Well, this is it! The final issue of the Karaoke Guide for 2011! I seriously cannot believe that this year is already coming to an end. It amazes me how quickly the time flies when you’re truly having fun. We want to take this time to thank you, all of you, for your continued support of this publication, of karaoke, and of live entertainment in general. We most certainly couldn’t do this without you!

We have a big announcement to make too! We are happy to tell you that The Skagit Casino Resort has decided to bring our karaoke show back to the Winner’s Lounge beginning December 1, 2011! That’s right, your voices have been heard and The Skagit has graciously asked us to continue doing what we do best.  Karaoke will be for three weeks in December, the 1st, 8th, and 15th. All Thursdays, as before, starting at 8pm and runs until Midnight. We are so happy to be back, and to bring you this wonderful news! We will be on winter break until January, so please mark your calendars and come sing with us on the huge stage again beginning again in January 12, 2012.

Yes, open mic karaoke is back at The Skagit. They’ve always been a great venue for karaoke, and have recently added two larger flat screen televisions on the sidewalls that we hope to be able to use for our shows, and will be, hopefully, adding a new big screen TV for the stage too.  They’re planning on making 2012 a “FUN” year for karaoke, and we intend on bringing it to you!

The Skagit has always had amazing live entertainment, and this year and next, will be no exception. If you haven’t decided on New Year’s plans yet, we would like to suggest that you consider their New Year’s Eve Gala 2012 featuring Beatles Tribute Band – British Export, and The Randy Linder Band. It’s a nice bonus that New Year’s Eve is on a Saturday this year, so grab a room at one of  the two Skagit Casino Resort’s Hotels, and settle in for a fun time. There will be over $31,000 in cash and prize giveaways with drawings on Saturday, December 31, noon to 6pm – January 1 at 1am. Grand Prize at 1am is $5,000 Cash!

There will even be a Midnight Breakfast Buffet from 12am to 1:30am. And when you’re finally up on Sunday morning, after the New Year’s Eve Gala, you can enjoy the regular breakfast buffet, which features made-to-order omelets that melt in your mouth from 9am to 2pm.

Backing up just a little, there is also a Christmas Buffet served on Christmas day from 2pm-10pm if you want to avoid the hassle of making that Christmas Day meal, or all the clean up that goes along with it.  The food at The Skagit is delicious, and they always bring out all the trimmings at the holidays. And then there is the incredible line-up of entertainment scheduled through July 2012. Let me rattle off the list for you!  Make sure you get a Skagit Club Card (free!) and take advantage of great saving using the card all over The Skagit.

Jan. 27, 28: Super Diamond, Neil Diamond Tribute Band

Feb. 19, 11: The Smithereens

Mar. 16, 17: Diamond Rio

May 11, 12: 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Leon Russell

Jun. 15, 16: Paul Revere & The Raiders

Jul. 20, 21: Comedian Jim Breuer from SNL

And many more! Seriously, if you haven’t been to or checked out The Skagit recently, it’s time you did.  The Skagit hosted The Seattle International Comedy Competition again this year, and we were honored to be asked to judge this event again! It was a sold out room, and if you were lucky enough to have been there, then I bet your abs were as sore as mine! I haven’t laughed that much since last year’s comedy competition. Congratulations to all the contestants in this year’s competition. May the funniest comedian win!

If that isn’t enough, we’d like to suggest that you go to TheSkagit.com and see what else they have in store. They have big cash drawings in December, celebrating their 16th year Anniversary! $186,000 in cash and prize giveaways with 180 rewards club winners! The drawings are on our karaoke nights too; Thursdays December 1, 8, and 15, from 2-8pm.

We would like to say thank you to The Skagit, and to you, our readers, for supporting us in what we do.  We love karaoke, and we love our readers, fans, friends, family. We wish you nothing but the best in 2012 and sincerely hope to see you very, very soon!

That’s it for this year’s final edition of the Karaoke Corner. Feel free, as always, to contact us via facebook, email at rocknkris@yahoo.com, or call (425) 359-9450. Take it easy out there, have a great time, and sing your heart out.  Happy Happy Holidays, and best wishes for the coming year!

By Rocky & Kristine Fields

Hey there y’all! Winter is fast approaching. Wait, did we see Fall yet? Time flies when you’re having fun, as they say. 2011 is fast coming to its end and there’s lots to tell you about.

This year, as it has been for many years in a row now, 13th Ave Pub is offering up a free Thanksgiving Day feast! Thanksgiving, November 24, 2011, will be one to remember if you spend it at the Pub. Owner Wayne Larson, gives back to the community every Thanksgiving by serving up turkey, stuffing, potatoes and all the traditional trimmings to those who may not have family in the area, can’t afford a big feast, frequent the Pub and love the company, or those who just want a change of pace. And he promises, you won’t have to clean up the mess. Just enjoy being served in style for once! It’s 13th Ave Pub’s way of giving back to the community.

As far back as 2004, 13th Ave Pub’s Thanksgiving tradition has been a highly anticipated event. Thanksgiving begins at 3pm at 13th Ave and goes until 9pm, or until the food is depleted, but believe me, there’s plenty to go around!

Don’t be shy about taking a night off this year and spending it with friends and family at the Pub. They’re also open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, (closing time at bartender’s discretion).

They’ve got a huge New Year’s Eve party planned too. Festivities include a champagne toast at midnight and the band “Bridge” will be crankin’ out live music for your dancing enjoyment. You’ll hear classics from Aerosmith, Van Halen, Beatles, Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk, and more. They’ve got all your favorite rock classics to ring in the New Year right! These guys play rock and roll with conviction and are really fun to watch, dance to, and hang out with.

If you already have plans for New Year’s Eve, please remember that 13th Ave Pub serves breakfast on New Year’s Day beginning at 9:30am until 1:00pm. Oh, there will be football to watch!

How does this sound: 13th Ave has recently added a new 65-inch 3-D television! Can you imagine 3-D sports?! Thursday night football is now what we call “AMAZING”, now completely 3-D. Glasses are available, of course, and with the new television programming you’ll be able to see most college football games and ESPN 3-D on the newest toy at the Pub!

As always, free Wi-Fi, plus, Trivia on Wednesday nights, followed by karaoke with Rocky & Kristine. Don’t forget karaoke on Saturdays with the Goddess Miss Carla, and Mondays with DJ Matty Ice.

There’s so much interest and variety at the 13th Ave Pub, it’s boggling to the mind!

If you want to check out some live bands, and haven’t been in to the 13th Ave Pub lately, we suggest you grab your buddies and come on in. Here’s the band line up until the end of the year, so there are no excuses people.

Nov. 4; Kennedy Brothers

Nov. 11; Fabulous Murphtones

Nov. 18; Pop Offs

Nov. 25; Bridge

Dec. 2; Love Jacks

Dec. 9; Expertease

Dec. 16; Stripped

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, they’ve also got UFC Live?  Your tiny $5 cover, includes a well beverage, beer, or soda. Check out the UFC line-up on several gigantic screens. Bring your friends and cheer for your favorite fighters.

Hey, we want to give a big shoutout to Wayne and his lovely wife Dawn, for always being such great people, and for treating their customers like family.  They have hearts of pure gold, and prove it each year by giving back with a Thanksgiving feast and lots of fun events throughout the years.

Happy Thanksgiving! So hard to believe this year is almost over.

Keep your eyes and ears open to this publication as there will be many more exciting developments to announce next month! Where you can find your favorite karaoke hosts, or where you can find karaoke in your area, where the big contests are, and where all your friends will be. Get it all right here in the Karaoke & Live Entertainment Guide. Thank you for reading and responding! As always, if you have a suggestion, question, comment or (heaven forbid) a complaint, feel free to contact us personally at (425) 359-9450 or find us on Facebook under Facebook.com/rockyandkristine. Happy Holidays, and hope to see you all very soon!

Express Yourself :

Shout out to all you karaoke maniacs out there! Glad you found your way back to the “pages”! We are Rocky & Kristine, karaoke hosts, and official authors of the Karaoke Corner in this, the Northwest’s ONLY Karaoke & Live Entertainment Guide.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed what little summer we’ve had this year, and are now looking forward to your kids heading back to school, and that lovely Fall weather to forge it’s way back into our lives.

Well, after seven years of extremely successful karaoke, the Skagit Casino has effectively canceled our karaoke contract for the rest of 2011. We are completely baffled and disheartened by this so-called “business decision”. We’ve been told the tentative plan is to re-start karaoke in January of 2012 with us Rocky & Kristine Entertainment as the hosts, but nothing is for sure certain. We know this.

With that in mind, we’d like to encourage you to get in contact your favorite karaoke establishment and let them know how much you appreciate the services they provide! We’ve always encouraged folks to tell the management that you appreciate their shows, the bands, the food, or whatever. Management doesn’t usually attend karaoke events, especially at the larger locations like a casino. And sadly, people are more likely to complain in writing, rather than send compliments. We need to turn that concept on it’s head people!

We’d like to take a second to thank Daina Bussing for hiring us at the Skagit seven short years ago, and to The Skagit too. Special recognition goes out to each and every singer who’s ever made the journey out for the show. We’ve enjoyed singers from as far away as Portland, OR, Yakima, Spokane, and Canada, and everywhere in between. We love our karaoke family and hope to see everyone again come January!

Recently we started up a new Facebook page called “You know you’re a karaoke junkie if…” and hope to see you joining the group now that you’re aware of it. Everyone is welcome, and all comments and thoughts are appreciated here so please come sound off!

We had to publish a few of our favorite submissions from this month. Thank you to everyone who has participated, please keep them coming!

You know you’re a karaoke junkie if…

(Luis) Some people text message a song request to the KJ even though they are not in the bar yet. BTW, I’m on my way!

(Darlene) You get annoyed when someone comes in and sings the same four songs every night. True junkies have standards.

(Jade) You’re walking in any public place and someone says, “Hey, (insert first name here), how are you?” And you proceed to have a convo with them about karaoke and walk away wondering who the heck that person was. Oh wait, that might fall under “You know you’re a karaoke host if….”

(One Eyed Jacks) Not really in the same vain, but saw this on my “You might be a redneck if” calendar: You might be a redneck if… you think that karaoke is what your uncle died of.

(Eric) You give Sound Choice $7,250.00 to get them off your ass so that you can continue to use the best karaoke brand in the business!

And finally… You know you’re a karaoke junkie if… you work for a karaoke newspaper, run karaoke shows, take requests, consider your karaoke peeps family (cuz they ARE!), and you host karaoke as your “fun job”! Oh wait, that’d be US!

Thank you for your support, and for reading our ramblings each month. We love it when you chime in, so feel free to contact us anytime at (425) 359-9450 or on Facebook under Kristine & Rocky Fields, or send us an email at rocknkris@yahoo.com.

We love to hear from you! No question is ever stupid unless it doesn’t get asked. Until next time, please enjoy what’s left of this uh… incredible weather we’re having this year!

Fuller O’Riley’s

By Rocky & Kristine Fields

It never ceases to amaze me how once the year begins, it seems to just roll by faster and faster.  Here’s hoping you’ve stuck to your New Year’s resolutions, made progress in the areas you want to improve, and been good to yourself thus far.

One of our goals for 2011 is to expand our coverage area to bring you places that you may not have thought to look for great karaoke shows, highlight cities that would be fun to visit, and venture farther away from our usual stomping grounds. Be sure to browse through the paper and read about all the other shows we’ve found, both far and wide. If you’re wanting to find adventures in karaoke, you’ll be able to scout out these new venues too!

This month, the Karaoke Corner is proud to present to you a little place called Fuller O’Riley’s.  Formerly The Hitching Post, Fuller’s is located in the Frontier Village area of Lake Stevens, and is a fine Irish pub. For those of you who are not familiar with Lake Stevens, it is situated just east of I-5, on Highway 2.

Fuller O’Riley’s is a really cool little place, and yes, they’ve got karaoke. Dr. Dan hosts here on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 9pm to 1:30am and this place really gets rocking. The music is loud, the patrons are all happy, and the song selection is excellent. If you’re strictly a weekend warrior for karaoke, you can also check out Fuller O’Riley’s karaoke show on the first Saturday of each month.

Fuller O’Riley’s features a full bar, and a full menu served later than most places in the general vicinity. There is a cozy fireplace, but with all the bodies packed in here, it’s really just pretty to look at. We settled in quickly, shedding our coats and taking in the warm atmosphere. We had no problem finding a seat, the folks there were friendly and didn’t mind sharing a table with us.

Doctor Dan kept the rotation moving along smoothly, as singer after singer belted out every kind of song you could possibly think of. We heard everything from “Soulja Boy” to “She’s Country”, and even a little “Peggy Sue” with a twist. If you’ve ever heard of a karaoke singer who goes by the name of Yukon Jack, then you’ll know how he sang “Peggy Sue”, and if not, feel free to ask the host at Fuller’s just what I am talking about. I won’t repeat it here, but suffice it to say, it was pretty funny.

If you enjoy pull-tabs, they’ve got them. The bartenders are well-versed in the art of mixing drinks and treat the customers well. Although it’s not the biggest bar in town, it seems to be the most popular, at least on Wednesday and Thursday nights.  Shawn, the bar’s manager, mentioned that they have live music occasionally on the weekends, and hope to have it more often than not in the next few months. We decided to re-visit on that weekend on our way out of town and sure enough, there was a gentleman by the name of Andy, I didn’t catch his last name… but he was playing guitar and singing to a crowd of dancers all around him. Everyone seemed to really love this guy, and he sure was having fun. To learn more about the live music events at Fuller O’Riley’s, Shawn suggests you give them a call at (425) 334-0604.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun new karaoke venue, and you like it good and loud, you’ll love this place. They’ve got an outdoor smoking area too, although I didn’t check it out, I heard that you’re allowed to take your drinks out there. Either way, we think you’ll enjoy the change of pace at Fuller O’Riley’s. We did, and yes, we will be back.

That’s it for this month’s Karaoke Corner. We appreciate you taking the time to read our opinions and we respect yours as well. Feel free to contact us anytime with comments, questions, suggestions at (425) 359-9450, email to rocknkris@yahoo.com and be sure to look us up on Facebook! We look forward to meeting you, and hope to see your smiling face in the Karaoke Guide soon. Keep on singing, keep on shining!

~ Kristine & Rocky Fields

 New TV Reality

Well it’s finally here, 2011 has arrived in full force! Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, and is ready for a new year filled with singing, laughter, and happiness.  As we gear up to achieve our new years resolutions, we reflect back at what we’ve accomplished over the past year and always look forward to the future, noting what we will do to make the coming year that much better. Best of luck to all!

Speaking of the new year, we recently read an article about a new show that is in production at NBC. We felt it worthy of the Karaoke Corner this month. Rocky and I have always thought that to make a karaoke or singing competition 100% fair, you should be able to hear the voice without seeing the person, their expression or stance, and judge only on vocal quality. This show takes on our idea, and we’re excited to see the results. Stay tuned to NBC, and read all about it here! Article from Deadline.com written by Nellie Andreeva, Television Editor.

In its biggest challenge to Fox’s American Idol (and X Factor), NBC has ordered The Voice of America (working title), a singing competition show from leading reality producers John de Mol (Big Brother) and Mark Burnett (Survivor) and Warner Horizon Television. The show, in which contestants vie for a recording contract, is modeled after the Dutch version of the show (The Voice of Holland), which is the country’s #1 talent competition show in Holland. More from NBC’s release:

Four celebrity artists each will form teams of singers that they will coach and mentor throughout the competition.  Individuals will be eliminated until each celebrity only has one team member left who will compete in the finals to be named “The Voice of America” in a live finale.  And to guarantee that the celebrities pick the best of the best, the series introduces a unique twist — the initial audition process is blind; coaches can only hear the singer but cannot see them.

“This show truly focuses on amazing voices,” said Paul Telegdy, EVP, Alternative Programming, NBC and UMS.  “The celebrity coaches are passionate about discovering, developing and nurturing new talent.  As soon as we saw the Dutch format, we knew this was completely different and really exciting.”

“I have greatly admired John de Mol ever since I met him when ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Survivor’ were both premiering.  He is a hit-maker of the highest pedigree,” said executive producer Mark Burnett.  “‘Voice of Holland’ is a monster hit and proves that viewers will always tune in to hear incredible singing voices.”

De Mol, creator of the format and producer of “The Voice of Holland,” added: “The pickup by NBC is a huge reward for all the hard work me and my company have put into this show.  It would be fantastic to see ‘The Voice’ as successful in the U.S. as it is in Holland, because that would mean we trace solid new American singing talent.”

The show’s innovative format features three stages of competition.  The first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance shows.

During the blind auditions, if a coach is impressed, he/she pushes a button to select the contestant for his/her team of competitors.  At this point, the coach’s chair will swivel so that he/she can face the contestant he/she has selected.  If more than one coach selects the talent, the power shifts to the contestant who may choose which coach he/she wants to work with throughout the competition.  A contestant is eliminated when he/she is not selected by any coach.

Once the teams are set, the battle is on.  Coaches will mentor the contestants and make them over, and ultimately will transform their superlative voices to allow the singers to become star artists.  To help them decide who they want to advance, the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song in front of a studio audience.  Based on this, the coaches will pick who they want to continue developing and who should go home.

In the final performance phase of the competition, the top contestants from each team will compete against each other during a live broadcast.  The television audience will vote to select who will move on from each team and who will be eliminated.

At last, each coach will have their best contestant left standing to compete in the finale. From these four, one will be named “The Voice of America” and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.

“The Voice of America” is a presentation of Talpa Productions, Mark Burnett and Warner Horizon Television.  De Mol is creator and also is an executive producer with Burnett.

We are looking forward to seeing how this pans out, as we’ve always thought this would be the perfect scenario for the most fairly judged singing competition.

That’s it for this month’s corner. Hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about our newest discovery.  Feel free to contact us anytime with comments, suggestions questions or just to say hi! rocknkris@yahoo.com (425) 359-9450 and friend us on FB too!

~ Kristine & Rocky Fields

 There’s a new star rising in our area. Young Miss Hannah Michelle Weeks, is on her way up in the Country music genre.  Hannah, a local girl who hails from Stanwood, WA has recently released her very own music video titled, “I Thought You Were My Friend”, and it’s quickly gaining popularity both at the local radio stations, and on iTunes as well. 

Hannah had her latest hit chosen as the Tony Thomas test track on FM Country station 94.1 KMPS, and it went over very well with the listening audience!  Ninety-three percent of those who commented loved the song and wanted to hear more. 

I didn’t know it yet, but I was already a big fan of Hannah’s music, even before I’d had the chance to speak with her. Our Zumba class, held in Silvana, and hosted by Zumba instructor Makesha Hays, cools down to a great song called “Good Hair Day.” It just so happens that this was one of Hannah’s very first songs she has recorded. It also happens to be one of my favorite Zumba tunes, and a positive theme song for when I’m feeling a bit disheveled. 

Hannah took a moment out of her busy schedule to visit with me, and I have to say, it’s refreshing to chat with such a mature “almost 18 year old” young lady.

Hannah’s done a lot musically in her young life, including opening for such great Country stars as Eric Church, Darius Rucker, and just last month, Rodney Atkins. Plus, recording CDs and videos that will fast make their way into the hearts of true Country fans everywhere.

Hannah’s song, “I Thought You Were My Friend” speaks about choices, and how the choices we make today can affect others either in a positive or negative way.  It touches on the subject of friendship and how your choices can backfire, or make you stronger as a person. It’s a powerful message, one that Hannah is excited to share.  She’s not about fortune and fame.  This rising star is all about bringing a smile to your face.  If she can make you happy, even just for a minute, then she feels she’s already met her goal.  Now that’s what I call success! 

Hannah recently met up with fans at the SuperMall in Auburn. She participated in the St. Jude’s Walk, and performed during the Auburn Rotary Scholarship Benefit Show at the Auburn Performing Arts Center last month, meeting fans and signing autographs.

She’s got a great big heart, a sweet smile, and an amazing voice.  If you ever get the opportunity to see Hannah perform live, you’ll see what I mean. Until then, feel free to check out her video on iTunes, and visit her Web site at www.hannahmichelleweeks.com, or join her on her Facebook page to keep updated about her future musical ventures.  This girl’s gonna go far, we can feel it! Keep up the great work Hannah.

 18 yr. run ends

 Welcome to the Karaoke and Live Entertainment Guide for December 2010.  Funny how time flies as we get older, it’s hard to believe another year is drawing to an end. Our hope is that your 2011 is prosperous, fun and full of great surprises, laughs, hugs and love.

As 2010 comes to an end, so does the longest running karaoke show on record in the state of Washington. Sandra Dee, host of Mazatlan for 18 years straight, hosted their last karaoke show when the Bothell restaurant closed it’s doors permanently on November 20, 2010. 

The room was packed with friends both new and old. Lots of memories were shared, and photos were taken and given away from years passed.

Sandra Dee, one of the most gracious karaoke hosts we’ve had the pleasure of knowing, brought up the owner and spoke to everyone on his behalf, thanking everyone for their patronage and support over the years. They handed out coupons to visit their new location in Ballinger, and offered drink and food specials all night long to celebrate the success of the karaoke show, the host, and of course the wonderful singers. 

Over the years, Sandra had taken hundreds of photos of folks having fun at the Mazatlan. The pictures were posted all over the walls in the bar, showing off birthday parties, karaoke singing, and lots of good times. These photos were offered up to anyone who wanted to grab them. As everybody looked through them, they had so many great things to say about their memories here. Sandra has always offered her patrons birthday parties with cake and festivities, all at her own expense, and still does.

She’s always put so much heart and soul into her shows, and on this final night, so many came out to support her and show their appreciation for all she’s done for them over the past two decades. 

Sandra wanted to extend a sincere, heartfelt message to all who’ve ever taken the time to sing at her shows, and I’ll include it here, as it was placed lovingly on every table for all to see at the closing event. And I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Dear Friends, over the past couple of months I have thought many times about what I would say to you today. How do I put into words my appreciation of the experiences that we have shared together over the last 18 years?

We raised $47,000 dollars for Huntington’s Disease; I got my feet wet as a band manager with the forming of Solid Gold Soul and Solid Gold Country; inspired by your voices, produced my first dinner show, we sang as technology advanced from laser discs to computerized karaoke (okay I didn’t sing, but you did). Polaroids became digital slide shows, friendships were formed, many of you met, got married, became parents and even grandparents (including me). We’ve celebrated birthdays, done Sombrero shots, celebrated every holiday we possibly could and ate more complimentary chips and salsa than anyone ever should.

Thank you to the select few hosts of the Mazatlan, the gift of your talent and spirit is the foundation on which the “Longest Running Karaoke Show in Washington State” was built.

Thank you singers, each and every one of you has contributed something uniquely special to my growth and success.  I feel so blessed to have shared the past 18 years with all of you and hope that we will have many more years of sons together. So this final “Round of Applesauce” is for YOU! 

Signed, your deeply humbled karaoke host, Sandra Dee.

You can still see Sandra Dee at The Parlor on Mondays and Thursdays in Bellevue, at the Time Out on Tuesdays in Kirkland, and Fridays at One Eyed Jack’s in Lynnwood. 

We at the Karaoke & Entertainment Guide would also like to thank Sandra Dee for her tireless contributions to what we do. Without spectacular hosts like Sandra Dee, this publication surely wouldn’t exist.

That’s it for this month’s special Karaoke Corner. You can always reach us for comment, at rocknkris@yahoo.com, (425) 359-9450, and on facebook at facebook.com/rockyandkristine .

Be safe out there, happy holidays from us, Rocky and Kristine, and from the entire staff at the Karaoke Guide. We hope you get everything you ever wished for.

 “Karaoke Nation”

 Hello and welcome to the Karaoke & Live Entertainment’s November issue, twenty-ten. The year has certainly flown by once again. It’s getting dark earlier, and colder fast. Don’t let that slow you down, get out there and sing! 

Each month we search high and low for interesting karaoke news to share with you, and this time we’ve found a true gem. As you know, Facebook has become the latest and greatest thing on the internet. While browsing through the many posts on our page one day, I ran across one that said that a friend had joined the “Karaoke Nation”. Intrigued, I clicked over to check this place out. What I found was a fan page that was dedicated to karaoke on a national level. The site includes hundreds of karaoke lovers, hosts, and music enthusiasts. It was very similar to something Rocky and I began years ago, long before myspace or facebook was ever heard of, back when you had to know how to write code and how to embed photos and such. Impressed, we joined, and I recently interviewed the head honcho of this brilliant site, Doug Shofield. I want to share this interview with you now, and encourage you to join the “Nation” too. So here’s what it’s all about, in his own words.

 About the Nation… what made you start the FB page for Karaoke Nation?

The original inspiration for this came from my frustration in trying to find karaoke shows when I was on the road. My job requires a lot of travel and trying to find a good place to go sing was always a challenge. My luck with asking the hotel front desk and finding good shows in the local papers had been hit or miss at best. Most disappointingly, finding good karaoke online definitely left something to be desired. It occurred to me that my searches were starting from the wrong end of the karaoke world. Rather than relying on bars and lounges to advertise in their “one at a time” way, wouldn’t it be better to establish a community of karaoke lovers of all types – singers, hosts, bar owners – and work out from there? The establishment of a national karaoke database was the core of the reason for the existence of Karaoke Nation. It has since become so much more than that for me.  



Are you and/or your wife hosts?

Neither of us hosts a show at present, though I have been known to commandeer a KJ seat from time to time! I hosted a show for about 3 years in the early 2000’s, and I also hosted a trivia show for about a year, which was a blast! These days, I pinch hit for friends from time to time but as my day job requires travel with very little notice, it’d be hard to commit to doing a show these days. I’ve been involved with karaoke in one form or another for about 12 years now.

 What is the URL where our readers can find the Karaoke Nation?

For now, the URL is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karaoke-Nation/111548985565745, but it’s way easier to get onto Facebook and just do a search for “Karaoke Nation”. You’ll find us right away!  There’s also a YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccPTOy0sXJ0 where I explain what we’re trying to do.  Once again, a simple YouTube search for “Karaoke Nation” will work just fine.

Oh, and there is a URL for our upcoming Web site, but that’s super double top secret right now. Expect more information on that topic in the coming months.  We’re more excited than I can tell you about the birth of the Nation Web site!  We’re hoping to really create something that has never existed before on the Web.

 What is the purpose of the Karaoke Nation page?

The purpose of the Nation has been growing and evolving since the outset. It was plain to me very early on that my sights were set too low when I conceived of this. As it turns out, the national karaoke database will be a by-product of the larger, newer purpose for Karaoke Nation. I’ll try and explain.

For those of us who attend karaoke shows on a regular basis, we already know the sense of camaraderie, of family, that can develop at a show. We get to know the sorts of songs our friends want to sing, we know when folks are having an off night, etc. And sometimes our extended karaoke families can be just as dysfunctional as our real ones often are!

In the first few weeks of promoting this Facebook page, I started to see the same sorts of things happening online. Friendships have begun to be built; we’re seeing the humor, and the craziness, and the love that exists in OUR world, OUR shows, in places that we’ve never been to before. It’s like our own little local family multiplied 100 fold! To me, that seemed a much more worthy purpose for the page than the karaoke show database, even though that will continue to be an important goal for us.

So, the goal of Karaoke Nation, as I see it now, is to promote the love, the silliness, and the friendship that exists in each of our own small areas on a more global stage. I figure that in a world where we see more than enough suffering, disagreement and sadness, a site dedicated to something that everyone can enjoy, where everyone agrees, can’t be a bad thing.

 What’s your favorite and least favorite karaoke songs to sing or listen to?

I’m going to answer this with my singer’s hat on. If I was answering as a host, I’d say “It doesn’t matter WHAT you sing, it matters THAT you sing!”. I am a big fan of Josh Groban, but I sing something from just about every genre – I started counting the songs I sing and gave up at about 1500. I am almost completely roulette-proof on 80’s retro music. But my most favorite song to sing is “The Old Songs” by Barry Manilow. It has some personal meaning for me. I think if I was ever diagnosed with something terminal, and the Make a Wish Foundation gave me my one wish, it’d be to sing with him.

The song I enjoy the least is definitely “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. I don’t think it’s because of the song itself nearly as much as the number of times I’ve heard it performed.

 I assume you have a regular job too?

I do indeed! I work for IBM from my home in Columbia, SC.  When I’m not working in my home office, I’m traveling to different parts of the country to train our business partners on the sale and implementation of some of our software products. I also get numerous opportunities to speak on behalf of our corporation to customers, which is a very strong fit for my natural tendencies to be a bit of a ham. I’ve never had much in the way of fear of public speaking, and it’s all I can do not to break out into song when I have more than three people listening to me!

 How quickly has your Karaoke Nation page grown? (You’ll love this one)

I have been utterly astounded at how quickly this page has been catching on.  We have worked pretty hard to make everyone aware of its existence, but we honestly had no idea whether anyone at all would care! With that having been said, I really can’t take too much credit for its wide acceptance thus far. I’ve been privileged to meet several amazing individuals, even in this short time since the inception of the page. These “Monsters of Karaoke” as we call them on the page, have taken the seed of the idea and added their own flavor to it, and it’s been heartwarming to watch!  I’ll tell you the scary cool thing about what we’ve done so far. The Nation has grown to over 600 people in just two months, as of these comments. We’ve done that with the superhuman help of only about 10-15 key people, and all of the people that follow them, of course. Well, there are thousands of such people out there that don’t know about us yet! And hundreds of people behind each of those people are waiting to join the Nation once they know about it!  It boggles the mind to think how big this could grow if we simply keep reaching out and telling folks about it! It’s definitely become very personal for me. I walk three feet off the ground whenever we have a good day finding people, and I mope when even one person decides to leave us (it feels like losing a family member). Luckily, we’ve had a phenomenal retention rate thus far, so there hasn’t been much of that.  Karaoke Nation will continue to grow because it’s not the idea of one person. It’s many people, each adding the best of what they have to offer and making it the fluid, “by the people for the people” movement that it is.

 What are your favorite and least favorite qualities in a Host?

This is a hot button topic for me. I’ve been to shows in roughly 35 states out of 50, and easily over 200 distinct shows in total. I’ve seen the gamut in regards to hosting styles. Folks who are mainly there just to call the next singer, people who go all out to make it a glitzy show, shows with no host at all, merely a bartender that pushes a button on a remote and hands the microphone to the singer. There’s a venue for every host’s style.

If a host is clearly showing preference to their friends and letting lesser-known folks sit at their expense, it bothers me. The purpose of a karaoke show, as it is with any bar-based entertainment, is to get people in seats, to keep them there, and to keep them drinking. No moral judgment there, just a statement of fact. If hosts aren’t calling up new singers fairly, then they will leave, and the bar will make no money on those people. Far too many hosts do not seem to consider this; many see the show as their own personal time to perform. I think that is disrespectful of the venue’s decision to give them a job.

My favorite quality in a host is when they take the time to get involved in knowing their crowd. If a singer is having a hard time finding a song, the attentive host will know the type of music a singer likes and will be ready to make suggestions. The host will help the singer through rough spots in a song without being too obvious about it. And a good host will make sure everyone is getting a chance to sing. This last thought is a tight rope act. It is impossible for a host to please every singer, every night. A balance must be struck between the karaoke regular and the newcomer. Easier said than done in most cases.

 What will you do to celebrate hitting the 10,000 fan mark? (We know it’s gonna happen)

Well, by then our own page will be active, so we’ll be much freer to do things in the way we want, rather than being constrained by Facebook’s capabilities (that’s not a knock of FB; it’s just that there are a lot of things we’d like to do that a social networking site isn’t natively geared to handle). I know we have tremendous plans for the future, which we’ll mostly keep to ourselves for now. One thing that we’re planning that might fit the bill is a national karaoke night, where we set up a show that will include multiple singers, live, from different areas around the country. Whether we run it as a contest (I’m not a big fan of karaoke contests, in general, but I know a lot of folks like them), we’ll see. I’m sure we’ll do something big for that event. If we have time to plan it, that is!  We’re growing awfully fast!

 Anything else you’d like our readers here in WA, OR, ID and B.C. to know?

My primary message to our friends out there is this; the main reason Karaoke Nation continues to grow the way it does is that it our Nation has no borders. I can’t imagine any possible reason that anyone wouldn’t be welcome in our group. We don’t frown on people whose opinions differ from ours; as evidenced in our discussion groups, there are many topics that are controversial and inspire lively debate. But as long as people are respectful of one another, well then, I say, the more the merrier!

The last point I’d like to make (and I don’t want you to edit this out) is that Kristine and Rocky have been two of our staunchest supporters since the earliest days of the Nation, and we have nothing but gratitude for all of their efforts on our behalf.  The Northwest is blessed to have folks like them who take such care to provide the best information anywhere on this entertainment forum. They are the best, and I’m sure you all know that! We’ll see you all online; come to the Nation and show us the ‘oke!

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about the Karaoke Nation, and we encourage you to join us there as soon as you are finished reading this paper! We want to show them what the Pacific Northwest can do, so click, post and let ‘em know you read it here in the Northwest’s favorite Karaoke Guide.

As always, feel free to contact us with story ideas, comments, suggestions, complaints and compliments too of course.  rocknkris@yahoo.com join our FB page, Kristine & Rocky Fields or call anytime (425) 359-9450. Remember, karaoke is what you make it, so go out and make it fun!

Karaoke Corner

By Rocky & Kristine Fields

Pub Crawl 2010

Welcome to another great edition of the Karaoke & Entertainment Guide! Each month we try to bring you helpful information, funny stories, contest updates, and of course your local karaoke venue listings. If you have anything you’d like to see here, please feel free to contact the paper to give us your two cents.

This past month was fun-filled, with contests, winners, outings and karaoke fun. We got a group together, as we do each year, and ventured out on a pub crawl. Thought we’d share our experience, and give you a couple of ideas maybe you hadn’t thought of for a great night out with friends.

We all got together on what we consider the south end of things.  Most of the folks who tagged along were from way up north; Sedro Woolley, Arlington, Bellingham, Oak Harbor, among others, so the plan was to start south and head north.

P.F. Changs was our destination for dinner. Located in the Alderwood Mall, and close to the Macaroni Grill, the restaurant is similar to the Seattle location, so we were familiar with the layout. We reserved a table for 12 and everything was set up and waiting for us.  Everyone piled in, ordered, and we were served quickly. Our dinner was missing an entree, and after asking for it twice the manager came over and comp’d it from our bill. Nice! They brought it right out too and it was delicious!

Next stop, heading a little further south, we hit O’Houlie’s in Mountlake Terrace where Deanna and Lu hosted an amusing show featuring some of their regular singers and a birthday group too. It was festive and entertaining to say the least.  As our group ordered drinks, we all put song slips in and were added to the rotation promptly. The sound at O’Houlie’s is outstanding, and the hosts are awesome people too. Located just off the 220th street exit on I-5, it was easy to find and there was a generous amount of parking. There were pool tables at each side of O’Houlies and some of the guys played a couple of games while everyone sang their one song. It was a quick visit, but memorable, and we all agreed to go back sometime soon.

Heading north now, we take I-5 into Stanwood to check out Gerry Andal’s, where Gerry Andal’s band played until midnight. We knew a couple of the other guys that were playing with the band that night and they reserved our gang a table. The bartender was very sweet and accommodating and we took our seats near the stage after grabbing our libations. It wasn’t long until half of our crew was on the dance floor shaking what their mama’s gave them. Gerry’s band played some southern rock, some country and a little bit of new with the old. Everyone was up line dancing, and two stepping, and some even got brave and threw in a little ten-step here and there. The last song was a medley of several songs and was a nice way to end their set. Oh, but it wasn’t over for us yet!

Since the band plays until midnight, there was still time to hit another spot to see if we could get a song in before closing. Thinking we may have some luck close by, we took off to the Smokey Point Buzz Inn to see host B.B.G. and try our luck in the midnight hour. We were welcomed with open arms, and even though we cut it close, the host still fit in those of us who wanted to get just one last song in. The bartender was just calling last call so everyone got their last drinks, and settled in for just a little while. The song selection at BBG’s show is huge, and everyone found what they were looking for.

Thinking the night was almost over, I was gearing up to head home, until someone mentioned that the Angel of the Winds Casino had strawberry shortcake for only a buck… oh, it was on! Just for the record, we had designated drivers, and yes, some of our group got a little intoxicated, we all were safe as we arrived at our final destination. There were a lot of dollar menu items to choose from and everyone ordered lots of food. The food came up, we all ate, and some gambled a little too. 

I think no one really wanted the night to end, but all in all it was truly a great time! I have to tell you that some of the group weren’t feeling too hot the next day, but most of us were A-okay, and we’re all looking forward to next year’s event! 

If you are interested in joining our 2011 shenanigans, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll put you on our call or email list for information. We all think it would be fun to gather a large group more often too, so if we hear of lots of interest, it’ll be on!

Thanks for coming along on our little pub crawl with us! Always glad to have you join in. 

That’ll do it for this month’s corner. As always, feel free to contact us anytime with questions, comments, complaints or suggestions. rocknkris@yahoo.com (425) 359-9450 and join the Karaoke & Entertainment Guide on FB and add us too; Kristine & Rocky Fields. Keep on singing!