Can You Say..... "Grammy Award"?
You may, or may not know this, but I'm a songbird. Yup, if you're one of the people who have worked around me in the last few years, you know that one of the ways I concentrate, is by "singing" to myself. Of course, some of you might not exactly call what I do "singing", and there was this one guy who I worked with in the past, who thought that I was "Crying For Help". Everybody thinks they're a comedian, don't they? Well, anyway, my apologies to those who have had to "put up with" my wailing for the past few years, but just FYI, it wasn't in vain. You see..... This past weekend, I had my first local "Public Performance"
Yup, see, it turns out that the Sports Bar near my house has karaoke on Saturday Nights, starting at 9pm. If you are familiar with the area, it's in Chandler, on the Southwest corner of Kyrene and Chandler Blvd. It use to be called "The Hitts Sportsbar", but now it's "The Regal Beagle". Hey..... I didn't name it, I just go there.
Anyway, I went there to watch a game a few Saturday's ago, and at 9:00pm, they start setting up this Karaoke Machine. Now the last time I "sang publicly" was on my vacation to cancun, over a decade ago, and let's just say..... No record companies called me. At the time, when I asked my friend how I did, she charitably said; "I think you picked the wrong song", which is friend speak for "You Sucked". But maybe she was right..... In any case, I had been going there the last few Saturday's, and this last Saturday, after getting my "Liquid Courage" up, consisting of 3 Carona's and 2 Cuervo Shots, I took the plunge.
I like their set up, because you don't have to get up on stage. They have a wireless mike, so you can grab the mike, and slink back to your table, into the relative darkness of the bar, so I figured, what the hell, right? I think that my mistake in Cancun, was trying to sing above my range. The Cancun song was more for an Alto, or maybe a Soprano, and I now know that I am somewhere more in the Baritone range. I know you're just dying to know, so the song I chose was..... The Devil Went Down To Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band.
Hey, don't laugh, I know all the words, and I've got the timing down pat. But just to be sure, I wrote 'First Timer" on the little slip of paper, so if I was really terrible, maybe they'd cut me some slack. So anyway, they call my name, the guy let's everybody know I'm a virgin..... Singer I mean :-) I grab the mike, slink back to the bar, and give it my best baritone shot.........
After the first verse, the bartender Rick gives me that "Fist Bump" thing, someone on the other side of the room yells out Yeeeeee Haaaaa, and after that baby, I was ROLLING! There are 2 "Fiddle Solo's" in the song, and people are doing that "Arm In Arm Square Dance Thing", in between the tables, and of course, at the finale of the song where it goes "I Dun Told You Once You Son Of A Bi.... I'm the Best That's Ever Been", I actually rose off the bar stool and jumped up and down!!
To make a long story short (Yeah Right), I got a rousing round of applause, 2 people High Five'd me along the way to bringing back up the mike, and someone (I still don't know who, hopefully female) bought me a beer. In any case I now know a little bit of what it feels like to be a performer....., even if it was only for 1 song.
So, if you aren't doing anything some Saturday Night, maybe stop on by. I'm thinking of extending my performance to a second song. I don't want to reveal the title, but all I can say, is that it has something to do with "Marvin Gaye", and it involves a "Grapevine". BTW - No autographs please :-)
Yup, see, it turns out that the Sports Bar near my house has karaoke on Saturday Nights, starting at 9pm. If you are familiar with the area, it's in Chandler, on the Southwest corner of Kyrene and Chandler Blvd. It use to be called "The Hitts Sportsbar", but now it's "The Regal Beagle". Hey..... I didn't name it, I just go there.
Anyway, I went there to watch a game a few Saturday's ago, and at 9:00pm, they start setting up this Karaoke Machine. Now the last time I "sang publicly" was on my vacation to cancun, over a decade ago, and let's just say..... No record companies called me. At the time, when I asked my friend how I did, she charitably said; "I think you picked the wrong song", which is friend speak for "You Sucked". But maybe she was right..... In any case, I had been going there the last few Saturday's, and this last Saturday, after getting my "Liquid Courage" up, consisting of 3 Carona's and 2 Cuervo Shots, I took the plunge.
I like their set up, because you don't have to get up on stage. They have a wireless mike, so you can grab the mike, and slink back to your table, into the relative darkness of the bar, so I figured, what the hell, right? I think that my mistake in Cancun, was trying to sing above my range. The Cancun song was more for an Alto, or maybe a Soprano, and I now know that I am somewhere more in the Baritone range. I know you're just dying to know, so the song I chose was..... The Devil Went Down To Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band.
Hey, don't laugh, I know all the words, and I've got the timing down pat. But just to be sure, I wrote 'First Timer" on the little slip of paper, so if I was really terrible, maybe they'd cut me some slack. So anyway, they call my name, the guy let's everybody know I'm a virgin..... Singer I mean :-) I grab the mike, slink back to the bar, and give it my best baritone shot.........
After the first verse, the bartender Rick gives me that "Fist Bump" thing, someone on the other side of the room yells out Yeeeeee Haaaaa, and after that baby, I was ROLLING! There are 2 "Fiddle Solo's" in the song, and people are doing that "Arm In Arm Square Dance Thing", in between the tables, and of course, at the finale of the song where it goes "I Dun Told You Once You Son Of A Bi.... I'm the Best That's Ever Been", I actually rose off the bar stool and jumped up and down!!
To make a long story short (Yeah Right), I got a rousing round of applause, 2 people High Five'd me along the way to bringing back up the mike, and someone (I still don't know who, hopefully female) bought me a beer. In any case I now know a little bit of what it feels like to be a performer....., even if it was only for 1 song.
So, if you aren't doing anything some Saturday Night, maybe stop on by. I'm thinking of extending my performance to a second song. I don't want to reveal the title, but all I can say, is that it has something to do with "Marvin Gaye", and it involves a "Grapevine". BTW - No autographs please :-)
posted by TomH | 3:45 PM
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