Summer Break

Harvard, Yale, Cal State San Marcos. Every great institution takes a summer break now and then. The time has come for Rock Out Karaoke to take a little summer break of our own.

We’ll rock the 710 Beach Club for the first two weeks in June before taking a brief hiatus, only to return recharged and refreshed and ready to rock the late summer and fall months with you.

We understand that this ‘announcement’ may raise a few questions. Here’s a little FAQ:

Are you really taking a break for the summer?
Yes.

Why?
Between summer travel schedules, new jobs, and changes for some of the band members; it was necessary at this point to take a bona fide break. Coming off a 2014 that included 104 shows (in only 52 weeks, mind you), it’s time we slowed the pace a bit.

Are you coming back for regular shows at some point?
You can count on it.

Is the band breaking up?
Not a chance.

Are you sure?
Absolutely.

Are you still available for private parties?
Yes, depending on our travel schedules, we could be available for private gigs this summer – and definitely beyond.

So there you have it. Let’s rock the snot out of these next couple of weeks at 710 Beach Club, say farewell to the Skipper, and get ready for a relaxing summer.

ShamROCK Pre-Party

mcfaddensNew show just announced! This Saturday, March 14, as part of the ShamROCK celebration in downtown San Diego, Rock Out Karaoke will take the stage with you at McFadden’s Irish Pub. We’ll be melting faces at the official VIP pre-party from 3-6pm. Come early for kegs & eggs, more live entertainment with our friend Pat Hilton, DJ’s, drink specials, and more.

Find out all the details here.

Free Things to Do in San Diego

Rock Out Karaoke was recently named one of the top free things to do in San Diego in an article on the website Thrillist.com. We are honored to be sharing the spotlight with other San Diego powerhouses like the Hotel del Coronado, Sunset Cliffs, Taylor Guitars, Balboa Park, and um, the beach.

But we really love sharing the spotlight with YOU each and every week. Thanks for helping us make the list of top San Diego activities – we couldn’t do it without you!

Hotel Del Coronado

Photo Credit: Hotel Del Coronado (Flickr)

See the full article here (and then get out there and do some of these free things!).

PB Idol Is Back!

Remember PB Idol? Yes, that one. The only live band karaoke competition in San Diego? Well, it’s back! Again.

Beginning on January 15 and continuing for eight weeks, you’ll have the chance to compete for more than $500 in cash and prizes! Each Thursday, the contest will feature up to 8 singers aiming for a spot in the PB Idol Finals in early April (exact date TBD). Each weekly winner will win a 710 Beach Club gift certificate and the finalists will win cash prizes for first, second, and third place.

chrisSingers will be judged by an independent panel on three factors:

  1. Vocal performance
  2. Stage presence
  3. Crowd noise + applause

To enter, please email the event organizers at pbidol@710bc.com. Please include three (Thursday) dates you would be able to compete in the preliminary rounds. You will be contacted by email to let you know the date for your prelim round. Please address any questions about the competition to this email address (not to the band).

Remember, this singing competition is for fun and bragging rights (and some cold, hard cash of course!), and the band is not in charge of who sings which night or ANY aspect of the judging. We’re just there to support you in your quest to become the next PB Idol!

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!

2014: A Karaoke Year in Review

2014 has been a banner year here for us at Rock Out Karaoke, and we couldn’t have done it without you, San Diego! Whether it was a Gaslamp or Pacific Beach bar — or a private karaoke event — we loved having you on stage with us. So, we got to thinking (dangerous, we know): what if we added up all the numbers? Here’s how 2014 panned out:

  • 107 shows (charity events, holiday parties, bar gigs, weddings, & campfires*)
  • This also means we likely played “Don’t Stop Believin” at least 106 times
  • 4,000 songs performed
  • 15,458 high fives (some people forget to high five the band on the way out, you know)
  • 2 Bass Dave beard sightings

While there were so many to choose from, here are just a few of our favorite live band karaoke moments in 2014:

ROK Turns 8
We quietly celebrated our 8th birthday this October. Hard to believe we’ve been rocking for the better part of a decade! Judging by the numbers above, we’re only getting started.

4k tv winnerAJ’s Kids Crane
We loved supporting such a great cause with AJ’s Kids Crane this year. One lucky ROK fan even took home a brand new Sony 4K TV!

San Diego County Fair
We enjoyed our 5th year performing at the San Diego County Fair. Editors note: we’re already in talks with them about some surprises for 2015.

The Local Pub Crawl (follow the link for tons of great photos)
We look forward to this rockin’ party that just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Taking the stage at the legendary House of Blues with 1,200 of our closest friends in attendance is always quite a rush.

YOU Joining us on Stage
Yes, YOU! We couldn’t have done any of this without our incredible fans, so thanks from all of us at ROK for supporting San Diego’s best live band karaoke. Special thanks to 710 Beach Club for hosting us every Thursday night of the year – and Tin Roof Bar for bringing us in every Wednesday. Don’t forget to tip your bartenders!

We hope to see you in 2015!

*ROK has yet to land a paying campfire gig (it’s one of our top goals for 2015 in Southern California).

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s number one event band. There’s nothing quite like joining a live band on stage to unleash your inner rock star! Call us today to see how we can spice up your next event.