AGK March Contest Update / AGK Recap (2/15/2009)

Hello, peeps!

I’m sure that, by now, at least some of you have heard about what we’re doing for our March contest. It’s the biggest contest we’ve ever run, and the most complex. There’s a handsome prize for the winner at the end, but it’s going to take some hard work, talent, friends, and a fun journey to get to the end.

We’re talking about the Anything Goes Karaoke Gauntlet:

• Many singers will try for a qualifying spot.
• Ten singers will earn medals– and entry into the Gauntlet Competition.
• Each medalist will be required to sing four songs, each in a different category and spread over a two-show long event.
• Each song will be scored in multiple categories, including vocals, stage presence, song difficulty, crowd reaction, and Final Judgment.

The highest scorer wins… $100 in cash. It’s the richest prize that AGK has awarded… and it’s coming from me. If you can commit to it, it’s going to be a lot of fun… but this is no ordinary AGK contest. Qualifying medals are going to be earned– not received.

Here’s the timeline:

The contest will be taking place during each Wednesday in the month of March, starting on March 4th. March 4th and March 11th will be qualifying shows. One person each hour will receive a medal based on their performances. Theoretically, it will be easier (and more beneficial to potential qualifiers) to earn a medal earlier in the show before the crowd starts to swell. Medalists will be announced at :45 past each hour… that means 8:45, 9:45, 10:45, 11:45, and 12:45 (just before closing). After the March 11th show, we should have 10 medalists.

If you are selected to receive a medal, you will be asked if you can commit to being at the March 18th and March 25th shows. If you cannot, it’s imperative that I know so that I can give the medal to someone who can make it. Please be honest. The success of the second phase of the Gauntlet depends on having contests perform on both nights, as you’ll see shortly.

The AGK Gauntlet event will take place on March 18th and March 25th. The contest portions of both shows will begin at 9:30pm.

Each medalist will perform two songs each– for a total of four– over the two week period. Although the songs can be in any order, these four genres MUST be covered in order to “run the gauntlet”:

• Rock / Metal
• Country
• R&B / Rap / Hip-Hop
• Oldies (prior to 1980)

All song choices must be in to me by 9pm on March 18th, and I will have the final say as to whether the song choices are appropriate for each category. Also, it’s a first-come, first-served deal on song choices… so it’s a good idea to research your choices in advance.

Each song will be scored individually, in five (pretty familiar if you’ve competed at an AGK event before) categories:

• Vocal Ability: This is how good you sound. Good pitch, tone, volume (mic control), timing, and proper lyrics all factor into this score.
• Stage Presence: Singing is great, but to win the cash, you must show a mastery of the art of performance. Faster songs may benefit from taking the show to the crowd, or perhaps using a bit of emotion to propel your audience. Slower songs may require a bit of emotion to get the crowd to feel what you’re feeling. Standing still on stage and reading lyrics won’t earn you high marks.
• Song Difficulty: Scoring well here depends on the song choices you make. Songs that require a certain level of technical ability to perform well– such as songs with lots of range, songs with fast tempos, and songs with lots of words (rap, usually) can earn you extra points in this category.
• Crowd Reaction: The bottom line here is that if the crowd likes you, you get points. If the crowd doesn’t respond or doesn’t clap for you… you get fewer (or even zero) points. The easy way to earn a maximum score here is to bring people to support you with applause. Bringing people also increases the crowd, which makes it more energetic for you as a performer.
• Final Judgment: This score is what each judge thought of your overall performance, as a whole, and is a completely subjective score.

The highest cumulative score wins the cash. Easy enough, right?

This is the basic set-up. There will be some more detail coming in the next week or so, as we get closer to the event. It’s very exciting for me to be putting this all together and making it a reality. My hope is that we’ll attract some new talent, showcase our current talent, and maybe even bring back some singers who have been away for awhile.

So… what do you think? Are you excited? Do you think you’re going to do it?

In the meantime, the prognosis for Wednesday night and Thursday night is looking all right, weatherwise… so I hope to see a lot of you then. Also, thanks to those of you who have been joining the Facebook group. We’re over 25 members strong now! Please continue to spread the word, and remember that it’s also a good place to interact about the show… we have a discussion forum, plus you can jot quick notes about the show down on the Wall there.

Lastly, I’d like to recognize a few things from Sunday night’s AGK show:

• My thanks to the lovely Taryn for singing a few songs for us, despite recovering from a recent illness. She really sounded good and it was nice of her to give in to my request to sing. I recognized her with an AGK Awesome Performer Award. I hope she comes back soon!
• We saw the Hottie Patrol reunited for the first time in a long time last night. It was great to see Miss Jeanine, Chell, and Hottie Tracy all back together again. It felt like old times on Sunday nights, and it was truly awesome to have them there. Thanks so much, ladies!
• Thanks to Kelli, Diana, Jay, Denise, and Stephanie for dropping down and hanging with me. Jay again sounded impressive, and Jay and Denise sounded great together. Unfortunately, a lot of Diana’s songs were stolen– but I’m sure I’ll get her to sing again soon! We got Stephanie to sing a couple of times– including a rendition of a Little Mermaid number. NICE!

Whew. 1,000+ words later, and I’m done. Have a Super Tuesday!

AGK Pre-Show Quickie: Sunday, 2/15/2009

I hope all of you had a happy Valentine’s / Made-Up-Holiday-for-Hallmark-and-Hershey-Day. I spent most of it in pain after doing some moving of heavy furniture. The moral of the story: I’m too old to be physical. *sigh*

Anyway…

Tonight’s AGK show has the potential to be a busy one, thanks to the long holiday weekend for some. I don’t foresee it being Thanksgiving Eve in terms of people, but it’s got a chance to be busier than normal. If you’re planning on coming down to the Ranch to sing, then I have a couple of pieces of advice for you:

1. Try to arrive early: I’ll be doing my best to start the show right at 8pm if enough singers are in attendance. The first hour of the show is usually the slowest, so if you show up earlier, you’ll usually get more chances to sing. Once the slips start rolling in (like I’m thinking will happen), then it’ll be tough to say what the wait time will be.
2. Pick your songs wisely: Whenever it’s busy, I always advise singers to pick their very best songs from their repertoire. Slower nights are better for experimenting. If there are a lot of people in attendance, it’s always better to bring your “A” game and show off a little. Especially if you are arriving later– when things are possibly more crowded and the rotation is longer– you don’t want to waste any mic time on songs that you’re not sure of.
3. Check your phones: For those of you on the AGK Text Messaging List, keep an eye on your phone for messages regarding when you’re singing in order to keep the show running smoothly. I’m sure that a few of my funnier messages will come through to you, but I’d like to use texting as a resource as well. If you’re not on the AGK Text Messaging List, send me an e-mail at anythinggoeskaraoke@hotmail.com with your cell number if you’d like to be on it. Remember: If you have no text messaging plan, each message will cost you a nominal fee– so consider that before sending me your info. (VERY IMPORTANT: The AGK phone number is for text messaging ONLY. Please do not call the number for voice conversation.)

No matter how busy it gets tonight, the important thing is to have fun, as always. As long as you are there– singing or just observing– it makes the show more fun for me and certainly can attract other people to see what’s going on if we’ve got decent attendance.

Now then… about next month’s AGK Theme Contest… all I will tell you right now is that it’s going to be a big one. I have to hammer out some of the details with Ranch management, but it’s going to be nothing like we’ve ever done since we started contests last February. I thank everyone for their ideas, but I think singers will like what I’m doing for March. The only hint: It will NOT be a one-and-done event and contestants will have to earn their spots. That’s all you get for now. Interested yet?

That’s it for now. Thanks again to everyone who has signed up for the the Official AGK Facebook Group. We’re up over 20 members now! Once you join, you can add pictures, write comments, and check out our discussion forum… and it’s all free. The only caveat is that you need to have a Facebook account… so if you don’t, take a few minutes and create one… then search for Anything Goes Karaoke and you’ll see the group come up. Also, don’t forget to keep checking the blog here periodically for news and notes!

Have a great Sunday, everyone… and I hope to see you all tonight!

AGK Recap: Love Lies Bleeding (2/12/2009)

February’s AGK Theme Contest highlighted last night’s Anything Goes Karaoke show, and it was a dandy. 14 singers competed for cash and glory in the 2nd annual Love Lies Bleeding contest. The theme was basically Anti-Valentine’s Day, and while a few singers wore symbolic clothing… everyone in the contest had a story in their music. I really enjoy running this theme because it allows singers to really let their emotions run wild, should they choose to do so.

In the case of the contest winner, Noelle, she shoved aside illness and delivered an electric performance that earned her a narrow– but deserved– victory. Noelle commanded audience attention as she seethingly sang Alanis Morrissette‘s man-hating anthem, You Oughta Know. Subbing lyrics at will and showing no mercy, her strong voice drew on personal experience to reach down and hammer notes with free-flowing effort. AGK showgoers and singers who know Noelle have seen the versatility and power in her voice, covering Broadway to country… but, last night, her power and will dominated.

The contest’s runner-up, Lindsay, marked her second appearance at the Ranch. Lindsay has made the American Idol trek, as seversl other AGK singers have in the past, and her vocal ability is truly impressive. Lindsay has a firm handle on country music and the vocal skill required to sing the genre well– and she demonstrated it with her rendition of the Dixie Chicks‘ Goodbye Earl. She had fun with the song, changing out Earl’s name for someone else in her group while hamming it up a bit with another contestant who was sitting at the bar near her. The ultimate difference-maker in her performance– and the only real blemish– was a slow and seemingly confused start. Once she got going, though, she impressed many in the seats at the Ranch. Should she return, Lindsay has a real shot at a future contest win.

Other contestant performances of note:

• Denise finished just behind the winners in score thanks to a top-notch performance of Carrie Underwood‘s Before He Cheats. Denise is a veteran of AGK contests, and she knows what the judges are looking for. Her vocals were strong, but it was her performance technique in taking the show to the crowd and having fun that propelled her into the 3rd place spot.
• There was a three-way tie for 4th place between Heather, Jay, and King George. Heather’s performance of Ugly Kid Joe‘s Everything About You was impressive; she picked a good song for her range, she did a wonderful in an ad-lib-rap part of the song that she admittedly was unsure of, and she seemed to have fun singing it. Jay, sporting a hilarious t-shirt and drawing on his own personal experiences, did a great job with Puddle of Mudd‘s She Hates Me; his voice seemed to me to be a little tentative at times, but it was a solid effort. King George sang Joe Nichols‘ Brokenheartsville and was pretty much spot-on; however, the ease of the song choice versus what others sang separated him from the leaders.
• Ryan, the winner of last year’s Love Lies Bleeding contest, attempted to take the same comedic angle that won him the title before. Again channeling “Weird Al” Yankovic, Ryan used Jay as a prop to sing to, performing You Don’t Love Me Anymore. It got some deserved laughs from the crowd, but it wasn’t enough this year to impress the judges.
• Last month’s AGK Theme Contest winner, David, was an unfortunate victim of his own song. As many karaoke regulars know, there are several different karaoke music companies out there who supply tracks which the AGK computer stores. This version of Billy Vera‘s At This Moment was a little different than most others– especially towards the end– and David had a tough time with it as the end of the song drew near. It was a solid effort aside from that, and it certainly doesn’t diminish his incredible talent.
• Diana continues to emerge from her singing shell, and that makes me happy. She performed Miranda Lambert‘s Kerosene for this contest, and I thought she did a great job with it. She’s gradually overcoming her fears and is singing more with larger crowds, and I am proud of her for doing so– and for competing in our contests.

I want to thank our other contestants: Dan-O (Bye Bye Love), Kaleena (Take A Bow), Paul (Love You), Alana (No Scrubs), and Dan (Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do). Everyone did a great job; we had nobody stop singing and we had no technical problems, so the contest went smoothly; in fact, we wrapped the contest in a little over an hour.

Other show notes:

• It was great to see Hottie Tracy and Kat drop by last night. While we don’t see the Hottie Patrol together much anymore, it’s always a treat to have Kat and Tracy come down and sing with us. The Hottie Patrol was a Sunday night staple for much of 2007 and part of 2008, and i miss having them around.
• Although they didn’t sing, thanks to Kelli and Stephanie for hanging out with us last night. Kelli come out despite not feeling great, and Stephanie dropped by after work. Stephanie– who just about everyone has linked to me as either my girlfriend or wife for over a year now– has been a special member of the AGK family and does mean the world to me. Kelli has been a staunch supporter and friend not only of the show, but to me personally. Thanks to her, the show has its own song request slips to go along with some awesome pictures. I love both of you!!!

I also forgot to mention a quick anecdote about Wednesday night’s show that’s just too funny to hold back. Matt made AGK history by quite literally clearing the top bar with a performance of Copacabana. Now, to Matt’s credit, he’s done a fantastic job of improving each time he comes up to sing and he’s also come out of his shell since starting to give karaoke a shot last year. I’m sure that Matt’s performance had nothing to do with people leaving en masse, but it was a pretty hilarious sight to behold. So… congratulations, Matt! *grin*

One last thing before I wrap this up: I’d like to thank Jagermeister for coming forward and holding promo nights at the Cadillac Ranch on an AGK night. While it’s more of a coincidence, having the Jager Girls and having promo events helps to attract new people to the Ranch… and, hopefully, to our stage. The good news is that this promotion (which is also being fueled by SpikeTV’s Toughest Cowboy, a new reality show from Survivor guru Mark Burnett) will be taking place on Thursday nights for the next five weeks… so you’ll have a chance to ride the bull on an AGK night (which is unusual), score free Jagermeister swag, and cash in on some cool drink specials.

Whew. That’s it. I think. We’re slowly but surely building the ranks of our Facebook AGK group, so please be sure to mention it to everyone you can. Also, don’t forget about the new AGK Twitter Feed! It’s awesome for quick-hitting show updates from the stage, breaking AGK news, and who knows what else. Enjoy your weekend, and I hope to see you on Sunday night for more AGK fun!

Gettin’ Ready: AGK Pre-Show Quickie (2/12/2009)

Here we are… less than three hours away from the start of tonight’s AGK show. Here’s what’s going on:

• The Official Anything Goes Karaoke Twitter Feed is live! For those that don’t know what Twitter is, imagine a site where you can just type about anything– what’s going on in your life, personal observations, something about the drunk person who hit on you ther entire night before– within 140 characters via text messages and you therefore keep a running blog of your Tweets, or messages. A couple of us in the AGK family have personal Twitter feeds and we love it… so I’ve created a feed just for AGK that I’ll update frequently. Signing up for the feed is free (only need to create an account) and you can even get updates from the feed sent straight to your cell phone (make sure you have a decent text messaging plan first). Check it out, follow the feed, and let me know what you think!
• Tonight’s contest is looking like a great event. Although illness may curtail the field just a bit, we had a huge preliminary response to signups with 11 contestants. I’m imagining a busy night, although that can always change. To stick with the theme, I’ll be sporting mostly black (the TRUE Anti-Valentine color) and looking (at least somewhat) dapper. Dressing up isn’t a requisite or anything, but if you do, that’s cool, too. Expanding the field from 12 to 18 may be needed since I do have to give some opportunities to people who walk in tonight… but we’ll see how that goes. At the worst, that would extend the contest from an hour to 90 minutes. One of the great things about the lineup of contestants is that it appears that we have a pretty even split between guys and girls!
• Thanks to all of you who have joined the AGK group on Facebook! We’ve got 11 people so far, which I think is a great start for a group that’s barely 12 hours old. If you haven’t yet joined the Facebook revolution, I highly encourage it. Not only is it the home of the Official AGK Group, but it’s also a great social networking destination and has actually reunited me with some cool people! Please continue to spread the word– getting a bunch of people in one group is a great tool to share news, info, and build excitement for the show.

Check in here tomorrow for the lowdown on tonight’s show– the contestants, the winner, and more. I hope to see you all there!

New beginnings…

Welcome to all of you! I’m KJ Pete, the ringmaster (among other roles) for Anything Goes Karaoke (AGK), a karaoke show that’s been running at the Cadillac Ranch in Southington, CT since August of 2006. The show has seen many changes since its beginning, along with online interactivity via our MySpace page. After some consideration, I decided that it was time to take the blog that got its beginnings on MySpace and give it its own destination– away from MySpace and standing on its own merits. Since I have a little bit of experience working with WordPress (note the plug for my “other” blog by way of the link there), I decided that WordPress would be the perfect site for this blog as well.

The new blog is not the only change.

With the rise in popularity of Facebook (versus the decline of MySpace), I’ve created a group for AGK there. In the search box, type in Anything Goes Karaoke, and the group will pop up. It’s open enrollment, so anyone (and hopefully almost everyone) will join. I have some basic ideas for how I’d like the group to run, including possibly having some regulars help me with keeping it running smoothly. It’s got the potential to be a lot better than the MySpace page was, and having the possibility of assistance from other showgoers and singers to make it special is a genuinely exciting idea to me.

I have other things in the works for the show itself. We’re in the process of trying to secure a sponsorship, which may lead to more contests. We also have more contests coming in the months ahead, plus we’ll be (re)rolling the Awesome Performer Award program with more regularity once I’ve gotten these two new projects off of the ground. I really want to make AGK a fun and memorable destination for everyone– whether you sing a lot, a little, or just hang out and watch the rest of us goof off and have fun while performing. Hosting AGK means the world to me, but it means even more when I see lots of familiar faces alongside people who are experiencing AGK for the first time.

I’ll try my best to update this blog as frequently as I can. The entries won’t always be as wordy as some of my MySpace ones were, with song lists and singer lists, but I’ll definitely do my best to make the entries entertaining and give readers some insight and information. I’m also thinking of rolling out a new Twitter feed, but that’s still in the works.

Now then, it’s nearly 6am, and we’re 14 hours away from the next AGK show– and 16 hours away from this month’s AGK Theme Contest. Check back here on Friday to read all about it– or, better yet, come on down to the Ranch tonight and see for yourself who comes out on top. Something tells me that this contest is going to be one of our better ones!