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.

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.

Four Years!

Hard to believe it’s been almost four years we’ve been melting faces with you at the 710 Beach Club every Thursday.  It’s pretty amazing when we take a look back to early 2009, when the band was just five members: Colin and Rob (splitting lead guitar), John (rhythm guitar), Rob (bass), and Eric (drums).

Soon after we’d add the wild antics of Bass Dave (um…bass), Stoltz (stunt guitar is his official title), and Matt (drums, charming wit).  Then along comes Paulo (geetar), Bass Andy and Drums Shawn.  We can’t forget our incredible hosts: Carlos, Chris, Joe, Antonio!

Are we missing anyone?  Ah, yes–YOU, the singers!  You guys made all this possible, so a big thanks to anyone who has ever taken the stage (or come to see someone) with us.

Back in 2009, no one in the band had kids (that we knew of).  Now, we (the royal “we”) have four children (that we know of).  Since 2009, the song list has grown from about 60 tunes to our current list of about 200.  And we won’t even start to list the growing choreography we keep adding to many of our tunes (lots of kicking, jumping, laying on the ground, wiggling, pelvis-thrusting).

Well, this Thursday, March 7, 2013, we’ll be celebrating our four-year stay at the 710 Beach Club with a big ol’ freakin’ party.

It’s also with mixed emotions that we announce we’re taking a break from Thursday nights at the 710 for a bit, as the club works on going a new direction with their Thursday format.

Luann'sDad

“I don’t recall saying, ‘Good luck.'”
(Click to play Simpsons clip)

Don’t think for a second that this is goodbye.  We’re actually excited at the chance to see what else is happening out there on Thursdays.  We’re working on securing a new Thursday night home soon, and you can continue to hang with us at JT’s Pub, the SD County Fair, weddings, company parties, and events around town.  Stay tuned for more news on our Facebook page and our email list.

We really cannot thank the 710 management for putting up…er…having us around for all these years, and for all the support — radio ads, drink specials, flyers, chalk boards.  Four years is a long time for any gig in this town.  And a big thanks to the true Oz behind us all:  Sound Guy John, who is the only person to be at every single 710 ROK show.  It’s a true honor to have someone as talented and experienced as Sound Guy John, who has run sound and toured with the likes of Metallica, and about every other band you can think of.

Help us end our four year run at the 710 Beach Club with a bang this Thursday night:  the party to take us home, send us on our way, and help us reach new heights.  Come early for free food, stay all night for drink specials and the ROK fun you’ve come to know and love.

High fives,
ROK

P.S.  Show us the love on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Yelp!

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!

Deep Fried Karaoke

June has arrived and in San Diego that means the San Diego County Fair is here – complete with deep fried Coke and chocolate-covered corn dogs!

For Rock Out Karaoke that means we’re rocking the Showcase Stage every Friday night 9-11pm, starting on June 17!  Once again, you can take the stage with a live band at one of the largest and most-anticipated events in Southern California.  Imagine if all 60,000+ (average daily attendance) rushed the Showcase Stage as you’re hitting the high notes on Sweet Child of Mine!  Now that’s rock and roll.

Chicken Charlie's at it again

We had a blast with you at the Fair last year, so join us again this year.  We might even buy you some “Totally Fried Frog Legs.”

Cruise on over to our Show Calendar for updated listings on when and where we play or sign up for our email list!

Chocolate covered corn dog

Photos courtesy of San Diego’s best food blog, My Burning Kitchen.