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!

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