rockoutkaraoke

Karaoke Summer 2011

As we wrap up another great San Diego summer, Rock Out Karaoke would just like to thank our loyal fans who continue to support us week after week.  We always love having you on the stage with the band and enjoy seeing your smiling faces on a regular basis.

Here’s a quick recap of our crazy karaoke summer:

We kicked off the official start of summer with one of the best party ideas we’ve seen in a long time:  The Local’s Pub Crawl to the Park.  Live band karaoke was the second stop along the way, and over 500 people packed the House of Blues San Diego to sing with the band.  See the full story for photos and more.

June was also the start of our San Diego County Fair run, where we met tons of great karaoke singers during our three performances there.  2011 marked our second year of playing live band karaoke on one of the big stages, and we hope to see you there again in 2012.  We played a total of 13 karaoke shows in the month of June – our busiest ever!

July marked another record-setting month.  The highlight of the month was the 2011 Comic-Con after party, otherwise known as TechKaraoke.  Our friends at Twonky sponsored a great karaoke party and posted a few pictures.

The hard-working law students over at Thomas Jefferson Law School asked us to play their back-to-school social event in August, which turned out to be an awesome time.  Imagine live band karaoke on a perfect San Diego evening, while watching the sunset and fireworks over Mission Bay.  Yeah, it was pretty spectacular.

Of course, we enjoyed our summer fun at House of Blues San Diego every Wednesday night.  And finally, we can’t forget the crazy nights we had at 710 Beach Club as we continue our 2+ year run there playing live band karaoke with you every Thursday night.

As we look back, it really was a great summer.  Thanks to everyone who made it possible.  Our holiday private party schedule is starting to take shape, so don’t hesitate to contact us for your own company events, birthday parties, and more.

What was your favorite Rock Out Karaoke summer moment?  Leave a comment and let us know!

House of Blues

That’s right!  Unlike the NFL, we can successfully negotiate a mutually beneficial contract – sorta what we like to call a win-win-win.  You win, since you get to take the stage with us at the legendary House of Blues San Diego. HOB wins, since they get to hear all our great singers week after week.  We win, because we get to see your smiling faces at a new venue.

 

Starting in May (and hopefully lasting throughout the summer and beyond), we’ll be at the House of Blues every Wednesday from 7pm til 10pm.

san diego karaoke band

 

Cruise on over to our show calendar for a complete listing of when and where we play.

The Local Pub Crawl

What do you get when you mix 550+ rowdy pub crawlers with San Diego’s best live band karaoke on the main stage at the House of Blues San Diego?

An epic, one-of-a-kind, unforgettable stop on the best pub crawl in town.

For the second consecutive, back-to-back year in a row <grin>, Rock Out Karaoke had the privilege of playing for 90 action-packed minutes as the second stop along the way for the annual Memorial Day “Sing, Dance, Crawl to the Park” put on by San Diego’s own Local Eatery & Drinking Hole.

Click on the image to see all the photos from this event!

Naturally, the party started at The Local.  But when the House of Blues doors opened at 2pm, the energy from 550 people had the room instantly buzzing. Starting with the National Anthem (a fitting tip of the cap to the reason why we have the freedom to enjoy a 3-day weekend), the next hour and a half included some of the best karaoke singers we’ve seen in quite some time.  Beach balls flew through the air as 500 beautiful voices sang in unison to songs like Santeria, Sweet Caroline, and Livin’ on a Prayer.

Then, just as quickly as they stormed in, the crawlers were on to the next stop.

With no shortage of beautiful women, an energetic crowd, and awesome support from The Local and the House of Blues, this is a party we could get used to playing for many years to come.

See you next year!  See all the photos at our Facebook page.

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.

PB Idol is Back!

Perfectly timed with the start of Season 10 on American Idol, we’re bringing back PB Idol for the spring!  The contest will happen during our regular Thursday night gigs at the 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach starting on February 3rd. The winner will be crowned during the PB Idol Finals night at 710 Beach Club on April 2.  See our show calendar and details below.  Start warming up those voices!

PB Idol 2009 Finals

Here’s a quick rundown of how it will work:

  • PB Idol begins Feb 3, and runs 8 weeks (ending March 24).   Six contestants per night, two per set, one winner each night.  Finals will be held on Saturday April 2.
  • ROK will take sign-ups for the preliminary rounds here: http://goo.gl/qzHKc (feel free to share the link with others).  Contestants will sign up for a first and second choice date, but not a specific time slot (you will be able to select a time slot and tune the night of your preliminary— first come, first served).  We anticipate all spots will fill up fast, so sign up now to get the date you want.
  • Contestants will be judged in 3 categories:
  • Prizes:  Cash money prizes will be awarded!
  • Misc:
    • Contestants may compete in only one preliminary round.
    • If you sign up for a time slot and don’t show, you won’t be able to sign up a second time.
    • No-show time slots will be filled by others who are present that night (first come/first served)

So who’s ready to show us what you got???

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!