Saturday, January 10, 2009

and now please rise for the national anthem

i love karaoke. love it.  to those who have never seen me karaoke, this may come as a surprise. but to those who have, it's pretty obvious. 

two life dreams have evolved due wholly in part to the cross cultural phenomenon (um, thank you philipines for the magic mic). i go into brief detail.

1. in my life, before i die, i want to write a one hit wonder song that makes it into the karaoke song books. hell, i don't even have to be in the band that makes it. or if i am, i don't even have to be the lead singer - tho that would be hella sweet. i just want to make one album with one band that has one one hit wonder. one smash one hit wonder - along the lines of 'don't stop believing.' (ok, not that journey is anything close to a one hit wonder, but that's the caliber of song i'm shooting for). which i think is maybe every other band's nightmare, to be a flash in the pan. but really i have other things to do than make a life long career out of music. i just wanna do it once. and do it well. join me if you dare.

2. one time at a storm game - wait, let me rephrase that- the one time i went to a storm game, (not that i wouldn't go again, or didn't have fun, or wasn't excited to score free tix, or have any beef against my sporty sisters, but it's just not something i have a burning desire to do on a regular basis or have the inclination to drop down money for. but if you have an extra ticket and need a date, i'm hella game. so to speak. and delightful company.) where was i. . . yes, the seattle storm. we (geode + i + geode's friends) and i got there in a timely fashion. we settled in our seats, we (ok, really i can only speak for myself) spent lots of time looking around at all the other 'storm fans' (but yeah really i was not the only one scoping out the crowd). then some too loudly amplified announcer began saying things, eventually persuading folks to get up and respect the gifted teenager who was about to sing a technically difficult but deceptively so cuz we all know it and think we can sing it just fine song. i got up to see better. the girl started singing. then it hit me. the only difference between this girl singing the national anthem at the start of a basketball game and me singing it up on some makeshift stage at a pub - age, refined vocal chords, crowd size and standing ovation aside - was the lack of words projected on the big screen. this kid was basically doing karaoke. karaoke +. extreme karaoke. i turned to geode, 'what if one day we came to a game and right before it started i excused myself then the next thing you know, they're calling my name and i'm out there in some snappy outfit belting it out for the masses? would you be impressed?'  'impressed, yes,' she replied, 'but not really surprised.'  ok, i don't remember what she said back to me, but the point is, someday, somewhere, somehow, you might find yourself at a sports event, you will find your seat, you will be touching up your friend's face paint when the announcer interrupts, asking you to get up out of your seats for the national anthem and please welcome to the stage. . .  ilvs.   
'uh, it's pronounced 'elvis'.'


odds are i will be at the waterwheel in ballard (wallingford?) this sunday night 9pm for some songage.  maybs i see you there.

PSA - and for the record, i don't need the alcohol to sing in front of peeps. i'm just not all that into drinking.  and i think it detracts from the true experience. and it's not the best for the vocal chords. 

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