Summer Just Got Hotter

Memorial Day Sing Dance CrawlCan 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!

HOBlogo

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

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!

We Love Us Some Bass Dave

dancing daveIt is with great sadness that I’m announcing my departure from Rock Out Karaoke and San Diego.

Since September of 2009 I have played over 180 shows with Rock Out Karaoke.  That’s probably around 7,200 songs and just as many high fives.  Counting all the duets, drunken groups of bridesmaids, and dancing bananas, I’ve been lucky enough to share the stage with possibly close to 10,000 karaoke singers (with just a few repeats and regulars) in the past two and a half years.

I want to thank all the musicians that I have played with in ROK over the years: Skip, Rob R., Mike, Rob W, Matt, Pants, Shawn, Paulo, and Colin.  You guys are awesome and make playing music what it’s supposed to be…Fun!

Equally important, I want to thank all the wonderful people that brave the Rock Out Karaoke stage every week.  Without you, we’re just another cover band.  My favorite day of the week without a doubt is Thursday because I get to share the stage with you all.  I will miss you all dearly.  Keep on ROK’ing!

My last official show is March 15th, but watch out for some special guest appearances in April!

Thanks,
Bass Dave

Editor’s Note:  We’ll definitely miss Dancing Dave’s stage antics week after week. Dave’s arrival in the band came at a pivotal time, as Bass Rob was busy having kids.  Dave was undoubtedly a huge reason why we were able to continue performing week after week — and even growing the number of gigs we play each year.  Dave  was literally the backbone of the band, shouldering the majority of the load with a smile (and usually a PBR or two).  Most of all, Dave is an incredible friend to all of us.  We all wish you the best and hope to share the stage with you again soon.

Bass Dave Got His Own Night!

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.

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.