Fred hosts his last night at Yen Wor

By Ty Hughes

You know that uncomfortable feeling you get when someone even smiles in the wake of a death? That’s kinda how I felt walking into the Yen Wor last month.

I mean, here I’m going to the last night of Fred Umayam’s hosting at the Yen Wor, I thought there might be at least a couple of somber faces - but no! The place was alive with happy, dancing, fun-loving friends celebrating the end of Fred as they’ve known him for three years! And there was Fred and his family cuttin’ loose with the rest of ‘em. In fact, If I’m not forsaken, Fred seemed to be leading the charge.

The small group of karaoke and Fred enthusiasts grew as time went on, and so did the tempo of the celebration. Pretty soon, people were dancing around - although, I think those guys were just showing off for the pretty girls, Tanya, Yvonne and Vanessa. Fred could be seen writhing around the dance floor on his back; and yes, he was holding his camera. FRED! I guess he could’ve been taking pictures of the singers on stage. Either way, I’m pretty sure I left there with bloody legs, but that was for a completely different reason altogether, which no one will ever hear about, ever. Right, Rina?

Toni, the star bartender, was sweet and friendly. Rolando, a previous Faces In The Crowd interviewee, came out to show respect and give us a sampling of his familiarity with karaoke. Bruce and Fred did a great duet of “Saved My Life”. Jesse rolled out the Pearl Jam in fine fashion. Nene did a Journey tune, while Tommy, Megan, Melissa, TJ and Eric warmed up for their performance.

Joe will be stepping in for Fred on Wednesdays at the Yen Wor in West Seattle’s Admiral District. We’ll miss having Fred behind the mic at the Yen Wor, but he was quick to add that he would be willing to help out whenever necessary.

Best wishes to Fred Umayam and his future endeavors, which will hopefully include continuing to be one of our star representatives here at the Karaoke and Entertainment Guide. Congratulations, Fred, we love ya man!