What makes a good karaoke experience?

A few weeks ago I was reading a karaoke forum mostly frequented by professional KJs throughout the country, even the world. They had all sorts of discussions going about the business, and I found it fascinating and eye-opening to learn about how things work from the other side of the stereo equipment. How they work out pay with the bar they set up in, how they set up singer rotations, how they handle guests that bribe them to go first, what kinds of equipment they use, whether karaoke at weddings is a good idea, how to make song selections available, etc... Though opinions on best practices varied from KJ to KJ, one thing they all seemed to agree on was that the one main thing that kept people coming to a karaoke joint, no matter what the other factors were, is the KJ him/herself.

I had never thought about it like that before, but upon reflecting on the last few weeks, I realized it was true.

You see, throughout the past couple of months, my friends and I have gone to karaoke at the rate of once a week-- definitely a lot more frequent than our usual rate of less than once a month. I think my friends are sick of it and probably ready for a break by now, but it's only fueled my own interest, personally :-) Anyway, we used the opportunity to branch out from our usual venue (Old Town Tavern in Old Town Goleta) to try out some of the other places around here. These visits entailed our first encounters with different karaoke DJs (KJs, as I guess they are known).

Now, our usual hangout is the OTT, featuring G-Man and his awesomely huge selection of songs. OTT as strictly a place to hang out is okay. I'm not terribly fond of the bartender that always seems to be there when I go (she scares me, frankly). It fills up fast, it's too loud, and on Wednesday nights, good luck squeezing your way to the bar amongst the throng of drunken, loud college kids. But G-Man keeps me coming back for karaoke, not only because he's got such a great song selection, but because he's such an awesome KJ. He's fun and sweet and warm and friendly and encouraging, and is all around a pleasure to interact with.

It was a similar experience the first time we tried out the Cliff Room on the Mesa, at least for me. The place itself was loud, and filled with a lot of men (both young and old) who really liked their drink and liked to hit on the women (both old and young). My friends and I had mixed experiences with the bartenders and the drinks themselves (mine were great, Tabitha's margaritas weren't). And while the KJ's system of rotation left a lot to be desired (it's hard to keep track of the right order when our names are written in a notebook instead of on slips of paper he can order), he had a good selection and he was personable and friendly. I liked him. I also liked the fact that his songbook was available as a PDF on his website. Now THAT comes in very handy for a person like me, who likes to plan out her songs in advance. For me, the great KJ more than made up for a venue that I would've otherwise found too loud and filled with boorish men.

Now, contrast this with another couple of places where I had the opposite experience: loved the venue, so-so KJ. First up was Monty's, where the bartender was totally awesome, the drinks were good AND cheap, the patrons were more mellow, and the place itself wasn't too crowded. Second was the Neighborhood Bar, where there was terrific food AND great drinks, at awesomely cheap happy hour prices. The crowd here was likewise better behaved than the ones at Cliff Room or the college kids at OTT. All in all, great places to simply hang out.

But at both places (where the same KJ presided), I just didn't get a very good vibe from him. His song selection wasn't very large, but he was certainly nice enough. I just didn't get that same feeling of warmth and friendliness as I did with the other KJs. I also thought it was a little strange for him to include himself in the rotation even when it was packed full of singers. It was a bit off-putting, as that takes time away from the patrons. That vibe (or lack thereof) alone was enough to put me off visiting those venues for karaoke.

However. The story does change, with our second visit to Monty's.

When we first entered the bar, he immediately recognized me from my past two visits, and greeted me by name. He was experiencing technical difficulties, and kept apologizing for the delay in starting. And later in the night, he even came up to where I was sitting to personally apologize once more for all the inconveniences. I thought that was mighty sweet of him. When I saw him again at the Creekside a few weeks later, he still remembered me, and even asked me to sing one of the newer country duets with him. He still doesn't give off the same sense of warmth and smiles as the other KJs, but I suppose he can't help that-- that's just the way he is. He showed that he cared, and you know what? That totally redeemed my past experiences with him, and I'll gladly frequent his haunts.

And that just goes further in proving the point that the most important factor in a successful karaoke experience is the KJ. If he really cares about his patrons, it will show. Of course... having a wide song selection is important too! :-)