Now THAT Was a Karaoke Party!

On a scale of 1 to awesome, our most recent private event was off the charts.  We were lucky enough to be a part of a very special day for a very special couple.  Melissa and Philippe d’Arabian invited us to play at their San Diego home following their vow renewal ceremony celebrating 10 years of (obvious) wedded bliss.

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You may recognize Melissa from her celebrity status on the Food Network (read her write up of the event in the Huffington Post).  While we love Ten Dollar Dinners and have picky eaters in some of our households (believe me, some of us will definitely be tuning in), we know Melissa best as an incredible host and an amazing karaoke singer.

Set in her family’s beautiful home in Coronado, Melissa designed a party that evolved around (you guessed it) the food.  With food trucks out front serving everything from some of the best paella I’ve tasted to gourmet hot dogs, it’s no surprise that the guests spent the first couple of hours in the front yard noshing on some of San Diego’s finest.  That left us a few minutes to set up in the back yard, which was well-suited for live band karaoke.  Inside, the family dinner table was covered with tons of non-perishable food items that I later learned would be donated to the local food bank (awesome).

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When we kicked off at 6pm, there was no looking back.  We were supported by kids of all ages who took center stage and sang their favorites from Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Ce Lo Green, Miley (the twerker) Cyrus, and even some classic hits that I was surprised these kids knew!  Much like our shows from the San Diego County Fair, it was a family event – with several father-son and mother-daughter moments.

All in all, we had a really fun night, and made some new friends (young and old).  Next up for us?  Adding more top 40 hits from recent years and keeping our fingers crossed that we get invited back for another event soon!

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s best (and longest-running) live band karaoke group.  Call us today (619.957.8030) to book your next karaoke party!

Holiday Karaoke Time!

Ahhh, October.  That time of the year when the phone starts ringing off the hook for holiday karaoke parties in San Diego.

We get excited about being the entertainment for your holiday party, mostly because you get so excited about us!

Here’s what some of you have said:

These guys were AMAZING at my buddy Marc’s Birthday Party!  They are a ton of fun and I can’t wait to check them out again. Marc’s party was a huge success, the best bday party ever, and it was thanks to ROK.  — Kimmy D, via Yelp.com

I was lucky to experience the awesome that is Rock Our Karaoke at the Yelp Unleashed party.  If I were having a wedding or some other party, I would definitely hire these guys to entertain my guests.  — Joe M, via Yelp.com

Love love love.  Would totally love to have these guys play at our wedding if I had a time traveling device.  — Jena O, via Yelp.com

We’ve had the pleasure of playing our unique live band karaoke show at tons of San Diego corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, and we keep getting calls to play more.

Thanks to those of you who have supported us in the past and here’s to another great holiday party season!

See plenty of photos of our private karaoke events and contact us for your party via our Weddings and Events page.

 

Comic-Con 2011 Heats Up

San Diego is always buzzing this time of year, and not just because of Rock Out Karaoke.  Summer marks the arrival of epic events like the San Diego County Fair, the Del Mar horse races, and of course, the annual Comic-Con International.  This year our fans will have two chances to sing karaoke with the band during Comic-Con.  First, of course, is our regular weekly show at the House of Blues on Wednesday night from 7-10pm.

Special bonus:  we got tapped by our friends at TechKaraoke to play our one-of-a-kind live band karaoke show Saturday night during Comic-Con.  Read on for more details.

In case you haven’t heard, Comic-Con is one of San Diego’s signature events – bringing crowds of over 100,000 from all over the world.  Movie buffs, video gamers, comic collectors, and entertainment junkies descend on the San Diego Convention Center every year to celebrate all things even remotely related to comics.  Comic-Con 2011 is July 21-24.

Here’s the scoop on when and where we’ll play:

When: Saturday July 23, 2011 8pm – 2am

Where: 97 Horton / Westfield Horton Plaza

Who: Open to ALL Comic-Con Attendees/San Diego locals. RSVP REQUIRED.

What: Caped and masked crusaders singing, dancing, and networking is only the beginning…

Last we heard, there were only a handful of tickets left for this event (literally) and you must register and print your ticket to get in.  This event is open to the public.

We’re hoping to see you on stage with us at Comic-Con this year, rocking your favorite live band karaoke tunes!

Special thanks to our sponsor, Twonky for hooking this one up!

Discover and Experience digital media on any web-connected gadget or device.

http://www.twonky.com/

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Photo:  Creative Commons courtesy of http://parkablogs.com/ 

Top 10 Karaoke Songs

Top 10 Live Band Karaoke Songs

We see a lot of top 10 lists out there these days.  Things like – top 10 worst karaoke songs, top 10 ways to get fired, and top 7 Tips for Rocking the Stage with a Live Band.  We’ve been playing San Diego’s best live band karaoke show since 2006, so we thought we’d create our own top 10 list of tunes that get chosen most frequently.  Our list is far from scientific; just a record of the most popular songs chosen at our weekly live shows and private event gigs.  Behold, the top 10 most popular live band karaoke songs:

10.  Plush – Stone Temple Pilots:  Early 90’s grunge wasn’t limited to Seattle.  In fact, many people don’t know that STP built a following right here in San Diego (at least according to the stoners who wrote the STP entry in Wikipedia).  We hear a lot of great Scott Weiland impressions at Rock Out Karaoke, so this one kicks off our list.

9.  Santeria – Sublime:  Another Southern California favorite, you simply can’t go wrong with a little Sublime karaoke.  Santeria gets the entire crowd singing along with you.

8.  You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette:  Nothing says, “I love the 90’s” more than AM’s first single from the 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill.”  That’s right, sister.  Just let it out. Once upon a time even former American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi rocked this song with us at a private event.

7.  Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi:  Rock Out Karaoke fans love this 1987 Bon Jovi/Sambora-written tune that starts with the windy acoustic intro, crescendos into a face-melting guitar solo, and ends back on the signature riff.  Anyone with the moxie to tackle this one is frequently rewarded with lots of praise from the crowd.

6.  Use Somebody – Kings of Leon:  Not all of the most popular tunes are “oldies.”  This 2009 smash hit from Tennessee family band Kings of Leon has gotten lots of radio play and gets lots of love from those who take the stage with us.

5.  Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood:  American Idol’s fourth season winner, Carrie Underwood, found a hit with this tune about smashing headlights and slashing tires. Guys, watch out for the girl who sings this one…

4.  Rebel Yell – Billy Idol:  This 80’s classic by sneering, spike-haired rocker Billy Idol is what Rock Out Karaoke is all about.  Raw, real, intense rock and roll, led by an energetic frontman from the audience.

3.  Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar: like Billy Idol, this one is a staple of our song list and gets lots of love by fans young and old.

2.  Sweet Child O Mine – Guns N Roses:  Another great rock anthem that lets our karaoke singers really unleash their inner rock star.  This tune has been on the ROK song list since day 1, and it’s no wonder why people choose to belt it out week after week.

1.  Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey:  There are two types of people in this world.  Those who love Journey and those who are liars.  This crowd favorite is guaranteed to get the entire bar singing along with you.  We’ve seen many a bachelorette/birthday groups rock this one and capture the attention of everyone within earshot.

So there you have it, sports fans.  The top 10 most-chosen tunes at Rock Out Karaoke.  We certainly hope to see you on stage with us soon, rocking one of these songs or one of the other 190-some-odd (and counting) songs on the list.

Honorable mention goes to the following great songs as well: Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash; Alive – Pearl Jam; Love Shack – the B52s; and Possum Kingdom – the Toadies.

7 Tips for Live Band Karaoke

Singing karaoke with a live band is a completely new ball game for most of us and can be pretty intimidating.  Not only are you on a bigger stage, but you’ve got to adjust to the (increased) stage volume and high energy.  Luckily, we’ve got some helpful hints for you.  After playing in San Diego’s original live band karaoke show for over 4 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to be successful.  Read on and be the rock star that you know you can be.

1.  Own the stage. So this one might sound a little obvious, but you’ve got to act like you’ve been there before… even if you haven’t.  Even a mediocre singer with great stage presence and dance moves will wow the audience much more than a great singer who just stands there.  Rock Out Karaoke regular, Kristen gives us a textbook example of a singer owning the stage.

2.  Song choice. If you’ve ever watched American Idol, you know that song choice is key.  Make it count.  While we like to think that all our tunes rock (since they pretty much do), there are simply some karaoke tunes that rock somewhat harder than others.  Go for a song you really know by heart, so you can concentrate on tip #1.

3.  Liquid courage. Sure it’s expected that you’ll indulge in a few drinks to lubricate the pipes, but there’s also a point at which you become “that guy (or girl.)”  Enjoy the drink specials and try to find your sweet spot just before you hit the stage.

4.  Bring your own cheering section. Even if you’re not a great singer, having some familiar faces there to cheer you on makes you seem that much more like a rock star.  Plus, they can sing along with you, help calm your nerves, record your performance to post on YouTube, and have that cold beer waiting for you when you return to the table.

5.  Look at the audience. This one goes back to points 1 and 2.  If you can connect with the audience, they’ll love you.  Relax, take your hands out of your pockets, and step up with some confidence.  It’s okay to smile, too.  Look them in the eye and tell them how you’re the Man in the Box.

6.  Stick to the lyrics. Unless you’re singing a Weird Al song, changing the lyrics is probably only enjoyed by you and a couple of your buddies who don’t get to hear the F* bomb enough.  Read what’s on the prompter and rock the original version.

7.  Come back for more. With live band karaoke shows all over the US, you’ve got no excuse for making it part of your social scene more often.  In San Diego, we play about 6-8 public shows each month.  That makes for plenty of opportunities to ‘rehearse.’  The best way to get better at something is practice, practice, practice!

Most of all, enjoy yourself and others will too.  Rock the stage with a live band and brag about it at work the next day!

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s most dynamic live music performance group, combining the raw power of a live rock band with the fun of audience participation, where individual singers take center stage with the live band! Complete with lyrics displayed on a monitor in real-time with the music, nothing is missing from this unique karaoke show! Rock Out Karaoke is available for your San Diego wedding or special event. Contact us today to find out how we can make your party one to remember!