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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.

AJ’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.

San Diego Named Top Meeting Destination

File this one under “Duh!”, but San Diego was recently named one of the top 10 meeting destinations in the United States. The list was produced by Cvent (a leading event management software company) and puts San Diego with the likes of Orlando, Chicago, Vegas, and well ahead of places like New York, LA, and New Orleans.

Here’s what they had to say about our fair city:

“With 70 miles of beaches, 92 golf courses, over 100 culturally diverse neighborhoods, 120 meeting hotels, Rock Out Karaoke, and an abundance of event venues for groups of 10 to 30,000, San Diego is an ideal meeting destination.”

Ok, so we may have embellished the description just a bit, but you get the picture. San Diego is awesome, and even better with some live band karaoke. We love the fact that our hometown plays host to so many great conventions, conferences, and meetings all year long. Give us a ring if we can make your next meeting rock a little harder.

More Holiday Karaoke Fun: San Diego Reader

When one of the most respected and widely read publications in San Diego first called Rock Out Karaoke to play their staff holiday party, we were certainly excited. I mean, these are some of the most influential people in the region: writers, editors, bloggers for the San Diego Reader — they all have opinions and they have the forum to share those opinions. We knew we would have to make a great first impression.

Our friends at the House of Blues set us up in the Delta Room, a private space that is great for these types of events (probably holds around 100 people comfortably). It’s got a lot of great seating (read: cushy couches) and, of course, has its own private bar. On this particular night, Reel Big Fish was playing in the music hall, so the party guests had access to that concert as well. From what we can tell, they all opted to stay close and rock out with us instead.

We cranked up the volume and it was on! Talk about a karaoke crowd – these guys pulled out everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to the Proclaimers, complete with props and costumes! The free-flowing open bar helped warm up their vocal cords, and by the end of the night everyone was singing along. I think it’s safe to say we NAILED IT, but of course we couldn’t have done it without help from the fun-loving staff from the Reader. Many thanks – and we hope to see you all again next year!

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s most dynamic and interactive cover band, combining the raw power of a live rock band with the fun of karaoke, 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! Call us today, and let’s talk about how we can make your next event one for the ages.

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.

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).

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!

Summer Just Got Hotter

Can you feel the sizzle? As if our fourth year at the San Diego County Fair wasn’t enough, we’ve added to the summer lovin’ by bringing live band karaoke back to the House of Blues for a post Comic Con bash that you don’t want to miss!

That’s right, Saturday, July 20 from 8-11pm, you get to take center stage with a live band and the legendary House of Blues. Karaoke sign ups start at 7:30. The list will surely fill up fast – so grab your costumes and get there early. Show your Comic Con badge to get 15% off your food and non-alcoholic beverage tab, too!

For venue details, directions and more visit the House of Blues website.