Last month, karaokefortlauderdale.com published a blog on a new karaoke craze, live band karaoke. This relatively new sweeping, singing sensation takes the party pastime and does away with the recorded ‘karaoke version’ of the song and replaces it with live instruments. This emerging musical movement is indeed popping up everywhere with palpitating popularity, but it also starts to beg a new question: Are live bands taking over karaoke? Years ago, karaoke parties complete with the once cliquey, cool karaoke machine were what we as a social society would call now as ‘trending’. Although they most likely still occasionally occur, over the years more people have ventured out to various venues to present their pipes publicly. And when the choice of karaoke songs more than tripled with the addition of a computerized cache, it seems there was no stopping this happy yet humbling articulation of amusement. Then it happened: there
was a sharp decline in the early 2000’s, partly due to a burning out of the public as far as the semi-capable crooners, and also as a result of the recession. People started to favor staying in, and many still do, but a recent climb in karaoke competitions is suddenly keeping this hallowed hobby relevant again. Karaoke still garners more than a reasonable recommendation for a form of recreation, but does it hold up against live bands? In this economy, which amateurs will the perceptive public pick? Will they opt for a bar that may have either a hotbed of hidden talent or an insurgence of intoxicated idiots on any given night, singing to pre-recorded music while never wandering from the written words on the screen? Or, will they go to see a live band that plays their own instruments and usually practices weekly if not daily? Live local music runs rampant and rowdy in South Florida. There are literally bunches of bands that have strong and steady fan followings in Broward County alone, with information on their type of music and schedules readily available on weekendbroward.com. The number of bars, restaurants, casinos, and even public spaces that are now booking bands keeps rising on a regular or maybe irregular basis. People are motivated and devoted to their favorite music group, causing them to leave their couches behind and sojourn into the surging social scene. With a live band, audiences experience the thrill of the throbbing thunder of the drums, the low boom of the bass, the viciously good vocal vibrations and the excitement of the guitar’s effervescent electricity. So how does karaoke stack up against live bands? On weekdays, not too bad with an average of 25 karaoke shows compared with 15 live cover-band shows if we look at an average Wednesday in the Fort Lauderdale area*. The prevalence and popularity of karaoke pares down on the weekends, though, as live band shows outnumber karaoke almost 2 to 1.* There doesn’t have to be a choice. I, myself, and many of my friends enjoy both options and even end up enjoying both a karaoke show and a local band in the same week. We like to try new places to sing and we are always discovering new places and bands to rock to. So have fun with both,
as it
really isn’t and shouldn’t be a contest. Live music can be enjoyed in many forms and will be for a very, very long time. Long live live! *all statistics were taken using June 2014 event calendars found on WeekendBroward.com