Okay. I admit it. I like Karaoke. I have been going to Karaoke bars/clubs/places for 12 years now. I started gong with some acquaintances from a BBS I used to run in the Dallas area. For 5 years I only sang one song ever – Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. One drunken evening I decided to sing a different song….I think it was a country song…..and botched it terribly.

Or so I was told the next day. I, of course, thought it sounded perfectly awesome with my beer muffs on.

It didn’t matter to me. I enjoy singing and always have. I became a regular. I even went so far as to set up and host the web site for my favorite KJ and friend Glenn Lukin at On Stage Entertainment (site is now run by MJK Media). If you are ever in Dallas, Tx and have a free night, go by and see him. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Not to mention one of the best song selections I have seen anywhere.

All this brings me to The Challenge. When I first started doing live presentations, I challenged my audience to a Karaoke Duel. I would be willing to go the night AFTER a presentation to a karaoke bar in the local area where I would sing a song and the challenger would sing a song. If the audience liked the challengers song better I would get them a copy of some piece of software from Microsoft.

In 2 years no one ever took me up on it.

Well….. I am re-instating the Challenge. Same “rules”. Just get a hold of me before I come into town for a presentation and we will make arrangements.

And I will up the ante….. challenger gets a copy of Windows 2003 Standard – Full Retail (no time bomb crap) *if* the audience likes their song better. No stacking the audience. But feel free to buy drinks if you think that might help.

To give you a heads up…..here was my set list from last night…

  • Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
  • Journey – Send Her My Love
  • Billy Joel – She’s Got a Way
  • Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water

I also sang as part a quadrunket (a name I made up for a duet that is sung by 4 intoxicated people…) that was utterly abysmal. I wish I could blame the other parties involved but to be honest….we all sucked. In all fairness the KJ told us the version of “Cruisin’” we were to be singing was the Huey Lewis/Gwenyth Paltrow version from the movie “Duets”. Turned out to be the Smokey Robinson version which I have never even heard before…..

I had a blast…

Karaoke Challenge………….Activated!!

Cheers!