck brought to me by Karen A.
-G
Friday, April 9, 2010
90's Sing Along: Part Deux
Neither of us will be in attendance nor have we ever attended these events, but enjoyed the lyric-heavy publicity for this & sounds like an Empty Orchestra endorse-able happening. Located up in the other Brooklyn: The 90's Sing Along: Part Deux. Do comment if you have been or will be attending.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
GUEST MIC: Karaoke: A Brief Introspective
by Matteo Dredd, another historic member of Val's Japan 'roking crew
To the academic, karaoke is an interesting concept, since it functions as a socio-cultural phenomenon of significant depth. First, it is a cultural hybrid; while that term is losing its usefulness after fifteen years of well-intentioned (mis)appropriation, it still aptly presents, in my opinion, the métissage of traditions – performance of song, music and dance – which describes a typical karaoke experience. Second, karaoke is often a social event; as this blog shows, the group dynamics involved in it are complex and engaging. Third, karaoke proposes new notions of aesthetics, by intermixing what had been previously designated ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, it challenges established narratives pertaining to each form, presenting them in potentially subversive relationships to one another.
My own experience of karaoke began and ended – with one exception – in Japan, where karaoke is an established cultural tradition. For our group, karaoke was most often an evening pursuit. Without wishing to incite the field-note approach of full-blown ethnography, I recall: entering through swishing, automated doors; the obligatory (and largely genuine) irrashaimasse; engaging with the hosts while organising a room at the front desk, appropriating free soft drinks on the way to the booths; imbibing the ‘quality’ of the particular room, which ranged from basic to ultra (post)modern; selecting songs from the Japanese and foreign song directories; belting these out as required; dancing; adjusting (messing with) the lighting, sound and TVs; ordering drinks, snacks and desserts through the ubiquitous intercom system.
I genuinely enjoyed karaoke, and it added a dimension to my musical identity which has proven beneficial in my professional musical life. Initially, the musician in me did baulk at the concept; the aesthete within shivered at the prospect of ‘the great unwashed’ circumventing years of practice and training, by unashamedly and unpreparedly taking it to the stage. However, I learned not to judge: the inclusive nature of karaoke is its big draw, and while it is a judicious leveller in some respects, I think it reinforces, rather than challenges, what one already knew about co-participants’ musical abilities!
Anyone with some time on their hands might try helping out the wikipedia ‘roke page, which is highly informative, but in need of some structural work. Scholastically-oriented minds could have a look at ‘Using Karaoke in the Classroom’ by Wagner and Brick (Music Educators Journal, Vol. 79, No. 7 (Mar., 1993), pp. 44-46); or Karaoke around the World: Global Technology, Local Singing by Toru Mitsui and Shuhei Hosokawa. Let’s enjoying; and as one might read in Japan: to sing with friends, all my wonderful life, a best wish!
To the academic, karaoke is an interesting concept, since it functions as a socio-cultural phenomenon of significant depth. First, it is a cultural hybrid; while that term is losing its usefulness after fifteen years of well-intentioned (mis)appropriation, it still aptly presents, in my opinion, the métissage of traditions – performance of song, music and dance – which describes a typical karaoke experience. Second, karaoke is often a social event; as this blog shows, the group dynamics involved in it are complex and engaging. Third, karaoke proposes new notions of aesthetics, by intermixing what had been previously designated ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, it challenges established narratives pertaining to each form, presenting them in potentially subversive relationships to one another.
My own experience of karaoke began and ended – with one exception – in Japan, where karaoke is an established cultural tradition. For our group, karaoke was most often an evening pursuit. Without wishing to incite the field-note approach of full-blown ethnography, I recall: entering through swishing, automated doors; the obligatory (and largely genuine) irrashaimasse; engaging with the hosts while organising a room at the front desk, appropriating free soft drinks on the way to the booths; imbibing the ‘quality’ of the particular room, which ranged from basic to ultra (post)modern; selecting songs from the Japanese and foreign song directories; belting these out as required; dancing; adjusting (messing with) the lighting, sound and TVs; ordering drinks, snacks and desserts through the ubiquitous intercom system.
I genuinely enjoyed karaoke, and it added a dimension to my musical identity which has proven beneficial in my professional musical life. Initially, the musician in me did baulk at the concept; the aesthete within shivered at the prospect of ‘the great unwashed’ circumventing years of practice and training, by unashamedly and unpreparedly taking it to the stage. However, I learned not to judge: the inclusive nature of karaoke is its big draw, and while it is a judicious leveller in some respects, I think it reinforces, rather than challenges, what one already knew about co-participants’ musical abilities!
Anyone with some time on their hands might try helping out the wikipedia ‘roke page, which is highly informative, but in need of some structural work. Scholastically-oriented minds could have a look at ‘Using Karaoke in the Classroom’ by Wagner and Brick (Music Educators Journal, Vol. 79, No. 7 (Mar., 1993), pp. 44-46); or Karaoke around the World: Global Technology, Local Singing by Toru Mitsui and Shuhei Hosokawa. Let’s enjoying; and as one might read in Japan: to sing with friends, all my wonderful life, a best wish!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Karaoke is bad for you
APRIL FOOLS!!
In addition to roking, one of my annual hobbies is to tell lukewarm white lies on this April 1st day for mild shock value. Today I received an email that roped this very blog into a potential prank, but to counter a pleasant R&B roke-able tune from Main Ingredient by way of Aaron Neville, [not] Everybody Plays the Fool. Thanks Dana Colleen Peterson for your valiant attempt to get a mention on this blog. The woman is in addition to the most gullible genius of our time, the most prized roker of 99 Luftballons in der Welt.
Enjoy this, happy fools.
-G
In addition to roking, one of my annual hobbies is to tell lukewarm white lies on this April 1st day for mild shock value. Today I received an email that roped this very blog into a potential prank, but to counter a pleasant R&B roke-able tune from Main Ingredient by way of Aaron Neville, [not] Everybody Plays the Fool. Thanks Dana Colleen Peterson for your valiant attempt to get a mention on this blog. The woman is in addition to the most gullible genius of our time, the most prized roker of 99 Luftballons in der Welt.
Enjoy this, happy fools.
-G
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