Corporate logos

In Good Company

FritoLay, Morgan Stanley, Genentech, TIAA. No, those aren’t the latest ROK stock picks.*

They’re actually recent corporate clients! We’ve quietly been building a roster of happy clients, many of whom call us back year after year (Kia Motors, we’re looking at you!).

Call us for your next San Diego / Southern California corporate event and we’ll add your company logo to the distinguished (and growing) list!

*Past results do not guarantee future results when it comes to investments, but with ROK you’re covered!

Rock Out Karaoke Side Projects

Did you know? San Diego’s best karaoke experience is actually a collection of eight local musicians (and a few others from out of town on occasion), and many of us work on other projects when we’re not sharing the karaoke stage with you. Allow me to illustrate.

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Guitar Mike and Bass Andy are part of San Diego’s longest-running and most awesome Led Zeppelin tribute band, Dazed and Confused. They play local venues (places like 710 Beach Club, Winston’s and even Belly Up), corporate parties, and have even performed on US Navy destroyer (while it was underway!). If you have the chance to see this high energy tribute to some of the best music ever written, DO IT!

 


PauloGuitar Paulo is sort of a jack of all trades. Besides playing lead guitar with Skip’s Garage on occasion (see below), he also plays acoustic cover sets with his sister Amanda – yes, the same Amanda that hosts regularly with Rock Out Karaoke. Paulo also plays with DJ Who, which is a really cool concept: lead guitar shredding over some sick beats in a club-type atmosphere. The pair have traveled to Vegas and beyond to bring this show to the masses. Finally, Paulo has worked with San Diego’s own Slightly Stoopid on studio recordings and live performances. Badass.

 


10994048_10153112049888879_2978794313067996117_nGuitar Skip and Bass Rob got started in the mid-90s by playing acoustic covers in the hallowed halls of the U.S. Naval Academy (and even winning the Brigade talent show in 1998). Since moving to San Diego, Skip’s Garage grew in popularity, morphed into Pickford’s Party, and eventually became Rock Out Karaoke in 2006. Returning to their roots, Skip and Rob have teamed up with Paulo and Drummer Shawn recently to play an acoustic quartet of cover tunes – many of which are not on the ROK song list. Keep an eye out for Skip’s Garage at local breweries, events, and house parties.


we are sirensDrummer Shawn is involved in a few side projects as well – everything from a country band in LA, to a song-writing effort with his brother, to the locally-acclaimed We Are Sirens (who were nominated for a San Diego Music Award). You wouldn’t know it, but Shawn can sing too. We have to give him the mic more often!

Don’t even get us started on all the past music projects of ROK players (MELD, The Edge, Northern Illinois University Huskie Marching Band). We’ll save that for another post.

Suffice it to say, Rock Out Karaoke is loaded with talented musicians, so if you see us playing other events around town please be sure to support local music. If you ask real nice, we might even play your company holiday party, wedding, or birthday.

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.

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Six Fun Event & Wedding Ideas

Over the years, we’ve played a lot of San Diego weddings, corporate events, and parties. If you’re struggling to find ideas to make your next bash unforgettable, look no further – here are some of the best we’ve seen:

Themes
This one might sound obvious to some, but you can’t beat a good ol’ theme party. Whether it’s a rock star theme, a 1920s flapper feel, or a Woodstock music festival – people love to dress up. Pro Tip: make sure you put the word out well in advance so people have time to shop for their outfits.

photo boothPhoto Booth
Most of the parties we play these days include a photo booth or a step-and-repeat, and those things stay busy from start to finish. A photo booth can produce party favors for your guests (that you don’t have to put together) and can also serve as a way to commemorate your event online. Today’s photo booths have taken on a completely different look – green screens, props, flipbooks, and more – making them a great option for your next event.

Performers
We’ve seen lots of performers over the years – groups that can warm up the crowd for a band are great. Performances have included traditional Chinese dragon dancers (think Chinese New Year parade), synchronized swimmers (for a poolside party), hypnotists, and acrobatic / juggler / variety performers — they can all spice up your event and make it more memorable.

Other Specialists
One wedding we attended had cigar rollers – how cool is that? Hand-rolled cigars while you wait! Another corporate event featured an artist who was etching commemorative wine glasses with names and short phrases. Caricature artists are always a hit, too. Although we haven’t experienced it, we’ve heard about henna tattoos at some weddings – another great idea!

food truck event photoFood Trucks
We played a backyard party last year for Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian that featured food trucks. We also played a recent party in Beverly Hills for a large retail company that included the In-N-Out Burger truck, a Sprinkles Cupcake truck, and more. Double-double animal style for everyone, please!

Music
Ok, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention live band karaoke as a way to spice up your next corporate event, wedding or birthday party. But really, where else are you going to find entertainment that is truly interactive? If you’re a bride, imagine the memories of having Dad on stage belting out Journey like he was back in high school. Or Grandma doing her best Katy Perry impression. Seriously, we’ve seen some awesome family moments on stage with us over the years, and those moments will live forever.

So there’s our rundown of just a few interesting and different event ideas. What did we miss?